We are off to spend the morning at Port Arthur. This is done entirely in the pouring rain which is too bad really. Port Arthur penal station was established in 1830 as a timber-getting camp, producing sawn logs for government projects. After 1833 it became a punishment station for repeat offenders from all the Australian colonies. It also managed a number of outstations that produced raw material like timber and food. Port Arthur is not just a monument to an ambitious but deeply flawed experiment that took place a long time ago. It has lessons for us today as we continue to wrestle with the need for punishment and reform within our criminal justice system.
After our morning we are off to Richmond, a very historic village which we will not only spend tonight, the last night of our cycling tour, but also the next three days. The countryside continues to charm us with rolling hills, interesting vegetation, sheep pastures, and beef and horse paddocks. We are given the option to cycle the last 10 km into Richmond but we all decline! What a sorry bunch we are! Prospect House is a very charming Georgian mansion and we feel well treated.
