Tag Archives: Convicts

Port Arthur – January 2012

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During the summer holidays (and at other times throughout the year), Port Arthur has many hands on activities happening around the place.

This year they had the following hands on activities happening (and many more) when we visited on Australia Day…

  • A series of three Historical Plays – The Man Who Threw a Stone, The Shingle Strike and A Boy’s Life 
  • Carved in Stone: the stonemasons who built Port Arthur
  • Port Arthur Beneath Your Feet 
  • Unearthed! Archaeology at Port Arthur 
  • Gardens of Exile 
  • Discover Port Arthur’s Furry and Feathered Fiends 
  • A 30 minute harbour cruise aboard the MV Marana

We enjoyed the Harbour Cruise, one of the historical plays and the beneath your feet archaeology at Port Arthur as well as roaming around the grounds looking at all the historical buildings and reading all the information provided.

We would have loved to have been able to see all three of the plays. The children especially, as they very much enjoyed ‘The Shingle Strike‘ and asked to see more of the plays. With so much to see and do at Port Arthur we did not get time to do everything even though we arrived at 10.30 and and never left until well after 7pm. It is amazing, but no matter how many times we go there we are always able to find something new and interesting to see and do, just like this time when we learnt about the young convict Leonard Hand

We have promised though – to return next time DJ is staying with us, so that we can experience more of Port Arthur and what it has to offer and hopefully see some more plays, join in some more activities and also go on the Ghost Tour, which the children also asked about so so so many times, throughout the day.

Thankfully we purchased a ‘Ticket of Leave‘ so can return as many times as we like over the next 2 years without paying again!

 

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Our trip to Port Arthur with Babcia

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Today we utilised our ‘Ticket of Leave’ to visit Port Arthur with Babcia. She has wanted to go there every time she has visited with us, So today was her lucky day!

Port Arthur – An Experience of a Life Time

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Port Arthur

Port Arthur

Today we went down to Port Arthur to have a look around. We had been there the day before, but due to high winds and bad weather, the settlement was actually closed. So after much disappointment at not being able to go inside, we returned today to give it another go at gaining entry. In Convict times, being able to escape from Port Arthur, would have been the issue, but now a days, it looked like the tables had turned as yesterday we could not get in!

Anyway, the weather today was beautiful. The sun shone for most of the day while we where at the historical site, and even the wind managed to stay under control. We started out with a walking tour guide, who explained the workings of Port Arthur and the history behind it. Her name was Caitlin and she was very engaging. The Tour lasted for around 40 minutes before we all disbanded and set off on our own adventures to discover the buildings and ruins.

Here are some photos of our day out at Port Arthur.

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Where does the time go? Visitors and upcoming Port Arthur Trip

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Well here we are. It is Friday again another week over. I always remember when I was younger, many older people saying time runs away from you the older you get. I used to muse at their comments, but here I am, wondering where the time has gone and why it passes by so quickly.

This week has been a very big week. We have all been busy with a lot of stuff around the house as we have been confined to it, due to one of our cars needing to go to the mechanic to get fixed. Therefore all our learning has been focused around the house and local area – other than what we can do online.

Next week will be much the same while we wait for the car to be completely up and running. We are having a visitor come and stay with us next week. Which is going to be good. They will be with us for ten days. I am not sure what we will be doing during this time as we wont have a car, but they will have a hire car, so atleast they can get out and do whatever they wish.

On the 31st of August, they have organised for us to go to Port Arthur for the day. This is going to be a highlight of our week. Over the course of this year we have been learning abut Australian History and convicts. We have done a lot of research, visited as many historical places connected to convicts as we can, but so far have not managed to get to Port Arthur just yet. SZG and I have been there over ten years ago, but it will be great to see Port Arthur from a different perspective and really get a feel for it, now that we have been learning about the people who where housed there and their crimes. I just hope that the weather is great as Port Arthur is all open and wild or wet weather would definitely ‘dampen’ the experience. The children are very excited about their Auntie coming to stay and their upcoming trip to Port Arthur with her.

I am also in the process of organising an educational day tour at Port Arthur for home educated families in February 2010. I have already asked for expressions of interest and received wonderful feedback. The idea is that we will enjoy an educational tour of Port Arthur and spend a day or two there.  Quite a few of us are also looking at making it into a camp, by staying over a night or two in the local area so that we can spend some time together, which would be great and a lot of fun. I just hope I can pull it all together – in time!

Anyway, I shall add some photos of our  trip to Port Arthur with our visitor, once we have been for you all to see.

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