Woody View Traditional Cache

This was once a little roadside stop formed by improvements to the highway taking a more direct route, and the small section of the old road had become a convenient waterfront overnight stop for campervans. Unfortunately one too many campers abused the privilege and the authorities have now blocked access. On the upside, there are now less muggles, you are out of sight of the traffic, and can search freely.

On the Geocaching.com map, and on Google maps, and indeed on most modern maps, the island in Norfolk Bay that can be seen from here is named Dart Island. However, when I was growing up in the area in the 1960's it was, and probably still is, locally known as ‘Woody Island’. In the convict era, it was labelled Woody Island, and was home to a semaphore station. This was part of a series that enabled messages from Port Arthur to be semaphored all the way through to Hobart within 15 minutes. It was one of only two intermediate stations that linked Port Arthur and Eagle Hawk Neck - useful to relay information such as the escape of convicts. It's use is explained at some length in "For the Term of His Natural Life".