Every state has a couple of those famous spots that everyone has heard of, and Port Arthur definitely ticks that box for Tasmania. Most Australians would know of Port Arthur due to the horrifying massacre that changed the country’s gun laws forever. But as much as it’s known for this painful historical chapter, this waterside village has a lot of beauty to offer as well. The region has no shortage of things to do, and trips can range anywhere from one to many days depending on what you fancy. For us, the best option was to break our days into two sections: one reserved for the Port Arthur Historic Site and the other for everything that nature has to offer in the Tasman Peninsula. It’s safe to say the latter became one of the top highlights of our Tassie trip.

We had one day to explore the seemingly endless coastline, leaving us in two minds about whether to do a boat tour or attempt a hike like the Cape Huay track. After posting my dilemma on some travel forums, the feedback I received was overwhelmingly in favour of the boat tour so that is what we chose. And my god was it the right decision; the Tasman Island cruise is a must on any itinerary.

The boat was small and fast paced and the cruise runs for about 3 hours. While 3 hours may sound long, the time flew by. Upon arrival, you're given a waterproof poncho to wear which I can confirm was very much needed.

The Tasman Peninsula coastline is dramatic and glorious in its rugged and unspoilt beauty. Dolerite columns and sandstone layers of rock, both forming black and towering cliffs,its an impressive sight to behold. These rocks are home to countless fur seals, which you'll get to see up and close. You'll witness baby seals jumping around and playing in water and pods of dolphins that were only too happy to put on a show for us. The journey will also take you through sea caves and rock arches, up and close with towering pillars that look like something out of a movie. Among them is Cape Pillar – a looming presence stretching 300 metres as the highest sea cliff in the southern hemisphere and the Totem Pole, Tasmania's most famous dolerite column because of its narrow width and how it shoots up from the sea. If you zoom into the picture with the Totem pole, you'll spot the rope going from the pillar to the pole - it was holding rock climbers, hidden by the pole, attempting to reach the peak.

The cruises are available in the morning or afternoon which allows you time in the day to explore more of the coast. After the cruise, we drove to the Tesselated Pavement, Remarkable Bay and Maingnon Lookout.

The first stop, Tesselated Pavement, is a unique rock formation where the rockbed has formed rectangular formations due to erosion. It’s a rare occurrence and easily accessible, not something that'll wow you but definitely worth the quick visit for a science lesson.

Next came the Remarkable Caves which are two tunnels through a sea cliff that combine and form a path out to the sea at low tide. The stairs take you down to a lookout to see the caves. Browsing the internet, you’ll see people out in the caves at low tide but be mindful, that to get inside, you need to jump over the fence built around the platform. It won't be hard, and I suspect at low tide when many tourists are there, someone will give you a hand.  This spot is also close to the Maingnon lookout, making it convenient to check both out in one go.

The Tasman peninsula offers you the similar rugged beauty that is reminiscent of New Zealand for me and best not to be underestimated as one tends to do with places close to home. You'll feel like you're in Vikings or Game of Thrones. But the Tasman peninsula has another highlight to offer, this one offering an entirely different landscape. More on that coming soon!