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 With its rugged sea cliffs, white sandy beaches, sheltered rainforests,
waterfalls, wildflowers and wildlife, the Tasman Peninsula has much to for those
seeking what nature has to offer. As well as the natural environment, the
Tasman Peninsula is steeped in European history, of which the most famous is the
convict penal colony of
Port Arthur and
the nearby penal settlement of the Saltwater River.
The peninsulas rugged wild coastline has witnessed a number of shipwrecks
most notable being the Tasman (in 1883) and the Nord (in 1915), both off the
Hyppolyte Rocks on the east coast side, and the James Munroe (in 1850) to the
north of Cape Pillar. Although the key industry in the region today is
tourism, it wasn't always so, with timber, fishing and convicts being the main
activities during the 1800s. Now, visitors can explore the ruins, the
re-enactments, nightly ghost tours, and a trip to the
Isle of the Dead.
Located
in the south-east corner of Tasmania, the Tasman Peninsula is less than 100 km
from Hobart and is
accessible via the A9 through the East Bay Neck that connects Forestier
Peninsula to the mainland, then via the narrow isthmus called Eaglehawk Neck.
 It
is at Eaglehawk Neck where a line of hungry hounds
would wait with the guards for any
escaping convicts, the spot now immortalised with
a statue of
one of the hounds. There
are a number of activities for the visitors, beyond the footsteps of our convict
past, such as bushwalks through the Tasman National Park or an eco cruise that
departs from both Port Arthur and Eaglehawk Neck. Taranna has a conservation
park where you can get up close to the Tassie Devil. The Tasman Peninsula is
often described for tourism promotion to include some of the locales around the
East Bay Neck that connects Forestier Peninsula to the mainland, such as the
fishing village of Dunalley (formerly known as East Bay Neck), Blackman Bay,
Dunalley Bay, the Forestier Peninsula and of course Eaglehawk Neck. Check out our range of listed
Tasman
Peninsula accommodation. In addition to our listed online travel guide
information, contact the local tourism visitor centre for your destination for
more attractions, tours, local maps and other information. |
