Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Club 
EASTER CAMP-OUT, 1916 
By Clive E. Lord, Hon. Secretary 
The Tasmainian Field Naturalists' Club 
hold its 12th annual Easter camp during 
the recent holidays. Owing to the war 
the camp was only a small one compared 
with previous years, but new ground was 
explored by visiting Eaglehawk Neck. 
The previous operations of the club are 
shown by the following list of places 
visited, together with the number of 
members who attended: — 
1905.—Bream Greek; camping party, 9. 
1806.—Cole's Bay (Freycinet Peninsula); 
camping party, 40. 
1907. —South Brany; camping party, 27. 
1908. —Soldiers’ Point (Maria Island); 
camping party. 27. 
1909. —Wineglass Bay (Freycinet Penin¬ 
sula'; camping party, 84. 
1910. —Cole’s Bay (Freycinet Peninsula); 
camping party, 97. 
1911. —Southport; camping party. 60. 
1912. —Darlington (Maria Island); camp¬ 
ing party, 69. 
1913. —Safety Cove, Port Arthur; camp¬ 
ing party, 80. 
1914. - Wineglass Bay; camping party, 
UK). 
1915. —Maria Island; camping party, 36. 
1916. —Eaglehawk Neck; camping party, 
35. 
The club decided on a new departure 
this year, as an advance party left before 
the main body and prepared the camp 
for their reception. On Wednesday 
morning. April 19, ten members left at 
9 a.m. in the s.s. Breone. taking with 
them all the camp impedimenta. They 
experienced a delightful passage to the 
Neck, which was reached shortly after 
lunch Here several carts were awaiting 
our arrival, and willing workers soon 
had portion of the club’s goods loaded lip 
and despatched to tile camp site, which 
was shout a mile or more from the jetty. 
The various sites were pegged out, «tnd a 
start made erecting lents, while the 
Indies of the party prepared a welcome 
repast. The main eamp was set up in 
the scrub, about I()0 yards from the 
beach, while the ladies’ tents were pitch¬ 
ed in a clearing on the brow of the low 
cliffs overlooking the bay. A pleasant 
stream of fresh water meandered through 
the camp, and this served to make the 
site iui ideal one. 
The members of the working bee re¬ 
tired to rest early, but were just as early 
in rising the next morning in order to 
devote a little time to study the locality. 
Eaglehawk Neck is the name given to 
Hie narrow strip of sand connecting Tas¬ 
man’s Peninsula with the rest of Tas¬ 
mania. In the early days of Tasmania’s 
history it formed (lie gateway to Gover¬ 
nor Arthur’s “Natural Penitentiary.’’ On 
the eastern or ocean side of the Neck is 
Monge or Pirates' Bay. It is generally 
known by its latter designation, but the 
former would appear more correct. It 
was named Monge Bay in 1802 by the 
French explorer Itaudin, bnt it rvas not 
until about 1822 that, owing to some 
bushrangers seizing a schooner that was 
in the hay, it came to Ire spoken of as 
Pirates’ Bay. It was across the Neck 
that the famous lino of dogs was station¬ 
ed in order to make the pscape of con¬ 
victs practically impossible. There are 
many historical descriptions of this line, 
as well as u drawing, which is at present 
in the Hobart Museum. 
Monge Bay is a crescent of sand set in 
a rugged coast. To the north and south 
there are cliffs containing many natural 
wonders in I he shape of subterranean 
and submarine passages and eaves. The 
most notable of these lie to the south. 
At the northern end of the bay the arc 
is completed by Clyde Island, while at 
the southern end Fossil Island intervenes 
between the silver strand of sand and the 
reeky cliffs. In close proximity to Fossil 
Island is (lie Blowhole, which can easily 
be viewed from both the land or the sea 
entrance. From here onward numerous 
formations are met with. Tasman’s 
Arch is well known, hut a close explora¬ 
tion shows that the Devil's Kitchen sur¬ 
passes all the others. A superficial obser¬ 
vation shows a yawning hole in the earth 
about 1110 yards in diameter. A passage¬ 
way lends through the Cliffs from this 
opening to the sea. The waves foam and 
roar over a portion of the floor of this 
gulch, while the higher portions axe 
