10/6 - Cape Raoul, Remarkable Cave, Port Arthur and Devils

10/06/2012 - Our itinerary for today is exciting!  

We stopped at a beach near Taranna just to take in the view.

Then we parked the BMW at the start of an unsealed (Aussie for unpaved gravel) National Park road and Brian took us (in his 4WD) into the Fortescue Camping ground and spectacular views.

Then we drove back out went down to the Cape Raoul Reserve to see the south coast.

Then we walked to Remarkable Cave...

The warnings are sobering especially when you see where you go to see the cave. 

This cave is tricky... you can't tell what the waves will do.  The weather was active today so the waves were the same.   We stood near the covered area and looked into the cave...

Eerie

Wave is...

...starting...

...coming thru...

...more flow here...

...getting heavier...

... holey mackerel, more?...

...Yikes!

What is truly odd and awesome are the rocks - fist sized rocks - that the waves move around.  The sound is incredible; it is like 100 bags of marbles being rattled at the same time.   Nigh on deafening, but extremely hypnotic!  We had to pull ourselves away.

We went back to Port Arthur for a walking tour and a boat tour.   Port Arthur was another penal colony used in the 1800's. 

The remains of the hospital is on the hill behind the prison. Hospital is interesting in that they used its side yard for the Lashings... with the Cat o' 9 tails... Nasty!

What is also fascinating is that they morphed the treatment of the prisoners who were problems to extreme isolation.  They couldn't talk, or communicate or see anyone else.

Solitary Confinement...

Solitary exercise area - once per day

This is the church for solitary...

You cannot see anything but the minister.

And if you did something naughty, you went to the punishment cell...

 This is the entry.  When you make the turn into the cell, it is COMPLETELY dark when the door is closed.  Men went insane after being kept in there.  Horrible!

The church for everyone else was in a very beautiful setting.

The Commander's Home behind the trees

There are numerous birds in the area, too.

Port Arthur is now a world heritage site.





We left Port Arthur and drove around to the Tasmania Devil Conservation Park. 

This is one of the many parks that are trying to find a cure for DFTD (Devil Facial Tumor Disease.  DFTD is a contagious cancer that is fatal... the disease is passed on by biting and the Devil's are so aggressive that they fight and bite each other transferring the disease.  The tumors grow on the Devil's face and become so big, they can't eat and they die. 

There are 3 devils here, brothers - but don't let that fool you.  They growl and hiss and fight each other.  And they are disease free.

What a cutie!

Devil's main diet is carrion and they can smell it from 2 kilometers away.  They can't see well and they aren't big enough to kill the wallabies or kangaroos so they go to the stinky stuff and then fight each other for it.

The 3 brothers waiting for lunch.

When the trainer threw the wallaby leg into the pen, one devil grabbed it and started running... the others chased him round and round for about 10 or 15 minutes, growling and hissing the whole time.  Not sure who got most of the food, but they don't share nicely.

This conservation park also takes in birds who have had some rough times.

This cockatoo's owners left him alone and then had to move to another country... he is a very active guy and loves his work.

This guy is a Tawny Frogmouth... he sits in his tree and doesn't move until his prey comes by, insects mostly.  He isn't an owl either.

He lost part of his wing and cannot fly at all now.

He does let people pet him... he is so soft!

This is their Peregrine Falcon - they had to amputate his left wing after he was hit by a car.

It was a very good, very full day!