Port Arthur

I thought Port Arthur in Tasmania was an eerie place when I visited – and that was before the massacre in 1996 when 35 people were murdered by a young man who is still in jail (serving 35 life sentences plus over 1000 years without parole)

Port Arthur is the site of one of Australia's convict settlements and convict prisons.  Built to hold Britain's criminals (many of them very minor ones) who were transported to Australia as punishment.  It was a tough life for them and I believe led to the resilient spirit that Australians have.

It's an easy day trip from Hobart – Tasmania's capital.  It is a World Heritage site these days and is Tasmania's most important tourist attraction.  As an aside, some of the best most pristine white sand beaches I have ever seen in the world were on the east coast of Tasmania.