This week's destination

Around 200 years ago, Australia's southernmost island colony of Tasmania, then known as Van Diemen's Land, was regarded as the "gateway to hell" by convicts tasked with building a country still in its colonial infancy. Its surrounds of icy waters and rugged mountains made it the ideal place to banish the worst criminals, who likely viewed escape impossible - not that there weren't a handful bold enough to try.

Today, "Tassie" offers far more to visitors than historic shackles to its convict heritage. Pristine wilderness, abundant wildlife, gourmet food, beer and wine and an emerging art scene are just some of the allures that tempt tourists across the Bass Strait.

Long overshadowed by mainland Australian states, whose inhabitants are mostly familiar with Tasmania (and Tasmanians) as the butt of countless jokes, the "apple isle" invites travelers to venture the furthest "down under" in the land Down Under.

We are on a five-day drive beginning from the cozy capital Hobart and winding a trail of uninterrupted coastline and expansive plains that have changed little since it was sighted in 1642 by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, whom the island is named after.

Hobart: diamond on the Derwent

For most visitors to Tasmania, the first port of call will be Hobart, Australia's second oldest city after Sydney. Straddling the scenic Derwent River where maxis jostle for line honors in the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, the city is immediately distinguishable from other Australian state capitals for its skyline dominated by mountains rather than skyscrapers.

Don't despair if you don't drive or aren't game enough to test your motoring skills on the left side of the road; downtown is 15 kilometers from the airport and taxis or paid shuttle buses run to the town center.

It's worth timing your visit to Hobart to fall on a weekend to include a leisurely date with the Salamanca Markets. Held each Saturday on the waterfront, there are countless stalls offering everything from fresh produce to handicrafts.

Convict heritage in Port Arthur

If Tasmania was the "gateway to hell" for convicts centuries ago, Port Arthur was arguably hell itself. Located an hour-and-a-half drive through winding, bush-lined roads from Hobart, the Port Arthur Historical Site is probably the most vivid, albeit chilling, reminder of Australia's convict era.

From a distance, it's easy to assume you've stumbled on a sprawling Victorian era estate that's fallen on tough times. In reality, it's a 40-hectare open air museum. Among the ruins is a penitentiary, gothic-style church, hospital and one-time mental asylum majestically perched on the top of a hill overlooking the ocean; the idea being fresh air and still waters of the Tasman Peninsula would bring peace to tormented minds.

Port Arthur served as a penal colony from 1833-53, holding some of the most despised British and Irish convicts who must have felt condemned to a fate marginally better than death. Out of respect for the inhumane treatment that convicts, some as young as 9, suffered at Port Arthur, there are no reenactments. Instead, it's worth spending an extra few dollars to hire an audio guide featuring diary transcripts of the penal colony's past commandants and inmates.  

Plan to spend at least half a day in Port Arthur. Entry is A$85 ($89.40) and A$55 for children (family passes available). There's even a digital registry detailing all of Port Arthur's convicts, allowing Aussies of lawbreaking lineage to trace their criminal ancestry.

For the record, I'm assured John Fearon transported from Scotland to Port Arthur aboard the Elphinstone in 1836 was sentenced to his seven-year stretch for petty theft on questionable evidence.

Between Port Arthur and Hobart is the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, a worthwhile visit for anybody curious about Australia's most ill-tempered marsupial or just eager to feed some of its more hospitable ones.

Tasmanian devils are the not-so-cuddly icons of the state. Over the past decade, their numbers have been decimated by a facial tumor disease. Concerned, the state government intervened and set aside an insurance population of disease-free animals at wildlife parks, such as the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park. Admission to the park might seem pricey at A$35, but revenue helps fund conservation efforts.

Big charm in small Midlands towns

The next day we hit the open road bound for Launceston. The journey is the best part of three hours from Hobart, but we allow for a leisurely five to include stops at some of the historic towns along the way.

We have a morning tea of scones and coffee at Oatlands, a town of just over 500 located 84 kilometers north of Hobart. The slow-paced lifestyle can be immediately felt moments after getting off the Midland Highway.

Historic sandstone buildings including a post office that opened in 1832 and Georgian-style courthouse are among the impressive feats of convict construction still standing.

After another hour cruising up the highway, we are seduced for a late lunch by another exit, this time lined by orchards, that leads to the town of Ross. Once an important garrison between Hobart and Launceston and a hub for trade, today it leads a quiet existence that only pipes up when the odd vacationing family or couple pulls in for a pit stop.

As a resident of Beijing where construction never stops and cranes tower over the cityscape, there is simple pleasure to be found in strolling over the pride of the town: the 177-year-old Ross Bridge. Running a hand over its stubble-like sandstone locals still depend on to cross the Macquarie River into their sleepy town offers newfound appreciation for the art of stonemasonry.