| Tasmania is Australia's only island state. Encircled by the Southern Ocean, Tasman Sea and the Bass Strait, Tasmania prides itself on having 2,000 km's of walking tracks, 17 national parks and 1.38 million hectares of Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. First settled as a penal colony in 1803, when it was known as Van Diemen's Land, the island became the most feared destination for British convicts. It's penal days ended in 1856 when transportation to Van Diemen's Land was abolished, the states first parliament was elected and in an effect to lose the stigma of it's dreaded reputation Van Diemen's Land officially became Tasmania, after it's first European discoverer. The legacy of Tasmania's convict and free-settler heritage is evident everywhere in the perfectly restored Georgian and Victorian buildings. Of which Port Arthur Penal Settlement, an hour south of Hobart on the Tasman Peninsula, is famous for it's haunting ruins which give an inside into the harsh conditions and isolation convicts faced. Known the world over for its pristine wilderness areas Tasmania is a magnet for bushwalkers, mountain climbers and nature lovers alike. Tasmanians pride themselves on being a role model for environmental and conservation issues, with many playing vital parts in the development of world environment standards. | 
