Dog Friendly Tasmanian’s Convict Trails – Coal Mines Historic Site
Tasmania has its fair share of convict trails to explore. Most tourists visiting Tasmania know of the World Heritage listed Port Arthur Historic site (which is another dog friendly place to visit, a separate blog on that later). Few are aware of another site on Turrankana/Tasman Peninsula – Coal Mines Historic Site approximately 28 kilometres from Port Arthur. If you haven’t had enough of convict history after Port Arthur, head up to the dog friendly Coal Mines Historic Site for a quiet wander round exploring the dog friendly place strolling the trails in the bush and down to Plunkett Point.
Coal Mines Historic Site
This was a brutal place that the ‘worst of the worst’ convicts from Port Arthur were transferred too. The convicts spent their days working underground extracting the coal discovered at Plunkett Point in 1833. The convict site overlooks the lovely Norfolk Bay, an inlet of the larger Fredrick Henry Bay.
There were over 600 convicts at Saltwater River when the site was at its peak in the 1840’s. The waters of Norfolk Bay were once infested with enormous sharks as the authorities fed them using the sharks as a deterrent to stop convicts escaping by swimming the bay. Quite safe now to allow your dog to go for a dip!
Take the time to read the history of the Coal Mines Historic Site as you follow the chain through the entrance and then head out to the main square. The chain represents 200 years of history.
The grassy landscape and sandstone ruins provide a good suggestion of what life must have been like at the site for the poor souls. As you explore with your dog you can see the remains of convict barracks, solitary cells, underground isolation cells, cottages, signal station, military section, and the main mine shaft a short hike away, are enough to fire the imagination and bring forth a shudder. For me underground isolation cells for individuals must have been horrendous to locked up in. I found it was a little spooky walking down the narrow dark aisle with the black hole entrance of the cells to the side.
If you and your dog still have energy there are three walks to do ranging from 50mins to 2hrs and a bit.
- Settlement to Mine Shaft – 2 hrs. return.
- Main Shaft to Settlement – 1hr 20mins one way.
- Settlement to Plunkett Point – 50 mins return.
Top Tips
The drive to the Coal Mines site passes through several other convict out-stations that are worth a little stop.
Taranna – here the human powered railway operated from the Little Norfolk Bay Convict Station to Long Bay at Port Arthur, saving ships the trouble of sailing around the dangerous Cape Raoul to Port Arthur. Ships would offload their goods here in the sheltered Norfolk Bay.
- Stop at The Tasmanian Chocolate Foundry at 3 South Street, Tarrana
- Open from 10am to 4pm, seven days a week
Parkers Beach – just down from Taranna.
- Off lead between 1st April and 30th September
- On lead between 1st October and 31st March
Clarks Cliff Track – up behind Koonya
- Head up Firetower Road off B37 Nubeena Road, conditions of road at time of writing are unknown, or if it is 4WD only.
- The hiking trail is best done anticlockwise so you go down the steep descent of the circuit first rather than having to tackle it last.
- Trail conditions can be challenging if there are logs across the trail.
- Approximately 4km walk but other sites have stated longer (8km) and thus times vary.
If you are a convict buff there are a few other places to stop and check out on the way to Coal Mines Historic Site, Premaydena, Koonya and Saltwater River.
