Sometimes on these Tasmania itineraries, the ship overnights in Hobart and then sails at 6am the next day for Port Arthur, arriving at 9am or so. Or, if done in reverse order, it will depart Port Arthur about 5pm and arrive in Hobart about 8pm, overnighting and spending the next day there. We like those occurrences; in addition to having an overnight in Hobart, we travel the distance between the two ports in daylight. The scenery is spectacular the entire way.
But we did neither of those scenarios on this cruise. We left Hobart about 11pm last night (at least we were scheduled to; I woke up at some time during the night and could tell we were at sea), and when we awoke this morning, we were in the long harbor that is home to the Port Arthur Historic Site. This is a gorgeous area, with views in every direction.
The distance between Hobart and Port Arthur is only 30 or so miles by boat
The webcam view this morning
G was up and out of the cabin before 7am. He had his first breakfast in the DaVinci Dining Room...and his second with me in the Horizon Court Buffet about 9am. It was a beautifully clear morning, but very cold, in the low 40s. We decided to wait until it warmed up a bit before we tendered over to Port Arthur. At about 10:30am, we left the ship for what seemed like a very short tender ride (compared to the Queensland tenders last cruise) to shore.
View toward the mouth of the harbor
Looking toward Port Arthur from the tender.
The small island on the right is the Island of the Dead, where over
1000 prisoners and Port Arthur workers are buried.
If you followed our travels two years ago, or if you are Australian, you know that, from 1833 to 1877, Port Arthur was a penal settlement housing more than 2000 convicts, military staff and civilian employees and their families. Though most people arrive at Port Arthur by road and pay an admission fee to enter the grounds, we lucky cruisers are tendered into a dock on the back side of the site, near what was once the shipyard. Our entrance fee is paid through our port fees, and includes an overview walking tour and a boat ride around the Island of the Dead, which served as the cemetery, and near Point Puer, home to the first juvenile reform center in the British Empire.
We walked around the site a bit, and spent some time in the Visitors Center. This was under construction the first time we visited Port Arthur, and we didn’t really spend enough time there to do it justice during our second visit. Afterward, we took a boat tour (included) around the harbor, past the Island of the Dead and the area where Point Puer had been located. A large fire at Port Arthur in the 1890s left many of the buildings in ruins. While they have all been shored up to be safe, a decision was made to not restore them to their original condition.
The penitentiary
The commandant’s house
The Island of the Dead
The area where Point Puer, the boys’ reformatory once stood
We returned to the ship around 2pm. The Melbourne Cup horse race, a very big deal in Australia, was taking place at 3pm, and was going to be shown on the MUTS screen and in Club Fusion, where a fashion and hat contest would take place before hand, and where there would be an Australian sing along. An Australian sing along? Count me in. I love partying with Aussies; they definitely know how to have fun! I sat with a couple who had placed bets on the race, and cheered as the lady’s choice, Vow and Declare, won the race. She had placed a bet for each of her grandchildren and couldn’t wait to tell them they were all winners.
There was just enough time to get cleaned up for the evening. G went to the Elite Lounge in Skywalkers, but I haven’t yet made it up there (because he’s been the first in the bathroom to get showered lately). We met up in the DaVinci Dining Room for the Italian night menu. I had the sautéed prawns and sea scallops served with broccoli and lemoncello sorbet for dessert. We hadn’t eaten lunch and it was nice to sit down for a meal feeling hungry for a change.
Day 4 dinner menu, page 1
Day 4 dinner menu, page 2
Day 4 dessert menu
Sautéed prawns and sea scallops served with broccoli
The entertainment in the Princess Theater was production show Magic to Do, and we just weren’t feeling it tonight. Instead we went to the Horizon Court Buffet for coffee and watched the sunset from the Terrace Deck. Reader Cheryl sent me the most wonderful analysis of the factors that would increase our odds of seeing the Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) and our alarm is set for midnight tonight to go out on the Terrace Deck to look for them. Thank you so much, Cheryl! Is there anything you don’t know?? ;-)
Our scenic cruising of Oyster and Wineglass Bays in Freycinet National Park begins at 7am tomorrow morning. We’ll have to re-set that alarm after our search for the Southern Lights to make sure we don’t miss a second of views.
A chilly sunset from the Terrace Deck
Port Arthur Port Guide, page 1
Port Arthur Port Guide, page 2
Port Arthur Port Guide, page 3
Port Arthur Port Guide, page 4
Day 4 Princess Patter, page 1
Day 4 Princess Patter, page 2
Day 4 Princess Patter, page 3
Day 4 Princess Patter, page 4