Experience the best of Port Arthur

Port Arthur stands on the Tasman Peninsula, south-east of Hobart, where a penal settlement operated between 1830 and 1877. Sandstone ruins of the penitentiary, a church without a roof, a model prison and officers' cottages stand among lawns and trees beside the bay. The site is part of the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage listing.

Boats cross to the Isle of the Dead, where prisoners and staff were buried. Around the peninsula, Tasman National Park has tall dolerite sea cliffs, the Tasman Arch, Devil's Kitchen and the Blowhole on the coast road, with walking tracks to Cape Hauy and Cape Raoul. Eaglehawk Neck, the narrow land bridge where guards and dogs once blocked escape, and the Tessellated Pavement, a rock platform of natural rectangular blocks, lie on the road in.

Scallops, crayfish and fresh fish are the local seafood, and Tasmanian cheeses and cider are on many menus. The weather on the peninsula can change within the hour, with winters cold and wet and summers mild.