Tasmania

Day 16 – Hobart

We said goodbye to Sydney this morning and headed to the airport. Interestingly, in Australia, they don’t check IDs at security or when boarding. As long as we had a ticket, we were all set. They are also “old school” in that anyone can go back to the gates as long as they go through the Security Checkpoint. Remember before 9/11/2001?

Tasmania is an island state of Australia, located in the southern part of the country. Originally called Van Diemen’s Land, it was first a Dutch territory. After a quick 1.5 hour flight, we landed in Hobart. That’s when the tricky part started for Pat, since he was the one driving the car.

This was the first time Pat ever drove on the “wrong” side of the road. He was nervous, but also confident that he could master it. He purposely scheduled Tasmania as the first location to drive in anticipation of less people (cars) as a way to ease into the process. He also watched YouTube videos and asked all of our Uber drivers, as well as our friends Josie and Stephen, for tips on how to adapt. Bottom line, keep yourself (the driver) in the center and “protect” your passenger.

The other apprehension was traffic circles, especially going the “opposite” way. But so far, that hasn’t been an issue. At higher volume traffic circles, they have been made with good separation between the car coming from your right that will head in the opposite direction to you and your entry into the circle. This makes a huge difference compared to traffic circles we’ve seen in the US in being able to find a safe gap to enter the circle.

The biggest challenge so far has been remembering where the turn signal is. On the first day, we had the cleanest windows in all of Tasmania, as the lever on the left side of the steering column controls the wipers. It’s the lever on the right side that controls the turn signals – d’oh! Finally, Pat realized that you use the same arm as if you were making hand signals out the window – in Australia, that’s your right arm (hand).

During the afternoon, we settled into our VRBO & Pat went to the store for some supplies.

Later that evening, we headed over the the Altar Bar for a little bit of comedy. Besides the MC, we heard 6 different acts which ranged in entertainment. One of the funny things was that if they started talking too fast, we couldn’t understand them and we missed the joke! One of the comedians was blind. She complained about her friends never asking her to be the designated driver. Then she remembered that she doesn’t have a driver’s license, so her driving would be illegal, and you wouldn’t want to do that! (But left unsaid, so is driving intoxicated.)

Day 17

One of the pleasures of staying at the VRBO was being able to prepare our own food. Pat made an excellent breakfast of bacon and eggs for us today!

We spent the afternoon at the MONA (Museum of Old and New Art). It is a very eclectic museum complex described as:

“We have old art. New art. Wine. Dark corners. Nice views. Music. Come along, catch the ferry, drink wine, eat cheese. Talk crap about the art. You’ll love it.”

And we did! The ferry ride is 25 minutes up River Derwent. There were some outside sculptures, plus a trampoline that a number of people (kids and adults) tried out. Behind the museum, there was a band stage and some restaurants and food kiosks with lots of green space.

The museum’s collection was provocative, evocative, and certainly interesting. There were pieces that were borderline pornographic, and others that were traditional classics. There were artifacts, as well as political pieces. The location is also a winery, and for lunch we ate at the winery cafe and bought two bottles to take back to the VRBO. Including the ferry rides to/from the museum, we spent five hours enjoying the MONA.

Day 18

In the morning, we headed for the very large Saturday Salamanca Market in Hobart. There were venders with fruit, vegetables, prepared food, and local artisans with clothes (wool, silk, leather), vintage finds, books, art, clothing & Tasmanian timber items. Over a million people visit the market each year. While everyone knows that Cheryl isn’t a shopper, it was interesting to go see it. There were actually things Cheryl was interested in, but they would have to be shipped home, so we passed.

Our goal on this adventure was to see Russell Falls. We enjoyed walking around for about an hour and a half, exploring the area, seeing the falls and the tall trees.

After returning to Hobart, we went to evening Mass at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. It was a small humble parish that has been there for over 175 years. Although it was very different than last week at the cathedral, it was equally beautiful in its simplicity. The church is run by the Passionists, a religious order founded in 1720 in Castellazo, Italy. The order places special emphasis on and devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ – it was an order neither of us encountered previously.

We then went to dinner at Da Angelos Ristorante. The food we had at this restaurant is currently our favorite on the trip. Our ravioli and gnocchi were both made in house. The best gnocchi Pat ever had were from the Marco Polo Restaurant in Venice, and he said these were equally good. They were dressed with an Alla Panna sauce (a cream sauce with mushrooms and bacon). Cheryl’s cheese ravioli melted in her mouth. They were covered in the Napoletana sauce (traditional tomato and herb sauce). Delicious!

Day 19

Today, we made the trek to Port Arthur to visit one of the country’s best Penal Colony historical locations. The scenery on our drive reminded us a lot of driving in Nova Scotia – mountainous, flowing water, and rolling hills. However, seeing the massive number of sheep grazing along the way was very different.

Upon arrival, we took a short orientation tour given by one of the volunteer guides. One of the interesting things we learned is that Charles Dickens visited the site prior to writing Oliver Twist. Here, he met the inspirations for his characters Fagan and the Artful Dodgers. We learned from our guide, a local woman about 65 years old, that Port Arthur was a “hell-hole”, the “ass-end of the earth”, and that one of the earliest overseers was a “dickhead” (Cheryl’s favorite, having never heard such terminology from an “official” representative of an organization).

To the British, Van Diemen’s Land – as Tasmania was known until 1856 – seemed like the end of the Earth, an ideal place to send repeat criminals and relieve pressure on an overcrowded prison system at home. The convicts were considered to be incorrigible and incurable.

Between 1833 and 1877 Port Arthur was a large, self-sufficient and isolated industrial complex where convicts (over 166,000 during its years in operation) did iron work, bronze casting, leather work and ceramics, and also made bricks, small boats and ships for the colonial government. Gangs of convict laborers worked on surrounding farms as ‘beasts of burden’, plowing, hauling logs and dragging carts. From the 1840s Port Arthur trialed successive penal philosophies, including systems of isolation, classification, separation of boys and men, and psychological terror. 

Next, we boarded a boat for a 20 minute view of the site, as well as two local islands that were also part of the penal colony. One island was used essentially as “Juvy Island”, where young offenders ages 9-15 were separated from the hardened criminals, and hopefully could be saved / reformed before being fully indoctrinated into a life of crime (the age of reason at the time was considered to be 7 years old). This was the first British purpose-built reforming institution for criminal boys.

Port Arthur also had a Separate Prison, which stripped people of their identities. They were kept in solitary confinement except for one hour a day of walking in the “yard” (small brick enclosure) wearing a hood to mask their face. They were never referred to by name and there was NO TALKING (guards used hand signals versus speaking). Next to the Separate Prison was the Asylum (not a big surprise since the isolation broke the minds of many convicts).

As we travel through Tasmania, many things (bridges, buildings, etc.) are attributed to the convict labor. In addition, those people who paid their dues and were released became the citizens of Tasmania and many plaques note the person’s past.

Before returning back to our VRBO, we visited a beautiful overlook at the southern tip of the peninsula. It had stunning views of the surf below and to the cliffs further up the coastline. We also stopped at one of the first convict built bridges in Tasmania.

On our way to dinner in Hobart, we noticed a cruise ship leaving port. It turned out that it was the Royal Princess, which is the ship we will be sailing on when we get to Auckland! Bon Voyage; we look forward to seeing you in the near future!

Dinner was at the Old Wharf, where we met some people that were visiting from Adelaide, our next stop. We enjoyed getting some good tips from the locals.

Day 20

Today was a travel day, as we are driving from Hobart to Launceston (“lawn-sess-tin”) in the North. As we were checking out, the owners of our VRBO, Ginny and Mitch, arrived to get the residence ready for their next guests. Mitch suggested stops along the way, including the Oatlands and Ross. Keen observers may have already noticed, but most of the names of towns in Australia are “duplicates” of other locations throughout the British Empire.

Our first stop on our two-hour journey was not far outside Hobart – the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. This is not a zoo, but a place for injured or orphaned animals to be rehabilitated and, whenever possible, returned to the wild. Last year, they received 19,000 calls and then dispatched one of their 800 volunteers to rescue the injured animal. Some animals have injuries that prevent them from being released, such as the Cape Barron grey goose with the broken wing, or the two echidnas (one who became blind after being hit by a car and another who lost one of its hind legs to a dog attack).

We learned many fascinating facts about these uniquely Australian animals. The Tasmanian Devils have a bite strength similar to a hyena. While they can hunt, they are primarily scavengers as their eyesight is poor, existing on carrion. They will consume everything, including the bones and the fur. Rescue workers have even found echidna quills in Devils stomachs.

The wombat (the large guinea pig) can grow to over 75 pounds and be almost 4 feet in length. They have a strong “fascia plate” on their backs (solid bone about 2 inches thick) with no nerve endings. If attacked, they head to the opening of their burrow and dig into the soil, exposing their protected backside. When the predator tries to climb over them, they raise up, crushing the predator’s skull against the top of the burrow. The wombat babies that are rehabilitated in captivity go through a hormonal change at about the age of two. They become very aggressive and forget all about their prior human interactions, making it safe for them to be re-released and survive on their own. This also happens in the wild (the “terrible two’s”), and their mothers know it is time to chase them away to live independently.

The kangaroos were very sweet. They loved to be scratched under their necks and petted down their necks. They were very docile and gentle. Both Cheryl and Pat enjoyed interacting with them.

Our next stop was in the small village of Ross. We enjoyed an ice cream (lunch) under the shady trees of the sleepy village.

We then went to the Female Factory (female convict site) which was used between 1848 and 1854. The site served as a factory as well as a hiring depot, an overnight station for female convicts traveling between settlements, a lying-in hospital and a nursery. When women were “transported”, their children were left behind in England (most who were never seen again). If they had any additional children upon or after arrival, they were taken from them and raised in the nursery for 3 years. If the baby survived, they were taken to an orphanage in Hobart for the next 11 years, where hopefully they would learn a trade and become productive members of society.

Female convicts were hired for many different reasons mainly to work as domestic servants. They could be sent back to the factory for punishment if they were charged with an offense by their master or mistress.

We continued our journey and arrived at our B&B, Windarra on High. Our “apartment” was quite large, with 3 bedrooms, a dining table, and a kitchenette, plus a fenced-in patio / courtyard, but only one bathroom.

After unpacking, we headed to dinner in the Central Business District (CBD), at a place along the Tamar (“tay-mur”) River, Levee Food Co. Before leaving, Cheryl noticed heavy thunderstorm warnings, but we still headed out. As we sat outside awaiting our food, we saw ominous clouds overhead, but also bright sunshine to the West. Then a few sprinkles started, and then a downpour! All the outside diners scrambled inside, while we tried to wait it out under an umbrella. Our table was soaked. A related restaurant next door was closed, but management opened it up for seating capacity, and we were able to enjoy our dinner in comfort. We both ordered pizzas, and Pat sampled two of Boag Brewery’s draft beers. The brewery was started by James Boag in 1883.

Our first three stops in Australia were Sydney, Hobart, and Launceston. Ironically, these were the first three settlements founded in Australia in the same order.

Day 21

After breakfast in the common dining room (simple continental affair), we headed back to the CBD to board our Tamar River Cruise. We chose the 2.5 hour cruise, which took us up the Tamar River with excellent commentary from our captain, Callum. During our cruise, Callum pointed out the white breasted sea eagle juvenile on the channel marker. There are only 7 mating pairs in the Launceston area so we were lucky to see one. The birds are extremely territorial of their hunting grounds and will fight any invaders to the death. We also had a wine tasting on board. Based on the glasses, you can guess the quality of wine.

Before returning to the dock, Callum took us into the Cataract Gorge (“Cataracta” being Latin for waterfall). While the waterfall is only a controlled trickle now (the river being diverted upstream to a hydroelectric site), the gorge had beautiful rock formations.

We then grabbed a quick lunch at Bluestone Bar & Kitchen, which was connected to a hotel.

Next, we visited the Queen Victoria Museum near the campus of Tasmania University. QVM is a natural history museum with a broad array of exhibits despite being very modest in size. We finished our visit with a presentation in the planetarium (also known as “Pat’s Nap Room”).

Our final event of the day was dinner at Stelo Restaurant. Again, back to the CBD to enjoy some more Italian food. This was an interesting restaurant. On the one hand, it was quite small, likely in a repurposed retail space in the shopping district. On the other hand, it was very tastefully decorated in reds and blacks, along with white tablecloths. We decided to try some Tasmanian sparkling wine. The wine steward joined us to discuss our options, and we settled on a 2015 Bellebonne Blanc de Blanc. The wine maker is Natalie Fryar, who previously worked at a large production facility on the continent, but went independent in Tasmania.

We decided to split appetizers and mains, enjoying pumpkin arancini with a hazelnut mayonnaise for dipping and a caprese salad with fresh focaccia to start. For dinner, we shared an amazing roasted lamb rump cooked to perfection (well seasoned and so tender), along with gnocchi (sensing a theme here?) that included an amazing smoked eggplant puree. While the gnocchi did not measure up to our dinner at Da Angelo in Hobart, the overall meal was definitely our “finest” dining so far.

Day 22

We had a catch up day today, since it was pouring down rain for a majority of it. We spent some time working on our blog and planning our visits to Barossa and Uluru.

Dinner was at Stillwater restaurant, which we had passed on our way to the Gorge yesterday.

We had another lovely meal. Because Pat was driving, he had a “Not So Dark & Stormy” and Cheryl joined him with an “Almond Sour” mocktail. We enjoyed Tasmanian 1/2 shelled scallops; Pinkling fish with fennel foam & lemon risotto; Cressy lamb roast with lemon confit potato; Roasted carrots; Coconut panna cotta & Dark Chocolate pave. Everything was wonderful.

Day 23

We had to gather our belongings up and say goodbye to the Windarra on High.

We stopped at the Franklin House on our way to the airport. As I noted above, your history of being a convict stuck with you even after release. In the description of the house it states, the Franklin House “…was built in 1838 for former convict Britton Jones by a team of convict workers.”

All of the original furnishing are gone; however, the home was filled with unique time period appropriate furnishings. It was amazing all of the unique donations that were housed there. The gardens were also beautiful.

After a quick lunch, we headed to the airport to go to Adelaide.