Bye Bye Balmain and Hello Hobart

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I've now left Balmain, my home for 4 months and its no more Schooners of Blonde and $10 steaks at Dicks; gone are the days of Banana pancakes at the Orange Peel Cafe and goodbye for now to all my good friends I have made during my time here....I'm sure I'll be back!!


Monday 1st December 2008 - HOBART


Flew Sydney to Hobart this morning and it was just so exciting to be going somewhere new!! I had heard alot about "Tassie" from Pete who is from here (mostly about the local Cascade Beer I must admit) and I couldn't wait to see the place!!

I was greeted in true Tasmanian style and I actually thought I had landed in Scotland for a minute - rain, rain, rain and some wind thrown in just to really make me feel at home!!! I certainly got good use of the rain jacket Nancy had insisted I borrow from her - the girl knew what she was talking about!!!

The dock/ waterfront area of Hobart is really nice. Mount Wellington gives a good backdrop to the city and I love the seafood smell and all the fishing vessells coming and going and selling fish straight from the boats! I can't wait to sample the local produce!!

The docks area and Salamanca are great - lots of converted warehouses which are now bars and cafes and fresh produce shops with a few art galleries thrown in too!

I visited the very good Tasmanian Art Gallery and Museum and read all about the ties Tasmania has with Antartica - its very nearby which does explain the weather certainly! Alot of people have been emailing to say they are very jealous of me in the sun while the winter weather is so bad back in Scotland - well hopefully the knowledge that I have been soaked and freezing too will make you all feel better!!!

I'm staying in the City Central Backpackers in Hobart and cleaning the kitchen for free accommodation - not quite the same line of work as I am used to but hey a free bed is a free bed! I have made friends with all the hostel staff and if I am honest there has been far too much consumption of beer this week!!! Fun though.


Thursday 4th December

Cascade Brewery

Jimmy (my new friend - a sheep loving biker from Aberdeen) and I got the bus out of town to the bottom of Mount Wellington where the old brewery is situated. A really picturesque spot with really nice gardens and even nicer beers.

The tour was quite interesting (made more so by the luminous yellow get up we had to fashion) But even better was the tasting afterwards sitting in the sun in the beer gardens. Jimmy and I stayed until we were chucked out at closing time and agreed that it was the best day either of us had had in along time!!!

We then moved on to the New Sydney Bar which was to become a bit of a regular spot while in Hobart and ate scallops and listened to Irish music....and yes drank more Cascade.....................

The rest of the week was spent at the Botanical Gardens, drinking wine at the Royal Tasmanian Yacht Club (where the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race ends), walking around the Saturday Salamanca markets (eating lots of fudge yuuummmm) and too much socialising at the hostel!

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