Hobart, Tasmania

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Tasmania…certainly a picturesque state and my amateur photos do not do God's marvelous works of art justice. Amber and I departed Adelaide on January the 8th to arrive in Hobart, Tasmania for a short holiday. We shared a cab ride to the airport with Jason and Shane, two guys from Melbourne who thought we needed a quick lesson on cricket. They proceeded to tell us about Donald Bradman, a legendary batter equivalent to Babe Ruth, as we drove past the park named after him just outside the city. Just to give you an example of this "no worries" attitude of Australia folks, Shane picked up the cost of our ride to the terminal without hesitation.
We spent our first afternoon wandering around Salamanca market, an eclectic shopping district, which gave us an inside look into the world of fairy floss and other items. The rest of Hobart’s downtown sights included: Parliament House, Parliament Square, Murray St Pier, Brooke St Pier, Elizabeth St Pier, Kings Pier Marina and Macquarie Wharf. We also managed to grab a scoop of ice cream at “Sticky Fingers” before a light stroll down the scenes at Victoria and Constitution Dock where we found the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Elizabeth Mall gave us the chance to purchase a few postcards and window shop. Mures Fishing Centre’s sea level Bistro served us the town’s best fish ‘n’ chips. We then spent the rest of the night getting acquainted with other tourists like James at Central City Backpackers. James provided some insight into Australian lingo, culture and metric conversions (i.e. temperature, weight, height, ect). Even now I have a hard time converting temperature, kilos and distance.

Culture Shock 101

Airport security here is a joke in comparison to the states. I was able to carry on many items that I have been prohibited from taking on the plane for the last few years. Yet, I do not find myself feeling less safe. It's been interesting to see all the individuals who can actually walk through the gates to see their loved one(s) off.

Word Bank

Holiday-vacation
Fairy floss-cotton candy
Chips-french fries
Bag of chips-potato chips

Travel Tips

Virgin Blue airlines offers cheap fares within Australia and the flight crews are entertaining and playful. On the other hand, Virgin Blue only offers food and drinks at a cost during flight but Qantas provides full meals for free.

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Comments

[anonymous]

Exciting
Tanya, I'm so thrilled for you!! I wish I could be there also!! It sounds like so much fun!! You better keep up with these journals. I'll keep checking for entries!! Take a lot of pictures and scan them in!! - Gay Lynn

[anonymous]

#3
Tanya, You are so lucky!! Take lots of pictures. Fairy Floss is the greatest thing that I have heard lately. Have a great time but be safe. Love Mindy - Melinda