So this page is about not just one town or area but its made up of the places we visited and will visit as we travel along it to get to port Arthur sometime in the future as we want to get the full picture of the area, so will updated this page and add different places over the coming weeks.
So this is in one way the first part of the road the Port Arthur, so enjoy the Photos.
So this is in one way the first part of the road the Port Arthur, so enjoy the Photos.
Now we left Bagdad sometime around 8 am and travelled down the road to the bridges that cross over and have linked small land masses together so you can drive south.
The weather was calm and no wind to speak of over all a good day and as you will see below the coat and country side is amazing there were people about due to a long weekend here as Monday is a Holiday, so enjoy the photos.
The weather was calm and no wind to speak of over all a good day and as you will see below the coat and country side is amazing there were people about due to a long weekend here as Monday is a Holiday, so enjoy the photos.
Lookout to Pirate Bay
As you pass by Grave Island just be aware of the turn off to left which will take you up to a lookout which gives you a stunning view of the coast south and Pirate Bay below and if you are a coffee person there is a van which sells coffee etc. and has seating so you can enjoy the view, there is plenty of parking as well.
From there you can drive down the hill which takes you to sea level and down to the beach front and jetty area where the Blow Hole are which you will see below.
From there you can drive down the hill which takes you to sea level and down to the beach front and jetty area where the Blow Hole are which you will see below.
Duneally
We stopped in here after seeing the fishing boat coming down the channel and it is a little fishing village which time has stopped in many ways but we had a good walk around the jetty area and if the signs are true white people came here in 1642 which is so incredible to take in. Looks like the fishing is done from here for crayfish and the people are friendly and if you take the time the views and water here are great, you can ook into the water and see the fish and weed on the bottom down to deep water as well. So the photos below are of this area.
Funny thing is we went to the local Fish market on our way home, thinking we would get some fresh fish, but you walk into the old fish markets the display fridge is empty and Ellen asked if they had any fish and the answer was great
"Sorry No fish today, had some yesterday and may have some tomorrow but." looking over the shop you can get ice cream by the bucket and they where cooking hot chips, strange little fish shop, but funny.
Funny thing is we went to the local Fish market on our way home, thinking we would get some fresh fish, but you walk into the old fish markets the display fridge is empty and Ellen asked if they had any fish and the answer was great
"Sorry No fish today, had some yesterday and may have some tomorrow but." looking over the shop you can get ice cream by the bucket and they where cooking hot chips, strange little fish shop, but funny.
Dunalley, a small fishing village on the Arthur Highway, is located on the narrow isthmus which separates the Forestier and Tasman Peninsulas from rest of Tasmania. The Denison canal, with a swing bridge for road traffic, has been cut between Dunalley Bay and Blackman Bay to allow boats easy access between the two bays.
The town is a stopping place en-route to Port Arthur. The primary attractions are a good cafe beside the water, the Tasman monument and a large, gracious pub.
Originally named East Bay Neck, the small settlement was changed to Dunalley in 1839 by an early settler, Captain Benjamin Bayley. The name honoured Henry Prittie, the third Baron Dunalley - a title from County Tipperary in Ireland. Prittie was Bayley's cousin.
* Prior to the arrival of Europeans the area around Dunalley was occupied by several distinctly different Aboriginal groups who were bound together by speaking the Paredarerme language.
* On 1 December, 1642 Abel Tasman's expedition sighted the east coast of Tasmania near Dunally, made their anchorage north of Visscher Island and on the third day a carpenter swam ashore and planted the Dutch flag.
* In 1772 Marion Dufresne used Tasman's anchorage. At North Bay after a skirmish they shot the first Aborigine killed by Europeans in Australia.
* In 1802 Nicolas Baudin anchored at Maria Island and between 18-27 February, 1802 surveyed North and Blackman Bays.
* In 1815 the explorer James Kelly hauled his small boat across the isthmus thus presaging the building of the canal.
* In 1830 a small military detachment were based at Dunalley before they were moved to Eaglehawk Neck.
* In the 1840s convicts built a railway across the isthmus to haul goods from Dunalley Bay to Blackman Bay.
* In 1842 township blocks were offered for sale.
* The Dunalley Hotel was built in 1866. It burnt down in 1891.
* In 1877 Dunalley comprised one hotel and ten houses.
* The present Dunally Hotel was built in 1892.
The town is a stopping place en-route to Port Arthur. The primary attractions are a good cafe beside the water, the Tasman monument and a large, gracious pub.
Originally named East Bay Neck, the small settlement was changed to Dunalley in 1839 by an early settler, Captain Benjamin Bayley. The name honoured Henry Prittie, the third Baron Dunalley - a title from County Tipperary in Ireland. Prittie was Bayley's cousin.
* Prior to the arrival of Europeans the area around Dunalley was occupied by several distinctly different Aboriginal groups who were bound together by speaking the Paredarerme language.
* On 1 December, 1642 Abel Tasman's expedition sighted the east coast of Tasmania near Dunally, made their anchorage north of Visscher Island and on the third day a carpenter swam ashore and planted the Dutch flag.
* In 1772 Marion Dufresne used Tasman's anchorage. At North Bay after a skirmish they shot the first Aborigine killed by Europeans in Australia.
* In 1802 Nicolas Baudin anchored at Maria Island and between 18-27 February, 1802 surveyed North and Blackman Bays.
* In 1815 the explorer James Kelly hauled his small boat across the isthmus thus presaging the building of the canal.
* In 1830 a small military detachment were based at Dunalley before they were moved to Eaglehawk Neck.
* In the 1840s convicts built a railway across the isthmus to haul goods from Dunalley Bay to Blackman Bay.
* In 1842 township blocks were offered for sale.
* The Dunalley Hotel was built in 1866. It burnt down in 1891.
* In 1877 Dunalley comprised one hotel and ten houses.
* The present Dunally Hotel was built in 1892.
Blow Hole And Jetty Area
We pulled into the carpark here and you first see is the seafood van which by the way people are lining up does well, from here we walked up to the lookouts and watched the water come in by the tunnel from the sea but, being a calm day and low tide the blow hole was not showing it self.
But even without that the rocks and views are stunning and well worth the effort to drive and see this.
We after we had our work, we found a table and had some morning tea with the biscuits we got from the markets earlier and it was great to sit and listen to the surf rolling into the cutting around us.
But even without that the rocks and views are stunning and well worth the effort to drive and see this.
We after we had our work, we found a table and had some morning tea with the biscuits we got from the markets earlier and it was great to sit and listen to the surf rolling into the cutting around us.
Being a long weekend and the fact we got there early, the crowds where just starting to build as we were about to move further down the coast, it was not cold and not hot either, hope you are looking at photos.
Devils kitchen
This is the devils kitchen which has a fenced area from where you can look over and because its so far down its near impossible to see the bottom, but you can hear the waves crashing into the gorge
This very aptly named feature gets its name from the cauldron of foaming fury, normally seen at water level from the viewing platform several hundred feet above, where the swells of the Great Southern Ocean crash into the base of the tall cliffs. Even on relatively calm days it’s still an awesome sight.
This very aptly named feature gets its name from the cauldron of foaming fury, normally seen at water level from the viewing platform several hundred feet above, where the swells of the Great Southern Ocean crash into the base of the tall cliffs. Even on relatively calm days it’s still an awesome sight.
Tasman Arch
As you drive into the car park here you pull up with the arch just in front of you, the fence is high enough to keep the kids safe as you look down into the large hole and can see out into the ocean as the waves roll into the opening.
There is a track which takes you around the gorge and out onto a lookout from which you can see down at the place where the water enters the hole. I can see on days when the wind is up and the ocean is rough how the viewing would be on a whole new level.
There is a track which takes you around the gorge and out onto a lookout from which you can see down at the place where the water enters the hole. I can see on days when the wind is up and the ocean is rough how the viewing would be on a whole new level.
Just 100 metres from the lookout to the Devil’s Kitchen is the massive Tasman Arch which would resemble the Devil’s Kitchen were it not for the huge bridge of solid rock that spans the gap across the chasm created by the wind and waves over millions of years. It would be another Blowhole if the water was not so far below the viewing platform.
Tessellated pavement
In geology and geomorphology, a tessellated pavement is a relatively flat rock surface that is subdivided into more or less regular rectangles, blocks approaching rectangles, or irregular or regular polygons by fractures, frequently systematic joints, within the rock. This type of rock pavement bears this name because it is fractured into polygonal blocks that resemble tiles of a mosaic floor
As you see from photos they do look a lot like they have been cut into the rocks and as the pieces come away from the others they are in squares and can be in some many different sizes.
I would be say best to try to get there during a low tide as I could see that the water will cover a lot of the area you would need to walk about 5 min down a slight hill then the 50 steps to beach level and to leave it is a walk back up the same way or you could park further down the beach and walk the sand to the rock area , its a bit further that way.
If you are down this way do go its one of those places you need to visit in this area.
As you see from photos they do look a lot like they have been cut into the rocks and as the pieces come away from the others they are in squares and can be in some many different sizes.
I would be say best to try to get there during a low tide as I could see that the water will cover a lot of the area you would need to walk about 5 min down a slight hill then the 50 steps to beach level and to leave it is a walk back up the same way or you could park further down the beach and walk the sand to the rock area , its a bit further that way.
If you are down this way do go its one of those places you need to visit in this area.
So as you are seeing there are so many things down this way to see and I have not seen them all yet and some say you missed this and that, well we had a full day yesterday and you git to visit what you can and we will get to the other stuff now that we have an idea about the place.
So there should be many more day visits to the area as we can and will add them as I can, we have lots of time here and will keep us busy I am sure.
So there should be many more day visits to the area as we can and will add them as I can, we have lots of time here and will keep us busy I am sure.