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Published: February 25th 2007
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Nancy Buys Jewelry
The Salamanca markets in Hobart were too good to pass by! I now have new Tassie earrings and necklace..not expensive just fun! More Tasmanian Travels: February 16-24, 2007
Hobart, the state capital, was the next stop on our Tasmania travels. We had all looked forward to it but it almost didn’t happen. We had listened to many ‘seasoned’ travelers who assured us that there was no need to book accommodations ahead…it was, after all, off season, the end of summer etc etc…so when we began to hear that it might be tight, we began the saga of room seeking. After more than 20 phone calls, some of which had the clerk on the other end chuckling because ‘everything had been booked for months’, we were worried. It seems the weekend we had planned to be there coincided with an International Triathlon and a major cricket tourney, and the city was, as they say here, ‘chockers’ (that means full to overflowing!)
We ended up getting a cabin in a caravan park outside the city for the first night and drove in to the Famous Salamanca market, one of Hobart’s premier attractions, on Saturday morning. The market involved more than 300 stalls and is a regular Saturday event, set up on Salamanca Street, adjacent to the waterfront. The exhibits of organic produce, crafts,
Markets in Hobart
More than 300 stalls...a great spot. art and food were fantastic, and it was easy to spend several hours browsing and buying (hard to pass up the interesting hand crafted jewelry!)
We were able to secure an apartment overlooking the street for our second night.at this point we couldn’t worry much about price, we just needed a bed. It was a great spot…or at least it seemed so until the Saturday evening party crowd began to gather under our open windows that night. (great apartment with no air con…and a rare heat wave!)
After a somewhat restless night, we moved our bags across the street…another last minute cancellation. Storing the bags till check in time, we watched the amazing triathletes conduct their 1.5 km swim, bike 10 km and run another 40…in temperatures that hit 37 degrees!! We were pretty certain that some of them had chosen Hobart as a qualifying venue for International status because it is (almost) always relatively cool. The temperatures broke decades old records, and we were there to experience it….. and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing!
A double decker bus tour of the city seemed like a good idea…but again, no air con and the temps were steamy
Busker at Market
Markets are part of the culture of the country and this was one of the best we have been to. Great entertainment everywhere. This guy is playing a didgeridoo (among other things)...note the bare feet! in the bus. We did get a great overview of this little city and, despite the heat, decided it would be a great place to live! As we dragged ourselves back to our new digs mid afternoon, we were thrilled to discover that this apartment had air conditioning…and we all relished in it before heading out for a great Thai meal.
The drive from Hobart to the tiny seaside town of Strahan was broken by two stops. Lake St. Clair is one of the deepest fresh water lakes in Australia. Our lunch at lakeside was beautiful and we all agreed that this scenery could easily have been Canada with its fresh water, forests and mountain views. The second stop was less appealing. In fact, it was the first place in Tasmania that we all thought was pretty dismal. Queenstown, unlike its namesake in New Zealand, is a high mountain town that sits in the center of acres of mountainside destroyed by open face mining. The landscape was shockingly barren, deep holes and scars cut into hills devoid of growth. To make it even worse, getting there involved one of those nightmare roads, the twists and turns leaving both Mary
Cooling Off!
We visited the Hobart Casino...the first one in the country! The casino was small, but the fruit daquiries were huge...our attempt to beat the heat! and I green at the gills! The stop for groceries was necessary, but other than that, this tired little town had not much to offer.
A half hour later, however, we made it to Strahan and this is a town with heart! Situated on the banks of the river just a few kilometers from the ocean, Strahan had been home to the lumber industry but events changed its fate. Back in the early 80’s the power companies in Tasmania put forth a plan to dam the Gordon River, one of several mighty rivers that empty into the bay near Strahan. The result would have been major flooding and the creation of a huge lake (does this sound like Mactaquac?). There was a huge protest from environmentalists. The ‘greenies’ as they are called here) arrived by the hundreds, and camped out n the park at Strahan. They literally chained themselves to trees and machinery fro weeks on end. There were so many arrests that the courts couldn’t keep up, and the event was headline news internationally.
The result was the cessation of the plan and the ultimate establishment of a World heritage Site on the Gordon and Franklin Rivers.
Echidna
This is an echidna..one of many interesting animals we have seen close up. It's a spiny anteater...looks a bit like our porcupines. He curls up when you get close to him (so you won't see him!) The hundreds of protected acres are home to numerous endangered species, including the ancient Huon Pine trees, massive trees that are carbon dated to be thousands of years old. Because the trees are resistant to rot and insects, they were highly prized early years of the wooden boat building industry, and the trees were cut almost to extinction. They can no longer be cut by anyone, and the only access to the lumber now is from trees buried beneath the rivers or ocean.
Strahan has rebuilt itself into a beautiful little town, with quaint shops and several world heritage Cruises up the Gordon River as main tourist attractions. We did one of the cruises, stopping at the small Sarah’s island, home to another of the infamous Prison Colonies in the state. We explored the island and learned of the hundreds of ships which the convicts, used as slave labourers, created before the site was closed, and we viewed a Huon pine that was over 2000 years old. The local theater group produces a hilarious play each evening and we learned of the true story of a group of convicts who actually highjacked a ship and sailed it all the way
Our cottage in Strahan
This was a great spot...we could have slept ten people! to Chile…where they were eventually caught!
Our final destination in Tasmania was the famous Cradle Mountain, one of the most popular National parks in the country. We had booked (pre-booked, as we had had enough of those worries) a great little cottage to use as our base for 3 whole nights! (Going three days without packing up and moving is a much welcomed opportunity!)
It was a wonderful way to end an amazing trip. We hiked each day, exploring the beautiful lakes at the base of the Cradle Mountain and hiking sections of the trail. One day we did a total of 14.5 km, fist around Dove lake then along the most amazing Cradle Mountain Boardwalk that lead us through stunning Australian bush, valleys, button grass, tree ferns. We were constantly greeted by kangaroos and paddemelons (small wallabies) and everywhere we looked there was evidence of the wombat population. Despite seeing their droppings everywhere, we just couldn’t find one, till our last evening when we took a walk and they were out munching in abundance! They are so cute, like small fat wooly bears. We heard the Tasmanian Devils screaming at night, and had seen one fleetingly on the
Gourmet lunch
We have been preparing a lot of our own meals..I mainly just do dishes...and eat...a lot! road, but because they are so nocturnal we chose to visit an educational site where could learn about these interesting animals, see them in a natural enclosure and even briefly pat one.
The fresh mountain, air, the challenging but satisfying hikes, the warm friendship of our dear friends Greg and Mary all combined to make Cradle Mountain one of the most special places we visited.
The short drive back to Devonport to catch the ferry to the mainland was bittersweet. We enjoyed morning tea at a small town of Sheffield. This too is a town with spirit. They have used every available wall space to create huge murals representing various aspects of their history and culture, and it is a fascinating stroll through the town to see the expert artwork.
The overnight ferry crossing was (thankfully) smooth, the highlight being my winning $100 at the ‘gaming lounge’…then I was too excited to sleep! It was a hard farewell in Melbourne, knowing that we were leaving Greg and Mary. It isn’t everyone who could share the inside of a car, various mediocre to great accommodations and the challenges and golden moments of traveling, and not have even a moment of
Gordon River Heritage Cruise Ship
The cruise was fascinating. It included a buffet dinner, a tour of sarah island and a nature walk. Incredible rainforests...have to be seen to be believed! tension. It is a testament to our friendship, and we all feel blessed to have had the gift of this time together. Plans are just beginning for a sequel in 2009!
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