Port Arthur

Port Arthur was on my to do list and I am happy to say it lived up to expectations. I am feeling a little better after last nights downer of a blog and have lots of good stuff to tell you all.

Port Arthur was amazing. The buildings are great and you really feel as if the convicts are still lurking around. The silent prison got to me the most where men were put in there and stripped of identity. It was a total sensory deprivation and they were made to wear masks when they left their cells for 1 hour a day.

There was also the beginnings of the Juvinille Justice system (or to those in the biz; jj's). It sounds as if Port Arthur's JJ's may have been more successful than ours currently are and turned out young men who could contribute to society. At least that is what they say.

The ghost tour was a high light and you will understand Bridgid Edwards that I was frightened out of my skin but excited at the same time. Apparently it is a very haunted sight and there have been many ghost sightings. I could not decide if I did or did not want to see anyone! I felt sick when we went into the dissection room and very cold when we went into the silent prison. We took photos but did not catch any ghostly premonitions...unless you can see some in the pics we took???

Driving to Hobart today we stopped at The Devils Kitchen and the Tessellated Pavement which was amazing and difficult to get a good photo of. I will put the best up for you tomorrow.

Hobart is not as cold as the lakes area and our main focus for the moment is the 10km run that is on tomorrow. We are competing and I am very excited! They close of the bridge in Hobart and we race over it. I hope I finish before they reopen the bridge. Otherwise that would be embarrassing.

Tasi people seem a little funny. It seems like it is stuck in a bit of a time warp. The people are sometimes unfriendly and I cant work out if it is because we are a mixed race couple or they just don't like tourists. It then occurs to me that most of these people are only 100 year from being convicts. Maybe this has something to do with it? They seem gruffer, a lot like my Great Grandmother; not smiling in photos, shows little affection, hard working and stoic. Its very interesting and unlike any other group of people I have come across. Maybe they are a little miserable because the weather is shite! Who knows.

Tomorrow the big run...hopefully I will be able to blog after.

The dissection chamber!

Love Krystal