I have to say, we had wonderful weather for our trip to Port Arthur. It had been so rainy and gray the day before that we weren't sure what we were in for. It was definitely cool when we left (and we left early), but the sky was blue, and rain wasn't even an option.
We took to public bus to downtown Hobart, and then a tour bus from Hobart to Port Arthur. Fortunately both drivers were really nice. We were worried we would need to transfer to get to the right spot, but the first driver told us exactly what we needed, and even recognized us the next time he saw us, which was basically three days later.
People were nice, and they were also very trusting. I had communicated with the company by e-mail, and asked about payment, and they just said to do it when we got there. That morning we were leaving before the office was actually open, but the driver said we could pay in Port Arthur. We did go to the office there to drop off the other people on the bus, but he said they were busy, so we could just pay the next day, and he would take us to our hotel. (We did finally convince someone to take our money the next day.)
He dropped us off at the Port Arthur Comfort Inn, and we checked in. We had just brought overnight bags, travelling as light as we could. The Inn has a gate that lets you right on to the Port Arthur property. This is where the second issue of people being really trusting came up.
Our package was for the Ghost Tour, plus dinner, the night's lodging, and breakfast the next day. This was booked separately of the Eco-Tour, which was the ground transport to and from Port Arthur plus the boat ride we were taking the next day. We hadn't booked day access to the site with anyone. So there we were on the grounds, not having paid. We intended to pay, so we started heading off to where we thought would be the spot, only we ended up going in the wrong direction. I talked to one of the volunteers there, and he pointed us in the right direction. He also said we should look around first. We felt like that was kind of him, but we were not really comfortable. Perhaps we should have said that out loud, and he might have explained the issue.
The issue is that the site is enormous. There are more than thirty buildings on over forty hectares (just under a hundred acres). after walking to one corner of the property, then reversing and pretty much going to the exact opposite corner, we were pretty done for. So, we paid our admissions, but did not take the included walking tour which would have been good for the information. If we had gradually wandered about the property, making our way there while checking out the various buildings, we would have gotten more out of it, and I am pretty sure no one would have stopped us.
We did go on the included boat ride around the harbor. For extra you can get off on either of the two islands, which we did not do, and we also skipped the interpretive center. We still saw a lot, just not as much as we could have if we had been wiser.
The other thing the one volunteer had mentioned was that we needed to see the separate prison no matter what, as it was the basis of the modern penal system. From the map we saw that it was near the other cafe.
There are two places that sell food on the property. One is where we paid our admissions, and we had gotten a snack and a drink there. Since the other was near the separate prison, and closer to our hotel, we decided we would eat lunch there, and at this point we would have been all over the property even if we did not go in all of the buildings. The only problem was, we simply could not find it. We found things that seemed like they should be near, but we couldn't find the separate prison or the cafe. We decided to go back to the hotel and eat, but then we found out that the restaurant is only open for limited hours, and there is no store, and we were finally in an area with no Domino's. Wouldn't you know, my blood sugar was low. (If we had made it to the store the night before, we would have gotten some power bars or something, but we hadn't. We aren't usually that irresponsible.)
I ended up eating the complimentary chocolates that came with our package, and just resting. It seemed more productive than hiking back and trying to find food, then have the other hike. Really though, it was a beautiful day, and a beautiful site, and the chocolates were good, just not ideal nutrition.
We made it to dinnertime, and it was pretty good. Basically, it is a three course meal, but you choose three items off the menu and they are not too fussy about sharing or which specific areas of the menu you order from. The dining room would have a great view, but it was already quite dark by 6:00.
Our tour started at 8:15, so we headed over and waited for things to get started. The tours are pretty flexible for the guides. There are several buildings they can choose from, and a time frame, but not a set route. We started at the church, then went on the the vicar's house, the doctor's house, underneath the surgeon's house, and then ended up in the separate prison, so we got to see it after all. And no, I did not suddenly understand how we missed it.
It is a ghost tour in that they do tell you about things people have seen and heard, but they aren't really established stories, like this is the legend of old so-and-so. They will tell you the history of the specific building, and what type of haunted activity is normally reported, and then usually give examples of things people in their own tour groups have told them. Sometimes they will tell stories from other guides, but for our guide at least, there was really one story from someone else that she shared.
What was interesting is that it is usually not everyone seeing it or hearing it, but someone coming up later and sharing something. For example, one night a man came to her and said he did not believe in ghosts, but while she was talking in the church he saw a shadow of a man bend down behind her. Another woman heard him say this and said "Yes! Did you see him pick up the tool?", which he had not, but the interesting thing about that was that there were two deaths during the construction of the church. One was a fall from the roof, and the other was one convict striking another with a tool. She had not told them that story.
I personally have no sensitivity to ghosts. I certainly don't deny the possibility of anyone seeing or hearing anything at any time, but I am not going to see or hear it. So, finding out that even if three people in a group heard footsteps, and some did not, was interesting. It may relate to the size of their front temporal lobes and electromagnetic fields in the area. I don't know.
The thing that was very important for them, and they kept stressing, is that any other ghost tour in Tasmania they will have costumed characters and special effects, and they don't do that. She kept repeating, these are real people and real stories and we don't want to mock that. Since in most cases they are stories that were told to the guide by someone they had guided, and often someone who had been very frightened by it, I can see that and the respect is good. So, I shall not tell the other stories I remember (but I know them!).
I can't say that the tour was ever scary, though some of the stories certainly would be scary if they were happening to you, but it was interesting and that is usually what I'm going for.
That was pretty much it. We hiked back up the long trail, went to bed, and were up early to have our breakfast and check out, ready for our Eco-tour. However, I think there are some important lessons for whoever goes next:
1. Have some food on hand.
2. If you are going from the Inn to the site, don't go straight! Hang a left to get to the main building and buy your tickets, then head through the interpretive center, join your tour, and take your boat ride. Stop at buildings along the way and pace yourself. There is just a lot to see.
3. For the Ghost Tour, it is not a bad idea to have a flashlight. They have lanterns during the tour, but on your way to and from the tour it is not well lit. Honestly, I think they just don't think too much about people coming from the hotel, so they don't really plan for that.
4. I made a point of reading "For the Term of His Natural Life" before we got there. The site does not seem to have a high opinion of the book, but it's still a pretty good yarn and I suspect there is quite a bit of truth to it.
http://www.tasmancruises.com.au/tours.php
http://www.portarthur-inn.com.au/
http://www.portarthur.org.au/
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