This is an outdoor site with highly changeable weather. It can be quite cool even at the height of summer: prepare for daytime temperatures as low as 10â15â 50â60â in summer. Wearing comfortable walking shoes and being prepared for possible changes in weather will ensure you have an enjoyable time. Hat, sunscreen and raincoat are strongly recommended.
respect
The Historic Site generally tries to maintain a respectful attitude towards the convict-era inhabitants of the colony, many of whom led unimaginably difficult lives. They do not role-play or renact convict times.
However you are unlikely to actually offend or hurt someone by making light of convict times: it is the subject of the 1996 massacre about which visitors should be careful. Please do not discuss the massacre with staff or local residents of Port Arthur, unless they bring up the topic. Many locals and Historic Site staff were present in the area or were at the site of deaths that day and others had friends die. Appropriate respect and decorum should be observed in the Memorial Garden also: friends and family of those killed still visit the site. Pay particular attention to this on the anniversary of the massacre, the 28th April.