A Walk-About Town June 17, 2006
After the Lodge’s adequate continental breakfast, Holly and I headed for the Salamanca Market which is held every Saturday morning along the street of the same name. It climbs uphill from the harbor and resembles a flea market with anything and everything for sale. We strolled through looking at the wares and listening to the street musicians. One of the larger bands had 8 musicians and at the same time we saw several 8-10 year old violinists that were playing solo. Holly bought a pair of earrings to replace ones she had lost a day or two earlier. I bought a less decorative item, a pair of Australian wool socks to keep my feet warm while we are here.
We moved on to an area of town called Battery Point. This is part of the historic district and the narrow streets are lined with small quaint cottages and houses built beginning in the 1820s. Hobart has the feel of a small San Francisco with the town spreading up and away from the original central harbor. It is picturesque, yet with a much lived in neighborhood feeling.
Lunch was next on the agenda so we headed for Mures Lower Deck. Mures is a longtime establishment famous for its fish and chips, which we tried. Very tasty. I followed it with a local brew wearing the Cascade label (made here in Hobart). I like to sample the local beers when we travel and I was not disappointed with my choice. Mures is located on Victoria Dock which is next to Constitution Dock. Constitution Dock is where the sailboats moor at the end of the Sydney to Hobart race that starts in Sydney on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas). Holly and I saw the start of the Sydney Hobart a few years ago when we doing the Harbor Bridge Climb in Sydney. Very exciting when you have seats 300 feet above the harbor.
With lunch behind us, the Maritime Museum was the next stop on our self styled walking tour. Housed in one of the older buildings along the harbor the museum is small but filled with interesting exhibits. When visiting port cities and towns we try to make a point of going to the maritime museums. Almost always, the early days of these communities will have been molded by the sea faring trade or naval warfare. These storehouses give the visitor a more in-depth look at both the history and current day workings of the sea ports, the inhabitants and the sailors that visited over the years.
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery was just across the street and our last tour stop of the day. This is a large museum / gallery that displays Aboriginal history, European history, natural history as well as special exhibits. The current exhibit is about Antarctica, and again covers all aspects. Another interesting display contained the log of Capt. James Cook and the diary of the naturalist on the voyage, Joseph Banks. Right next to this was the log that Capt. Bly kept beginning with the mutiny of the Bounty’s crew. He sailed a lifeboat with 20 loyal crewmen almost 4000 miles to Timor where they found passage back to England. Say what you will about Bly, but the man could sail a boat and maintain discipline. There were no major works of art in the museum and the art focused on colonial life here which made it interesting.
Today’s weather was typical of a cool fall day; blue skies, white clouds and a weak sun that creates very long shadows and casts everything in a soft light. The high temp was probably 60 degrees and the low in the 30’s. Perfect.
I wish that we had more time in Tasmania as we have just scratched the surface. We have been told the western side of the island is even more dramatic and rugged than the areas that we toured. The people here appear easy-going, and have been very friendly and helpful. They seemed to consider themselves as part of, yet separate from the rest of Australia. The culture is international. The land and sea are spectacularly beautiful and spotlessly clean while the air is fresh and unpolluted. If you have the time and want to see what life can be like I would suggest a trip to Tasmania. Once you get here the rest of Australia and New Zealand are just a few short flight hours away. I think you would find it time well spent.
We moved on to an area of town called Battery Point. This is part of the historic district and the narrow streets are lined with small quaint cottages and houses built beginning in the 1820s. Hobart has the feel of a small San Francisco with the town spreading up and away from the original central harbor. It is picturesque, yet with a much lived in neighborhood feeling.
Lunch was next on the agenda so we headed for Mures Lower Deck. Mures is a longtime establishment famous for its fish and chips, which we tried. Very tasty. I followed it with a local brew wearing the Cascade label (made here in Hobart). I like to sample the local beers when we travel and I was not disappointed with my choice. Mures is located on Victoria Dock which is next to Constitution Dock. Constitution Dock is where the sailboats moor at the end of the Sydney to Hobart race that starts in Sydney on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas). Holly and I saw the start of the Sydney Hobart a few years ago when we doing the Harbor Bridge Climb in Sydney. Very exciting when you have seats 300 feet above the harbor.
With lunch behind us, the Maritime Museum was the next stop on our self styled walking tour. Housed in one of the older buildings along the harbor the museum is small but filled with interesting exhibits. When visiting port cities and towns we try to make a point of going to the maritime museums. Almost always, the early days of these communities will have been molded by the sea faring trade or naval warfare. These storehouses give the visitor a more in-depth look at both the history and current day workings of the sea ports, the inhabitants and the sailors that visited over the years.
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery was just across the street and our last tour stop of the day. This is a large museum / gallery that displays Aboriginal history, European history, natural history as well as special exhibits. The current exhibit is about Antarctica, and again covers all aspects. Another interesting display contained the log of Capt. James Cook and the diary of the naturalist on the voyage, Joseph Banks. Right next to this was the log that Capt. Bly kept beginning with the mutiny of the Bounty’s crew. He sailed a lifeboat with 20 loyal crewmen almost 4000 miles to Timor where they found passage back to England. Say what you will about Bly, but the man could sail a boat and maintain discipline. There were no major works of art in the museum and the art focused on colonial life here which made it interesting.
Today’s weather was typical of a cool fall day; blue skies, white clouds and a weak sun that creates very long shadows and casts everything in a soft light. The high temp was probably 60 degrees and the low in the 30’s. Perfect.
I wish that we had more time in Tasmania as we have just scratched the surface. We have been told the western side of the island is even more dramatic and rugged than the areas that we toured. The people here appear easy-going, and have been very friendly and helpful. They seemed to consider themselves as part of, yet separate from the rest of Australia. The culture is international. The land and sea are spectacularly beautiful and spotlessly clean while the air is fresh and unpolluted. If you have the time and want to see what life can be like I would suggest a trip to Tasmania. Once you get here the rest of Australia and New Zealand are just a few short flight hours away. I think you would find it time well spent.
posted by Gary and Holly Davis @ 4:04 AM
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