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Published: December 12th 2008
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Sydney - harbour bridge
Taken on our 4hr trip before flying to Hobart. Arrived here after a 22hr journey. We had 6hrs to kill in Sydney before the flight to Hobart, so we checked in and got the collective to the Rocks (it's like an English pub scene near the harbour, but it's really tacky). Nice sunny day, we've seen the sights before, they weren't inspiring then so just wondered round and up Pitt/George street, has some lunch etc. Slightly amused seeing large people waddling down the streets again. We actually got a return ticket to the airport. We waited on Pitt street for the bus, but one didn't turn up so we had to catch a taxi.
In Hobart Kay picked up an advert for a Indian restaurant, as people were being drop off at their hotels we saw lots of Thai and Indian restaurants.
Checked in to the hotel near the harbour see pic for view from our window and compare it to Puno.
Went to the Wellington pub and selected one of the draught beers, It tasted of nothing, yep nothing. Got a bottle of 4-legs red wine (we had lots of this in Oz) from the offi and went to the Indian, the food was good. We found
Sydney - Opera house
Taken on our 4hr trip before flying to Hobart it a bit spicy since we've not eaten spicy food (including the crap one in Santiago), but the wine was great and went down well.
28.11.08 booked a car for Saturday thru to Monday so we can tour around. It's drizzling and 14 so our plan to go up mount Wellington has been cancelled. Walked around the town and went to one of the museums with exhibits of Antarctica. About to go to the Penitentiary Chapel museum. Although it said open it was in fact closed. We walked back to town did the e-mails etc. and walked back. Still closed so we gave up and went for dinner at a Thai, took a bottle of Clare Valley Riesling from the BWS (guess the acronym). The green curry and wine were great.
29.11.08 - There's a Sunday market at Salamanca St near the harbour so we spent a couple of hrs there. A bit tacky, we then picked up the Hyundai and drove to Port Arthur: a penal colony. We did the Prisoners route, stopping at several key locations for the history. Port Arthur is interesting but not what we expected. Got the low down on convicts as young
Tasmania - Hobart
View from our hotel room :( as 6, in fact this was the only part of the British Empire (I can feel hearts swelling) where they had a separate colony for kids from 6 to 11. Anyway, we'd booked the hotel which was on sight, again was OK and the food well...
30.11.08 Drove to Coles bay about 3hrs north West, the scenery was really good (see pics). We paid 22 dollars for the entry (really the parking) and did a hike up to the viewing point for Wineglass bay, then hiked down to the beach (see pics later) this took us around 21/2 hrs. We then drove to Campbell town another 11/2hrs for the night. Stayed in a coaching Inn built by convicts. The owner an ex-pat has been living here since the mid seventies and it showed in her attitude. Had dinner in a Mediterranean restaurant. I had pizza with sweet chilli paste and king prawns, Kay had the veggie version washed down with a lovely bottle of Cape Bernier Chardonney, not cheap but crisp, light with a long finish yum yum.
1.12.08 Drove to Marshall Fields National Park for the hiking and views from the waterfalls. Unfortunately part of it was
closed so we did the 2hr hike. We then drove to Hobart and it looked like it was clear on mount Wellington so we drove to the top and it started snowing and became foggy. see pics. Kay wanted to try the Mexican so we got a bottle of red and had dinner.
2.12.08. Dropped the car off at the airport and got the flight to Sydney.
Observations in Taz:
- everybody is always smiling
- the streets are really clean
- the pubs are also very clean, unfortunately the beer is like drinking sprite so I've given up, just have wine
- Great to let your guard down after 8 weeks in SA.
- In 5 days not seen a dog or cat, are they closet Koreans?
- Tasmania has the feel of England in the late sixties/early seventies: people are very polite and always smiling.
- Bring your own wine is common, but looks like you have to book at the weekends as we got turned down by 3 places
- Had my first full english breakfast (excluding pigs blood) and it was great.
- beer
is like sparkling soda water Yuk! Wouldn't mind a pint of old slapper or flat cap
- Two drinkable bottle beers James Squires Porter and James Boags.
- petrol is about 45p/lit
- they are always playings late sixties/early seventies music
Given the chance will come again and tour the north and west coast.
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Rita
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Ben looks like she's having a conversation with that wallabie...and the wallabie seems really interested...was she negotiating an attack on you possibly???