Port Arthur
The town and historic site of Port Arthur is located about 60 miles (97 km) south-east of the state capital, Hobart, on the Tasman Peninsula. The scenic drive from Hobart, via the Tasman Highway to Sorell and the Arthur Highway to Port Arthur, takes around 90 minutes, or you can go by bus or ferry. The Port Arthur beach at Canarvon Bay is a good location for stargazing, along with the other beaches in the region. A member of the EarthSky community wrote: “Set up on the beach just south of Port Arthur. The sky is so great that you can see the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds with the naked eye. Even a small travel telescope is filled to the brim with galactic wonders. Just point up at the spectacular Milky Way overhead and be awed. Tasmania also has a very active and generous Astronomical Society.” The Port Arthur Historic Site is the best-preserved convict settlement in Australia.