Hobart, Tasmania

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The open air and raw landscape was what directly affected us as we made our way down to Hobart. The more temperate climate, opposed to that of the warmer mainland Australia at this time of year (I write in early spring) was a gentle relief from Melbourne. I believe it to be true that here was the founding of the World's first 'Green party', Tasmanian's being fiercely proud of their island: and rightly so. Our walk around Launceston a day earlier had provided us with evidence enough of the beauty that was to befall us on this all too short venture.

Immediately upon arrival into Hobart, having set down our baggage for the night in Liverpool Street, in a comfortable hostel, we made our way to the Harbour. From here it was easy to locate the majority of the attractions that Hobart can offer the day traveller. Behind us was the Maritime Museum, from which we learned of the adventures of Joseph Conrad and his life at sea in this part of the world. The film Apocolypse Now I am told is based on the Heart of Darkness.

The walk from the Harbour to Salamanca Place is one of the most pleasant on offer in Hobart. The winding streets, quaint tea rooms and second hand book stores reminded me of a high summers day in North Yorkshire, with the hilly walkways at intervals offering beautiful views of the river across which we saw huts resting on sides of the hill in patches, clustered together by degrees, and dreamed of living there, and working on the sea, like Conrad did all those years before.

Salamanca Place is the focal point for the Saturday Market, where the local's buy their fresh Tasmanian produce grown by the local farmers. It is the place to meet the locals, perchance learn about their way of life, albeit in an indirect way, and enjoy the local drink from the shade of the trees that nod gently by the bars and houses that line the green of the market gardens. It was here we were introduced to Tasmanian beer, which we learned had an august reputation around Australia. J.M. Boag was the founder of the Boag's brewery, based in Launceston, and I can honestly say that, although there were many varieties to choose from, the one I had, through chance alone, and perhaps having something to do with the weather and setting, was nevertheless the best beer I had ever tasted.

It is worth noting that while Hobart is a beautiful city, I would recommend no longer that a two day stay. Not least because we found it slightly cut off from the rest of the Island, the bus services being limited to local villages and towns not of real interest to the casual traveller. The coach to Port Macarthur, site of one of the earliest convict sites, while being a short journey, has only one bus a day offering no return. This should be considered at the outset before travelling. On the whole, I would recommend Hobart as a final point of a journey to Tasmania, as it's main attraction as a destination lies in its quaintness, beauty and relaxed pace of life, which is perfectly in harmony with the countryside that surrounds it. The ideal end to a journey round an Island which boasts so many attractions for the active, e.g. Cradle mountain, and the walks round the numerous National Parks.

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