Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania
Encyclopedia
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
connecting the Tasman Peninsula
Tasman Peninsula
Tasman Peninsula is located around by road south-east of Hobart, at the south east corner of Tasmania, Australia.-Description:The Tasman Peninsula lies south and west of Forestier Peninsula, to which it is connected by an isthmus called Eaglehawk Neck...
to mainland Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Eaglehawk Neck had a population of 269.
Locally known as the Neck, the isthmus itself is around 400 metres long and under 30 metres wide at its narrowest point. It forms a natural gateway to the peninsula that was utilised by the British in 1830s, when a line of dogs was chained to posts across the neck to warn of any convicts attempting to escape the prison at Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Tasmania
Port Arthur is a small town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in Tasmania, Australia. Port Arthur is one of Australia's most significant heritage areas and the open air museum is officially Tasmania's top tourist attraction. It is located approximately 60 km south east of...
. The area was heavily patrolled by soldiers, and the guards' quarters still remains as a museum. Many attempts were made by prisoners to escape via the neck, including those of Martin Cash
Martin Cash
Martin Cash was a notorious convict bushranger known for escaping twice from Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land...
.
The area has a beautiful and rugged terrain and several unusual geological formations. These include the Tessellated Pavement
Tessellated pavement
A tessellated pavement is a rare erosional feature formed in flat sedimentary rock formations lying on some ocean shores. The pavement bears this name because the rock has fractured into polygonal blocks that resemble tiles, or tessellations...
, an area of flat rock that looks to be manmade but is in fact formed by erosion. Also nearby are Tasman's Arch, the Blowhole and the Devil's Kitchen, all striking natural formations.
Eaglehawk Neck offers accommodation in the Lufra Hotel, near the Tessellated Pavement, and the Backpackers on Jetty Road.
A nearby footpath leads to Martin Cash
Martin Cash
Martin Cash was a notorious convict bushranger known for escaping twice from Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land...
's lookout near the top of the hill at the southern end.
Eaglehawk Neck is a well-known local holiday destination. On the eastern side, a beach that stretches around Pirates' Bay is a popular surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
area. In summer the population rises as people return to their holiday homes.
Further reading
- Storey, Shirley and Peter.(1990) Tasman tracks - 25 walks on the Tasman and Forestier Peninsulas Koonya Press.ISBN 0646018701
External links
- Eaglehawk Neck at walkabout.com.au
- Eaglehawk Neck