Spectacular location and very informative talks - We purchased the two day entry pass and we visited twice. We needed to or we would have not really have experienced this location anywhere near well enough. We drove from Swansea to Port Arthur and the road is quite twisty so we were a bit tired. We did the cruise (paid on the ticket) and had a very nice lunch. The next day we returned (on our way to Hobart and the end of our holiday) and we did some talks and took some amazing photos. The information given at the free talks is great. We scored Guy both tours and he was very informative.

A good full day out. - We spent the whole day at the Port Arthur historic site and pretty much covered all the buildings. We put in over 10,000 steps and doing so equates to walking over 4 miles around the site, but the individual buildings were interesting and generally well signed and well interpreted. The 20 minute Harbour cruise was also Insightful, and with good commentary. The staff were very attentive and we particularly appreciated the fact that the café remained open until closing time at 5 PM which allowed my wife to have her fourth English breakfast tea of the day. It is not really necessary, unless you are especially interested in specific aspects, to buy any of the additional tours. We found that the audio guide and the on site interpretation was quite sufficient to take ourselves around the site and to understand what we were looking at without any difficulty. Although this is a two day pass, I’m not sure that we would’ve wanted to spend more than a day here, but a very full day we had nevertheless. I have seen comments about the pricing, it is a little bit on the expensive side at $48 per person but generally speaking I don’t think it is outrageous. The pricing in the café is premium, but that might be expected. We were impressed with the overall cleanliness of the facility at the visitor centre, and of the toilets, lockers, etc. Overall, definitely worth a good day out, but you would be advised if you are spending a single day to make sure you get there early, the site is open from 9 AM and we found it a relatively easy 90 minute drive from Hobart. There was plenty of parking at the venue.

Best historic site I’ve seen in Australia - This is a must see if you’re in Tassie! The history at this site is incredible. Well worth spending the whole day but pack your walking shoes!

Make use of the 2 day pass - This is a UNESCO world heritage site about 2 hours from Hobart. Make good use of the 2 day pass you purchase is the best advice you can get visiting this historic site to visit the many buildings including the penitentiary, separate prison and church. Learn from guides that are present at many areas at certain times of the day they are so knowledgeable. The remains of this village and historic site of a 19th century penal colony is certainly worth a visit. The entrance fee includes a sort boat trip around the bay, we upgraded the trip to allow us a visit to the tiny cemetery island that was really interest with the tour guide provided you got a terrific insight into a lot of the history of the colony not just the cemetery. The large museum with exhibits and historical records is excellent.

A Historic Journey… If You Don’t Mind Fiction - I visited the Port Arthur Historic Site as a local resident, it was an eye-opening experience as I expected this place to only cover the convict history and settlement! In reality, I found that this is really Tasmania’s attempt at making history entertaining! If you go in expecting actual history, prepare for an imaginative or creative retelling instead. Our tour guide, Vicki, was a walking textbook of ‘interesting’ facts, except the kind you’d probably find in a sci-fi novel. She assured us that there were no ‘rideable’ animals on site for prisoners to escape on. Not a single horse, cow, or anything that could’ve possibly helped anyone flee (with horses listed about four times, just in case you missed that point). Which, sure, fine, I guess. But then I wandered over to the museum, where the site’s miniature model features, of all things, horses, cows and even what appeared to be a deformed stag. Oh, and there’s also a historical image of a guy standing in front of a horse within the Commandment’s House. But hey, details, right? Just when I thought things couldn’t get more creative, Vicki drops this gem….. Charles Dickens not only visited Tasmania but also wrote Oliver Twist at the Port Arthur historical site! You know, that book about life in Victorian England that was first published in 1837, before the construction of the first guest house in approximately 1841! So, Sure, why not? I’m sure Dickens spent his time in the land of convicts, inspired to write about the gritty streets of London, Orphans and Fagin’s. Makes total sense, right? I’m starting to wonder if Vicki thought Dickens was just chilling with the prisoners in between drafts. Moving through to Point Puer and the level of confidence that Vicki expressed when told us that all the ‘Fagin’s’ in Victorian literature were actually based on the boys from Point Puer. Forget the fact that Point Puer was a real juvenile convict settlement, apparently, the more exciting narrative is that Dickens just couldn’t resist using these Tasmanian lads as his inspiration for every mischievous orphan in his novels. Vicki was also bubbling on historical quotes, commenting on many commonly known phrases such as ‘Your number is up’. Vicky suggested this phrase was originated at Port Arthur itself. Whilst this is another colourful and imaginative idea, there’s no solid proof that the phrase actually originated there and has historically been referenced to gambling. It’s more likely that she’s taken a bit of poetic license to make the tour even more captivating! So, was Port Arthur a fascinating historical experience? Sure, if you enjoy a little alternate history and a lot of head scratching. I left with more questions than answers, but hey, at least I’ve got some unconventional stories for later, which I will not be using at the local quiz night!

Port Arthur experience done right - Just loved the setting and stories. Enjoyed the free golf cart for less than abled folk. Really made access so much easier. Loved the cruise too.

A great family activity - A great day out with the family! The kids loved the harbour cruise and listening to all the history! The site itself was stunning!

A must Visit - Visiting Port Arthur allows one to both experience and understand the foundational days as Australia was being settled.

A disappointing visit - Returned to Port Arthur after a few years and was very disappointed. It seems to be all about making money. Why you have to pay for a 2 day pass I have no idea as I am sure most people would only visit for 1 day. We paid $10 for a guided tour which consisted of mainly just a lady talking not actually guiding us around mind you most of the cottages are now closed. There were about 25 people on the tour not bad $250 for approximately 45 minutes. I don’t think I’ll be returning.

Full marks to the black-faced cormorant on a rock in the harbour - A mostly forgettable experience, apart from a photogenic cormorant in the harbour attracting many photographers, and the toil of many flights of steps with no lift down to the site from the main entrance. Poor lighting in the 'Gallery' and a hard-to-read font in the explanatory text caused me to give up. It was all rather disjointed. Poor signage for pedestrians had us wandering aimlessly from building to building. Some life-size wax figures would have brought things to life, told us of the harsh conditions for the convicts. The whole thing was poorly presented and we were not told of any guided tours, apart from the 20-minute cruise round the harbour, which had an interesting and clear commentary. So I give this just 6 out of 10.