HOBART AND BEYOND

26^th January, 2014

It’s Australia Day!  And what better way to celebrate than with a sleep-in and a pancake and champagne breakfast!

Wayne and Wok enjoying the champagne and pancakes

Wayne is back for seconds or was it thirds .. maybe fourths

Needless to say that after breakfast the rest of the day was a bit of a blur.  However on Monday morning we were ready for a walk on the wild side and Mount Field National Park seemed like a good place to start.  This National Park is very popular as it is only an hour’s drive from Hobart and is easily accessible.  We stopped in at the Visitor Centre and watched a slide show on the park before we tackled one of the tracks. 

Wok and Wayne taking a stroll

As we walked through the tall timber and tree ferns we caught a glimpse of what we had come to see.

A glimpse of the falls through the trees

Russell Falls is the most photographed waterfall in Tasmania and photos of it grace the pages of travel brochures and magazines.  With its tiered layers of falls it really does look pretty and professional and amateur photographers alike were taking multitudes of photos – as were we!

Russell Falls

After visiting the park we headed back to New Norfolk and passed fields of hops.

Hop fields

Cascade Brewery sources their hops from this region and it was interesting to see how the bines (no it is not a spelling mistake – the vines for hops are called ‘bines) are hooked onto wires strung high in the air above the plants.

Hop bines

We finished our day off by replenishing our supplies at the supermarket before heading back to camp.  In the morning we headed off early as Mitzi was going to get checked out by the local Mitsubishi dealers for a hiccup problem she had developed.  We dropped her off at 8am and piled into Wayne’s Prado and headed for Rosny Hill Lookout on the eastern side of the river.  The lookout provided a great view of Hobart, the Tasman Bridge and Mount Wellington.

View of Hobart from Rosny Hill Lookout

Wayne goes to great lengths (or heights) for some shots

We managed to fit in a Subway breakfast before heading back across the bridge to the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Wok and Wayne trying to work out a smart phone ap at the Botanic Gardens

We wandered through the gardens checking out different areas.  The Japanese Garden was really nice

Part of the Japanese Garden

and this water feature was very interesting.

Wayne and the water feature

We did read what this plant was supposed to be but we have forgotten.  To us it just looked like a large thistle …

Looks like a large thistle - doesn't it?

Wayne was interested in seeing Pete’s Vegie Patch from the ABC TV series ‘Gardening Australia’ but it no longer exists in its original form and was a disappointment.

Robyn and Wok head up into what once was Pete's Vegie Patch

When we first arrived in Tasmania in November the roses were in full bloom and every home garden seemed to have roses growing.  Their season has nearly ended but there were still some lovely flowers to be seen in the rose area of the Botanic Gardens.

We really like this colour rose

The conservatory was rather nice with its pond and orchid display.

Wok and Wayne in the conservatory

As we wandered back through the gardens to the car we could feel the heat starting to build.  The temperature today was to be close to 40 degrees and that is extremely hot for Tasmania.  Our next stop was to be at MONA – the Museum of Old and New Art .  We’d had mixed reports about MONA but one does have to see for oneself – doesn’t one!  We got a taste of what we might be in for in the car park where places had been reserved for ‘God’ and ‘God’s Mistress’.  More disturbing than the actual signage was the fact that there were cars parked in the spaces …

MONA is housed in a most unusual structure.  You enter at the top reception area and then descend three levels into a subterranean building which has been cut into the rock.  Now we are not modern or contemporary art lovers but we were prepared to ‘give it a go’ and for the next three hours we genuinely ‘gave it a go’.  The following photos are a sample of the works on display.

On the lower level is this rock wall and speakers mounted in the wall play funeral dirges from around the world

Electonically controlled waterfall spells out different words as it falls

A large room full of TV's speaking different languages

A photo of a broom, an actual broom and the description of a broom

Two pieces of wood tied together with a piece of rope

A stuffed possum, a line of ants, flies and a spider ...

This room is set up like a library.  Books have white covers and no writing.
 Display is called 'Untitled'

A mound of magnetic beads

Yep ... looks like a paper bag wrapped around a metal something or other!

We finally emerged from the depths and as soon as we stepped out into the sunlight the heat and searing wind hit us.  Man was it hot!  But what did you think of MONA we hear you cry?   Well … the building was fantastic … and we did like that waterfall display … ummmmm … and it was air conditioned … ummmmmm …  we think you get the general drift to that question.

As it was nearing 2pm we were all getting hungry so we stopped at a hotel not far from the museum and had steak sandwiches for lunch which were absolutely delicious.  So you see, the day hadn’t been wasted because if we hadn’t gone to see MONA we wouldn’t have called in at that hotel.  At 3pm we were still enjoying the air conditioning at the hotel when the Mitsubishi Dealer rang us and said Mitzi was good to go.  When we got back to camp the first thing we did was turn on the air conditioning in the van and that was where we all stayed until the cool change arrived in the early evening.  In the morning Wayne packed up his A-Van and checked out of the caravan park while we hopped into Mitzi and headed south to Kettering.  We wanted to give Mitzi a good run to make sure her hiccups were all better.  At Kettering Wayne parked his rig and joined us in Mitzi.  By 11am we were waiting in line for the ferry

Mitzi waits in line for the ferry to Bruny Island

and once the cars were unloaded

The Bruny Island ferry

we were on our way across the D’Encastreaux Channel to Bruny Island.

View of Kettering from the Bruny Island ferry

Bruny Island is nearly 100 kilometres long and shelters a section of the southern Tasmanian mainland from the Pacific Ocean.  At Adventure Bay a sculpture commemorates the part that whaling played in the area.

Sculpture commemorating whaling at Adventure Bay

Further around the bay we stop to explore the landing place of Captain James Cook.

Wok and Wayne at Captain Cook's landing place

We always seem to run across Cookie in our travels.  A meat pie for lunch hits the spot and we then drive south to Cape Bruny

Cape Bruny

where the fourth oldest lighthouse in Australia is still in operation.

Cape Bruny Lighthouse

It must have been very tough for the early lighthouse keepers and their families to be in such a remote location.  There are two small graves near the keepers cottages – the burial places of the children of one of the lighthouse keepers.

As we head back to the ferry Mitzi has a few hiccups.  Oh Oh!  The problem is not fixed.  We phone the Mitsubishi Dealer from the ferry and arrange to drop Mitzi back in on our way through Hobart.  Back on the mainland at Kettering we drop Wayne at his rig and say goodbye … but it is only for a few days.  Wayne is heading south to do some exploring and as we have already ‘been there, done that’ we will meet up with him again on the way to Port Arthur.  In Hobart the Mitsubishi Dealer supplies us with a courtesy car and we leave Mitzi in their hands to try and figure out what the hiccups are all about.  Back at New Norfolk we enjoy a relaxing few days before we have to pack up and continue our travels around Tasmania.  Mitzi is returned to us after two days and hopefully her hiccups are a thing of the past.  We’ve enjoyed our stay at New Norfolk with the picturesque Derwent River but all good things must come to an end and it is time for us to move on …

The River Derwent at New Norfolk
 

 

WAITING FOR WAYNE

25^th January, 2014

Our house sit at Taroona ended one week earlier than planned as our home owners had to return from their Italian skiing trip due to the fact that Joe had fallen while skiing and broke his shoulder … OUCH!  Our nephew Wayne was still travelling down the west coast of Tasmania (we’d intended to meet up with him in Hobart) so we adjusted our plans and checked into New Norfolk Caravan Park (30 klms north west of Hobart) where we enjoyed some quiet walks along the Derwent River while waiting for him to arrive.

Looking up the Derwent River to New Norfolk from Pulpit Rock

Looking down the Derwent River from Pulpit Rock

When Wayne did arrive earlier than expected we managed to change his site to one closer to ours

Our campsite on left - Wayne right foreground

and then spent the next few hours catching up with each other’s goings on.

Relaxing at Wayne's campsite

The next day we commenced our sight-seeing.  First on the agenda was a visit to the historic town of Richmond.  As we arrived right on lunchtime a pub lunch seemed in order and the Richmond Arms Hotel fitted the bill quite nicely.

Richmond Arms Hotel

We wandered along the main street where many buildings dating back to the 1820’s still stand and then took a tour through Richmond Gaol where convicts (men and women), bushrangers, aboriginals, criminals and gaolers were incarcerated.

Wayne and Wok read the information board at Richmond Gaol

Farms in the area were assigned convicts who acted almost as slave labour.  What better form of discipline than a ‘stretch’ in a convenient local gaol, or the lash, to keep them in order?  Escapes were common but many were recaptured and harsh sentences were imposed.  Leg irons and solitary confinement were two of the least severe sentences.

Wayne is not so sure that leg irons in solitary confinement is necessary

The following day we continued along the convict trail and visited the Cascades Female Factory in Hobart.  From 1828 to 1856 the Female Factory operated as an institution intended to reform female convicts, some as young as 11.  Women were sent here as punishment, to be reformed, or while waiting to be assigned.  Inmates provided laundry and needlework services, offsetting some of the Colony’s penal costs.  With staff, women and babies, up to 1,000 people lived here at any one time.  It was a harsh existence with tragic consequences.  Many did not survive.  We booked onto a tour titled ‘Her Story’ – part history lesson, part roaming theatre show.  It is a depiction of the life within Yard One of the Female Factory in 1833.  The story is performed by two actors.  One portraying the parts of an overseer and a doctor

The 'Doctor' at the Cascade Female Factory

and one portraying the woman whose story is being told.

The convict 'Mary'

‘Her Story’ is but one story amid the thousands that could be told but does help us to understand the significance of the Site and what happened here.

Not far from the Female Factory is Cascade Brewery

Cascade Brewery

Built in 1824 the brewery is still operational and we book an afternoon tour.  There is a restaurant at the brewery visitor centre so we have lunch and the boys sample some of the beers on offer before we take the tour.

'The boys' - Wok and Wayne - beer tasting

The tour would have been a lot better if the factory had been operational – it was Friday afternoon and the workers were nowhere to be seen.  Apparently they were having an extra long ‘long weekend’ for Australia Day.  However the boys did agree that the beer tasting was really really good.

The following day is Saturday, so we head off into Hobart and park Wayne’s Prado in a parking station and catch the free Saturday Hobart Shuttle to Salamanca Markets at the waterfront.

Robyn and Wok at Salamanca Markets in Hobart

These outdoor markets have been operating for many years and are excellent.  There are lots of different stalls and what we thought would probably only take us a couple of hours ended up being closer to five hours.  There were buskers that played interesting music

Didgera

and others that had us laughing.

Wayne and Wok laugh it up

There were lots of food stalls such as the Bratwurst sausage grill

The Bratwurst Sausage Grill - Just look at all those sausages!

which the boys just couldn’t pass by without sampling.

The 'boys' do their bit in trying to get rid of all those cooked sausages ..

There were lots more sampling to be had – wines, whisky, beer, chocolate etc. etc. After more than four hours on our feet we finally left the market carrying a few bags of goodies - gifts, fruit, veggies and Wok even bought a new hat. 

Wok and Wayne exit the markets

As we could see the 1271 metre high Mount Wellington quite clearly from the markets we decided to drive up to the lookout for a bird’s eye view.

We walk down to the lookout at Mount Wellington

Even though it was a little hazy we could still see the Tasman Peninsular and the waterways leading to Hobart and follow the Derwent River as far as Bridgewater.

The view over Hobart from Mount Wellington

Every bit of Hobart and its suburbs were spread out below us – it is an excellent viewpoint and even though it was quite warm down at the markets it was freezing on the top of Mount Wellington with a bitterly cold wind coming straight from the Antarctic.  Safely back down at sea level we stopped off at the Shot Tower for a look see.

The Shot Tower

Built by Joseph Moir in 1870 with the help of two men the 58 metre sandstone tower was commenced and completed in 8 months.  Quite a feat!  The purpose of the tower was for the production of lead shot for the muskets and rifles of the day.

Spiral staircase inside the Shot Tower

While Wayne climbed to the top of the Shot Tower (we had climbed up the many steps twenty years ago) we partook of a Devonshire Tea in the cosy tea room at the base of the tower.  MMMMM … scones, strawberry or blackberry jam with lashings of fresh cream … yummmm.  Luckily for Wayne he managed to join us before we had eaten all the scones and shared his photo of the view from the top of the Shot Tower.

View over the Derwent estuary from the Shot Tower at Taroona

By the time we got back to the caravan park everyone was worn out so we decided a takeaway pizza would finish off the day quite nicely.  It was unanimously agreed that tomorrow was going to be a rest day and no-one was going anywhere.  Yippee!  We get to sleep in …….