Tasman Peninsula And The South East Guides Attractions Events in Tasmania

Doo Town dates back to the 1930s. In 1935, Hobart architect Eric Round began a custom that continues today when he placed the name plate Doo I at his Pirate’s Bay weekender shack. Charles Gibson (Doo-Me) and Bill Eldriged (Doo-Us) followed. The tradition caught on and today most of the town’s 30 or so cottages have Doo names including Thistledoo and Gunnadoo.

Dunalley is a small fishing village south-east of Hobart en route to Port Arthur. It is located on a narrow isthmus that joins the Tasman Peninsula to the rest of Tasmania. You cross the Denison Canal, hand dug in 1905, which joins Frederick Henry Bay and Blackman Bay.
The town is 57 kilometres (about 60 minutes’ drive or 35 miles) from Hobart on the A9 Highway. The Denison canal, with a swing bridge for road traffic, allows boats easy access between the two bays. Local legend has it that the “toll” to the gatekeeper is a bottle of beer.
The area is known for its open countryside and stunning waterways. Look out for the Dunalley Fish Market, the Dunalley Waterfront Café, Antiques and Collectables, and Potters Croft bed and breakfast and art gallery.
On November 29, 1642 Abel Janszoon Tasman landed at Blackman Bay near present day Dunalley. It is believed they the Dutch were the first Europeans to set foot on Tasmanian soil. Although they saw smoke and heard noises they did not see any Aboriginal people. Notches cut at considerable distances on nearby tree trunks led them to believe that the people must be very tall. Later, the British satirist, Jonathan Swift, had Gulliver sail to the country of Houyhnhnms, west of Tasmania.
The weather on the Tasman Peninsula is affected by the winds coming off Frederick Henry Bay, so remember, no matter what time of year you visit; bring a warm jacket and all weather gear

Eaglehawk Neck is an uncommonly beautiful place. The isthmus is flanked by the calm waters of Norfolk Bay on one side and Pirates Bay opening onto the Tasman Sea on the other. The quiet village is the gateway to the many attractions of the Tasman Peninsula, including Port Arthur Historic Site, dramatic sea cliffs, white sandy beaches and some of the best surf in the State.
The distinguishing feature of the landscape is its remarkable geology. At the neck itself is the Tessellated Pavement, while a short drive south are the impressive coastal rock formations of the Devils Kitchen, Tasman Arch and the Blowhole. The Totem Pole is an offshore favourite with rock climbers and kayakers. Cruises from Pirates Bay take you along some of the most dramatic coastline you’ll ever experience, through regions rich in seals, dolphins and penguins.
Towering dolerite and sandstone sea cliffs extend deep into the ocean, providing a wonderful array of caves and crevasses for divers to explore. Tasmania’s temperate waters are renowned for their excellent visibility, adding to the magic of swimming amongst weedy sea dragons, sponges, fish, giant kelp forests and a wide variety of invertebrates. Waterfall Bay, in the Tasman National Park just south of the township, is considered one of the best boat diving areas in Tasmania. It is suitable for all levels of diving experience, and is also a dramatic place for bushwalking.
In colonial times the isthmus was guarded by ferocious dogs intended to ensure no convicts escaped the Port Arthur penal settlement. While little remains of the Eaglehawk Neck historic site, the infamous dogline has been marked by a bronze dog sculpture, and there’s a small museum in the former Officers Quarters.
Eaglehawk Neck is approximately an hour’s drive (75 kilometres, or 46.5 miles) south-east of Hobart. Its average maximum is 18.5 degrees Celsius (65.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 11.5 degrees Celsius (52.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.

The village of Port Arthur is often missed because of the significance of the Historic Site, but there is so much to experience in the area that you may want to consider staying overnight, particularly as entry passes to the Site are valid for two days.
Surfing, sea kayaking and bushwalking are popular and the coastline is spectacular. A short drive south of Port Arthur is Remarkable Cave, so called because its opening is said to resemble a map of Tasmania. From here you can walk to Crescent Bay, a secluded curve of striking beauty backed by huge sand dunes.
Just 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) north-west is the Coal Mines Historic Site, where interpretive signs explain the harsh lives and working conditions of repeat offenders from Port Arthur who worked underground extracting coal. Look out for DooTown, a quirky shack community devoted to homes with a theme: “GunnaDo”, “She’ll Doo”, "Humpty Doo” – and many more.
The settlement began life in 1830 as a timber station. In the years that followed, convicts created a small town for 1,100 inmates at its peak in the early 1840s
Port Arthur’s maximum average daily temperature is 18.5 degrees Celsius (65.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 11.5 degrees (52 degrees Fahrenheit) in June. It is 93 kilometres (58 miles) south-east of Hobart on the A9.

Sorell, 26 kilometres east of Hobart, sits at the junction of two roads that can take you south to the Tasman Peninsula and Port Arthur (Highway A9) or north and east to our east coast beaches (Highway A3).
The town’s population has grown to around 4,000, and Sorell is a popular service centre for local farms, light industry and its growing suburbs. Look out for the Sorell Fruit Farm, where you can pick all sorts of stone and berry fruits in season.
Sorell is a good place to stock up on supplies and fuel before heading off on your journey. Just off the main street you will find Sorell Antiques and the Blue Bell Inn, a former coaching inn, built in 1829, that now offers quality accommodation and meals.
The town was first explored in 1805 by Lieutenant Governor Collins and in 1821 was named after the governor of the day, Lieutenant Governor William Sorell (Governor of Van Diemen's Land - April 1817 - May 1824).
Tasmania’s most notorious bushranger, Matthew Brady, held up the town jail and freed the prisoners.
One of Australia’s best known combat cameramen, Neil Davis, was from Sorell. He filmed wars in South-East Asia until his death in 1985.
Sorell’s weather is similar to Hobart with an average maximum summer temperature of 22 degrees Celsius and minimum of eight degrees Celsius.
Sorell is 30 minutes’ drive east of Hobart and 10 minutes’ drive from Hobart International Airport.

Taranna is a small sleepy settlement just north of Port Arthur Historic Site on the Tasman Peninsula.
The drive takes you south-east of Hobart for about 90 minutes (89 kilometres/55 miles) on the A9 Highway.
At Taranna you will find the Tasmanian Devil Park, a cluster of accommodation of various types, and the Federation Chocolate outlet.
During the height of the Port Arthur prison, Taranna was the terminus for a human railway which ran between the jetty at Little Norfolk Bay and the prison. It was designed to carry passengers and supplies unloaded at Norfolk Bay and saved the ships the hazardous journey around Cape Raoul. The railway was the first railway in Australia and probably the only one using human horsepower along the seven kilometre line.
The weather on the Tasman Peninsula is affected by the winds coming off Frederick Henry Bay, so remember, no matter what time of year you visit; bring a warm jacket and all weather gear.

The Tasman Peninsula is a land of farms, forests, sheer dolerite cliffs, sweeping views across the Tasman Sea and the place of the world’s southern-most historic prison. It is almost an island apart.
As you travel past Hobart International Airport look out for Barilla Bay, where you can sit in the sun overlooking the oysters beds that produce the succulent oysters they serve up on the half shell.
Turn right at the historic town of Sorell (look out for the signs to the Sorell Fruit Farm) and begin your journey into a land of scenery, wildlife, heritage and adventure.
At Copping you will find small vineyards and cafes selling local specialities - octopus, oysters, quail and venison.
Just near Dunalley is Potters Croft craft shop where you will find the works of some of Tasmania‘s best crafts people. Nearby is the Dunalley Waterfront Cafe and Antiques, and the Dunalley Fish Market.
As you head down the long hill into Eaglehawk Neck, a narrow isthmus, you are entering an area once guarded by a line of half-starved hounds waiting to attack any convict trying to escape.
The area offers you a number of choices: take some short or multi-day walks in the Tasman National Park, with its sweeping beaches and forest walks beside 300 metre sea cliffs, or head to Port Arthur Historic Site.
At Port Arthur Historic Site you step back 150 years as you explore a prison once feared and reviled. Today, that is hard to imagine as you stroll beneath graceful old oak and elm trees, through 19th century-style gardens and cruise the bay to Point Puer, the boys’ prison, and the Isle of the Dead.
The township of Port Arthur overlooks the water and is a good place to stay when exploring the area.
Returning north, turn off to visit the Wielangta Forest, where rare parrots flash through the blue gums. Beyond the trees is the gentle landscape of the east coast.