Taranna Accommodation, Hotels, Tours & Information

Taranna

Taranna is a small sleepy settlement just north of Port Arthur Historic Site on the Tasman Peninsula. The drive takes you south-east of Hobart for about 90 minutes (89 kilometres/55 miles) on the A9 Highway. At Taranna you will find the Tasmanian Devil Park, a cluster of accommodation of various types, and the Federation Chocolate outlet. During the height of the Port Arthur prison, Taranna was the terminus for a human railway which ran between the jetty at Little Norfolk Bay and the prison. It was designed to carry passengers and supplies unloaded at Norfolk Bay and saved the ships the hazardous journey around Cape Raoul. The railway was the first railway in Australia and probably the only one using human horsepower along the seven kilometre line. The weather on the Tasman Peninsula is affected by the winds coming off Frederick Henry Bay, so remember, no matter what time of year you visit; bring a warm jacket and all weather gear.