Tasman Sea and Hobart, Australia

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At-sea days are always interesting. We’re often asked when we return from a cruise “How did you keep busy?” First of all our suites are equipped with satellite TV and (125 +) digitally stored movies, room service and a stocked bar. There’s the balcony offering Mother Nature in a passing review. Books, faxed daily newspapers and daily ship newsletters add to the opportunities. Then there are the ship amenities of swimming pool, restaurants, bars and coffee corners, puzzles, interactive games, exercising, spa services, entertainment, enrichment lectures and excursion planning to keep one occupied. This, of course, doesn’t include sightseeing when you’re cruising through the fjords or along a scenic coast or into/out of a magnificent harbor. On days in port you have visitation excursions, individual visits and on board activities to keep one busy. Our ship happens to include all of this in the price of admission. It’s a great experience.
Crossing the Tasman Sea can be very “exciting” but we have a smooth crossing that actually gets us into Hobart, (island of) Tasmania, Australia ½ day early and we get to walk around town Thursday evening Feb 17th. It’s chilly but not cold or windy in town. The sidewalks are quiet but safe while the bars are occupied and expensive. Friday morning we enjoy a room service breakfast before joining a tour to the historic town of Richmond, via the countryside surrounding Hobart. This is the area where Tasmania first started. Passing through the town we cross the oldest bridge in Australia, picturesquely built in 1825 of stone, to visit St John’s Catholic Church. Richmond has changed little since its founding over 120 years ago except to add quaint tourist shops. The old goal (jail) is now a tourist attraction, remembering this land was settled by convicts and their jailers.
Our next stop is the Bonorong Wildlife Park, a privately run sanctuary for native species. We get to pet kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, emus, and koalas but leave the Tasmanian Devils alone. Most animals here have been rescued after being injured (mostly from conflict with autos). The Devils interestingly are scavengers, cleaning the highways of road kill these days. From the guide we learn that Hobart was the first city with (gas lit) street lights and has a clear skyline policy, not allowing construction on the top of hills. Today 200,000 people enjoy a cooler environment than on the mainland. 250 species of native eucalyptus trees share the countryside with the early Georgian architecture. Tasmania is a net commercial exporter with sod and seeds being two of the crops since they have few if any plant diseases here. Of course, immigration is very serious about not taking plants and fruits ashore, both here and in NZ. The Maritime Museum proves to be a wonderful repository of nautical artifacts preserved from the years of dependence on the sea for transportation and products. Even the quaint custom of celebrating the Melbourne to Hobart yacht race is displayed with the misnamed “QLD” (Quiet Little Drink) relating to the local brewery support.
Saturday is a day at sea where we feel the effects of a storm coming around the southern side of the Tasmanian Island. We stay off the weather decks and concentrate on indoor activities as the wind and 12-15 foot waves shift from the starboard to port sides. Our ship’s stabilizers do their work with relatively little ship rocking. Needless to say the various deck games move indoors. The captain hosts a special cocktail Bingo party for those of us with a certain number of Regent cruise nights on record and Mary wins a special “backstage” tour of the ship. Our dinner companions share their cruising experiences.
Our Melbourne tour departs at 0845 as we tour the city and its outskirts with an American expatriate guide who’s been here for 27 years. She points out the expensive homes along the beach, upscale residences along the Yarra River, running through the city center. Multiple parks and sports complexes provide venues for the athletic Aussies. Today, Sunday, 20 February, there’s a bicycle race through the city with sporadic street blocking. After being bussed through the suburb of Ferntree Gully and Belgrave we board Puffing Billy, a 100 year old narrow gauge steam logging train. 700 volunteers keep these steam and diesel engines and their renovated passenger cars in excellent condition providing a unique viewing experience through the Dandenong Mountains. This is our third train experience and each has been different and entertaining. We returned to the ship for lunch and took the complimentary shuttle into town to see the street market, St. Paul’s Cathedral and stroll through the heart of downtown. It has been fun seeing how the Aussie’s handle strict security, including restrictions on the importation of plants and animals, with sniffing dogs and a pleasant, but thorough, approach. TSA could take lessons. Our ship’s show tty of his evening is a special Cirque style performance exhibiting the talents of the ship’s singers, dancers, and gymnasts. Tomorrow we revisit Melbourne, Victoria for more insights into this city of several million active people.

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