Eaglehawk Neck

Eaglehawk Neck is an isthmus, a narrow natural land bridge, which connects the Tasman Peninsula in the southeast of the Australian island of Tasmania with the neighboring Forestier Peninsula.

History

The Eaglehawk Neck is about 400 m long and wide at its narrowest point below 30 m. The British colonialists used the land bridge from the 1830s as a connection to the sites of their prisoners, the prison of Port Arthur and the convict mine Coal Mines Historic Site and guarded the narrow transition with guard dogs to prevent escapes. The entire area was then heavily guarded by soldiers, there were numerous prison breaks against the inhumane living and working conditions of the convicts, the best known was through Martin Cash. 1836, the transition of 25 soldiers was guarded and there were other little guard stations on the peninsula. A guard house for the soldiers and a signal station was located at the land bridge that visually conveyed important messages between Port Arthur and Hobart.

Tourist information

The area includes remarkable geological formations, such as the Tessellated Pavement, showing weathering rectangular wells. Not far away are the rock formations Tasman 's Arch, The Blowhole and Devil 's Kitchen. At Eaglehawk Neck is a hotel near Tessellated Pavement located. An accommodation for backpackers is in the Jetty Road. Not far from Eaglehawk Neck is a path leading to the Martin Cash Lookout. Is located on the eastern side of Eaglehawk Neck, the Pirates Bay, which provides a way for surfing.