We buy The Age newspaper everyday except Sunday (Chris likes its political leanings and is addicted to the word games!) Fortunately for us, a sharp-eyed employee from the Cascade Brewery spotted the article on convict history in the Travel section last Sunday November 7th. He mentioned it to Chris and we were able to access the article online. Go to The Age and hit Travel. There is a wonderful piece written by Julie Miller, who came as a guest of Virgin Blue Airlines and Tourism Tasmania. It is an article which packages three convict/ history experiences which can be found within a thirty minute radius of Hobart. The best bit is that one of of them is Louisa’s Walk!
From time-to-time the Visiting Journalist Program (V.J.P.) run by Tourism Tasmania sends journalists from overseas or interstate to experience Louisa’s Walk. We have been showcased in newspapers in many parts of the world. It was very thrilling when one of Chris’s brothers rang and told us that we were in the Sunday Telegraph in the U.K. (yes we do keep quite a bulging “brag book”).
Julie Miller came some time ago – often these writers come and by the time their article goes to print, we have forgotten who they are! However, Julie’s article is exceptionally well written, in my opinion, not least because it encompasses a subject close to my heart; that of packaging experiences. Together with the rest of Australia, the high dollar is costing our tourism operators dearly as tourists flock overseas, ignoring what can be found at home – we’re doing it hard!
Tourism operators have been asked recently to give Tourism organisations some feedback as to how we can dig ourselves out of this hole. Anybody who reads these blogs or who has come on Louisa’s Walk will know that we are passionate about Tasmania and what it can offer to the discerning tourist. I would love to see Tasmania promoted as a place where the convict story can be told as we do it at Louisa’s Walk; using the skills of our actors and writers! The iconic spots of this amazing island state could be packaged into a wonderful convict-story journey beginning at Hunter Island and Warren Glover’s Historic Walk with the Henry Jones Hotel and taking in Richmond with Miriam Cooper’s, Turn The Key of Time. The Penitentiary in central Hobart, Louisa’s Walk of course which tells the story of the Cascades Female Factory. Naturally, Port Arthur, Ross with its wonderful remnants of its Female Factory and all the attractions up north. It could be done, a trail laid, combined perhaps with historic B.& B’s and food and wine hot spots. Surely all it’s going to take is a creative approach?
