Chain gangs, solitary confinement, floggings with a cat o' nine tails and savage dogs - all  were part of the everyday routine in Port Arthur, Tasmania. Tasmania was one of Australia's most notorious 19th Century penal settlements and there was only one escape for many sent there: death and burial in an unmarked grave on the Island of the Dead. Conditions were so terrible that some prisoners were driven to commit murder in order to be sent to Sydney to receive an almost mandatory death sentence. For many, it was preferable to rotting in Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania's original name. By 1816, Tasmania was a lawless place overrun by escapee bushrangers, originally referred to runaway convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. The term "bushranger" then evolved to refer to those who abandoned social rights and privileges to take up "robbery under arms" as a way of life, using the bush as their base.

Today, Tasmania has transformed into Australia's safest and cleanest state. Known as the "Apple Isle" and for the Tasmanian Devil, it is a beautiful island surrounded by mountains with one of the deepest rivers in the world, the Derwent River. A holiday to this great southern island is a must for boating enthusiasts - the town of Hobart is the final destination for the world famous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race - and lovers of nature and wildlife parks. Tasmania is also a treasure trove for those with a refined palate, who enjoy fine wines and gourmet seafood. Hiking, camping, restaurant hopping, wine and beer tasting, fishing and boating are just some of the everyday leisure activities enjoyed by locals and tourists alike in this island paradise.

Visiting the Island

As Australia's most southern land mass, Tasmania is snow capped throughout much of the year, and the mountainous terrain and many lakes make for a tranquil and beautiful island which is a popular destination for holiday makers from all over the world.

For travelers, the island can be divided into 4 sections. The Northwest, where the ferry from the mainland disembarks at Devonport; the Northeast, with beautiful beaches and snow capped mountain peaks; the Southwest, renowned for the system of rivers and the beautiful rainforests which comprise a magnificent World Heritage Area; and the Southeast, which houses the ruins of the penal settlement of Port Arthur, and has a rugged and beautiful coastline interspersed with many fine surf beaches. The island is also home to the reputed oldest living thing on earth, a Huon pine tree in the southwest wilderness estimated to be 4,000 years old.