Cirrus@Austlit

Epigraph: Named for the legendary Tasmanian woodpecker, which nests only on the northwest coast, the town of Woodpecker Point is the site of the first settlement in this part of the island and is classified as an historic town. Many of the early buildings can still be seen, including the ruins of an imposing gateway which originally formed the entrance to a deer park. The most striking and most photographed feature of the rugged Bass Strait coastline at Woodpecker Point is the Blowhole, leading to which there is an easy walking track. Excellent beaches, good fishing, and some of the finest agricultural land in Tasmania make Woodpecker Point one of the most interesting tourist centres on the coast. Of particular note are the hawthorn hedges so reminiscent of old England,and the tiny church of St Mary-in-the-Fields is as fine example of the architectural traditions of Europe and Britain as the visitor could hope to see. Other attactions include the old Part and Parcel Inn, and the Den of Antiquity where locally collected period furniture can be bought. (Trekking Tasmania, Carrillo Mean, Bedrock Press, 1985)