We enjoyed another perfect day in what has turned out to be a fantastic cruise. Who knew Tasmania could have this kind of weather? However, it is 6:15pm and we are in the Princess Theater awaiting the start of impressionist Keith Scott’s 6:45pm show. I am really worn out tonight, and predict I’ll be in bed early, despite the ship’s celebration of Halloween tonight (more on that later).
The alarm went off at 5:30am and we were in the Horizon Court Buffet drinking hot beverages (rooibos tea in my case) at 6am when the Golden Princess let go her lines and left the port of Hobart, where it had been berthed overnight. And let me go back for a second and mention that, when it was windy yesterday evening, the thrusters were running just to keep the ship against the pier. I mentioned to G that we might have a loud night, because the thrusters really rattle the back of the ship where our cabin is located. However, by the time we returned to our cabin last night, we no longer heard the thrusters and had a wonderful (and stable) night’s sleep.
The sun had not yet risen when we first sailed. At least, I don’t think it had. It was another overcast and miserable looking start to the day, but the scenery on both sides of the ship did its best to look spectacular. It was a lot like cruising in Alaska for a few hours this morning, and, just before we arrived in Port Arthur at 9am, the views became even more dramatic, with steep sea cliffs on one side of the ship and mountains on the other. We ate breakfast while we watched, and, by the time the Golden Princess was at anchor, we were ready to go ashore.
There was a delay in getting the ship cleared (I think the local authorities forgot we were coming today), but, fortunately, the tender was short and 10 minutes after we boarded the boat we were delivered right to Port Arthur. I was a little confused about what to expect today. There is an entrance fee to get into the Port Arthur Historic Site (something like $39 AUD) but other passengers who had been there via ship in the past told me that we would disembark the tender right in the site and the ticket price was already paid. That turned out to be correct. Our admission was free of charge to us (I suspect it was included in our port fees) but we were not able to have access to all of the special tours and boat rides the normal admission provided unless we booked extra cost excursions either on the ship or once we arrived.
So…what is the Port Arthur Historic Site? Port Arthur was used as a penal station from 1840 to 1877, but it was more than just that. It was an entire community, also home to military personnel and free settlers. The convicts worked at farming and industries, producing a wide range of resources and materials. The whole ‘Australia as a penal colony’ history is not one that we were very familiar with, but it is really the story of the settlement of Australia. Frankly, mostly Aussies we’ve talked with think they got by far the better end of that stick.
Port Arthur Historic Site as seen from the tender boatThe Port Arthur Historic Site contains 30 historic buildings, numerous ruins, and beautiful grounds and gardens. This is early in the season, so there were just a few flowering trees, but the peaceful site belies its past, and there are many who believe the former penal colony, especially the cemetery on the Isle or the Dead, is haunted.
The most imposing building at Port Arthur is the Penitentiary. This was originally the flour mill and granary for the community, and the convicts were housed in rough timber huts. But as the convict population grew, this building housed them on four floors, with the most dangerous kept on the two lower floors and those with less security on the two upper floors.
The Penitentiary
The back of the Penitentiary
Inside the Penitentiary 
The Guard Tower
The Guard TowerWe spent several hours walking the grounds and reading the signs. It reminded us a bit of a smaller Jamestown or Williamsburg. But the best part of the day was the ease with which we were able to access the site. We were just a short tender ride away, and it was much easier than doing a tour by bus from Hobart.
Though the day started out cloudy and threatening, the rain held off and we even saw the sun periodically. It would feel comfortable one minute and cold the next, depending on the wind and the sun, but all in all the weather really held for us. Eventually we started to get hungry and tendered back to the ship, where we arrived in time for the British Pub Lunch held in the Donatello Dining Room. I ordered a salad and vegetable soup and then, while everyone else enjoyed their bread pudding for dessert, had a fruit plate. It helps that the fruit has been so delicious on these cruises.
We debated going back over to the site but it was after 2pm by then and I needed to get some emails sent while we still had cellular service. We have been very miserly in using our internet minutes on the ship, carrying over 100 minutes from last cruise to this one, and making them last until tomorrow, when we’ll sign up for the 150 minutes we get for this 7-night cruise. We will not have any local cellular service during our next 14-night cruise to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji and so will rely more heavily on WiFi from the ship. There will be a noticeable decrease in the number of photos I upload, but I will eventually catch up.
The afternoon was sunnier than the morning. G went to a hot tub while I worked, and then we went to dinner in the Donatello Dining Room about the time the last tenders were recovered and the ship sailed. The view of the sea cliffs right outside our dining room window was incredible, and we kept getting up to take one photo, then another and another. We’ve had wind, and occasional rain, but overall we have been so lucky with weather this cruise. I guess it’s payback for the rainy days in Brisbane and Port Douglas.
Halloween was celebrated on the ship tonight, and all the waiters were dressed up in really fantastic costumes and the ship was also decorated for the holiday. I suspect the reason it was early is that tomorrow night is the final night of this cruise, and the crew wouldn’t have time to celebrate on their own and passengers will be busy packing up and Halloween activities and parties might not be well attended. We aren’t going to make it tonight, either. We did attend Keith Scott’s show; though some of his references were beyond us, he did a great Donald Trump and Prince Charles and several American singers and cartoon voices. He was really very good. We could see it was still light out when we were walking back to our cabin, and stepped out on the Terrace Deck just long enough to take a couple of photos of the sunset. It was beautiful but, darn, that air temp was cold!
Headwaiter Gabriel from Romania
Waiter Armando from the Philippines
Junior Waiter Bude from Indonesia
I will have this post published especially early tonight, by 9pm. And then I will sleep the sleep of someone who has a sea day tomorrow and nothing I have to do (including packing up or changing cabins), and that is the best sleep of all.