Hobart is a delightful city combining historical buildings with the development of a modern city, nestled under the shadow of Mt Wellington
on a magnificent harbor. The deepwater harbor on the broad estuary of the Derwent River soon became a thriving seaport and by 1842
Hobart was proclaimed a city. The harbor is still the heart of Hobart and the port is always busy. The old warehouse buildings now house
many superb restaurants, shops and businesses. Many of Hobart’s beautiful early colonial sandstone buildings were erected by the
sweat and toil of the unfortunate convicts who formed the majority of the early settlement in 1804. A trip past Eaglehawk Neck down the
Tasman Peninsula to the convict ruins at Port Arthur one of Australia’s early penal colonies. Progressive Hobart is home to Australia’s
first casino. There is a wide range of superb accommodation, excellent shops and many fine restaurants. The rugged southwest
cape area is still virgin territory for divers. The entrance to Port Davey is challenging - just to get there is an effort and needs careful planning.
The Maatsuyker Islands to the south of SouthWest National Park have superb diving also with masses of schooling fish but they too are
difficult to reach. The islands are totally unprotected from the Southern Ocean. Three thousand kilometers south lies King George V Land
in Antarctica.
Bruny Island provides some protection for the D’Entrecasteaux Channel which is 56km long and varies in width
from 2 - 10km. Depths can reach 40m. The Channel and sites off Bruny Island are excellent diving. Acteon Island, Recherche Bay and South
East Cape are all excellent but be wary of the weather, as these locations are exposed. Gateway to the D’Entrecasteaux Channel is
the Tinderbox, only a twenty-minute drive from Hobart. The mid-channel area is popular with divers, particularly Huon Island, Arch Island,
Simpson’s Point and Nine Pin Point.
Extensive kelp forests occur in the area from Dover on Port Esperance down to Southport. It is
not far from Dover that the most popular of Tasmanian wrecks can be found. The 440 tonne barque Katherine Shearer is only 10 minutes
by boat from the Dover ramp. She blew up on a voyage out from England in 1855. The Tasman Peninsula, well known for historic
Port Arthur is another popular dive area with Tasmanian divers. Fortesque Bay on the southeast coast of the Tasman Peninsula is
surrounded by a National Park. There is excellent shallow water diving, very clear and usually well protected. Safety Cove beyond
Port Arthur is excellent. Diving is on either end of the beach on reefs running straight out from the shore. It is not deep and there
are plenty of fish and lobster, clear water and very sheltered from all weather.
To dive in Port Arthur itself can be very rewarding,
particularly if an old bottle or two are found. There are excellent facilities on the peninsula with several good camping grounds.
Eleven wrecks have been scuttled in Storm Bay at the Wreck Graveyard near Betsy Island, just 15 minutes by boat from South Arm. Deep Glen Bay situated on the Forester Peninsula north of Eagle Hawk Neck is known for its superb caves and a wide variety of
marine life. Further south the Tasman Peninsula is perhaps the most popular dive location in southern Tasmania. Across Eagle Hawk
Neck the road ends at historic Port Arthur, site of one of Australia’s many penal colonies. A dive here is excellent, but the whole peninsula
offers excellent diving opportunities with a varied terrain.
Tasman Arch the Devil’s Kitchen and Blowhole, Waterfall Bay with
its superb caves and the Isle of the Dead with its massive kelp forests are all excellent dives. Depths vary from 6m - 20m with visibility often
exceeding 30m in winter. Southern Wright Whales are frequently seen south of the peninsula. The wreck of the 1057-ton SS Nord struck
uncharted Needle Rock between the two Hippolyte Rocks in Munro’s Bight off the central East Coast of the Tasman Peninsula in 1915.
Excellent visibility in the region allows the whole ship to be seen from stem to stern at most times. The ship is sitting upright on a shady
bottom with the hull completely intact.
Adventure Bay on the eastern side of the narrow isthmus joining the two halves of
Bruny Island has excellent shore and boat dives. The historic region has been visited by Cook, Furneaux, Bligh, D’Entrecasteaux, Bass
and Flinders at some time in their exploratory travels.
