What Was I thinking?……
…when I decided that 2 full days in Tasmania would be enough?
I don’t always have this feeling when leaving a travel location, but I can honestly say that I felt sad when it was time to depart from Hobart a few days ago. From the minute I checked into Hadley’s, an old historic hotel in Hobart, I felt like I was at home. After getting settled in my room, I walked down the hill from the hotel to the port area for dinner……
….and made friends with the bar keep.
I was going to like it here.
When I got back to the hotel, I was given a free bottle of the local Pinot Noir…..it came with the price of my room. I took it to the small hotel bar where they were playing old Frank Sinatra tunes. The first one was “I Did it My Way”, a choice full of personal symbolism that reminded me of some happy times in my recent past. I couldn’t imagine that it could get any better.
But, it did…..
I loved everything about my visit to Hobart and the surrounding area.
Hobart is really just the “tip of the iceburg”, as they say, in the exploration of Tasmania. It’s a sleepy port town where those who are exploring the island usually start their journey. For me, it was a mixture of a lot of the things I enjoy about my area of California.
And more.
I loved walking around the port area. On the different piers along the water’s edge, I could wander in and out of small shops selling all kinds of things that were fun to look at. I wove my way in and out of shops filled with local art, clothing and food products.
I could take a break, sit on a bench looking out to the water and view the moored pleasure boats that bobbed up and down at their docks. It was peaceful and relaxing.
I also sat and watched the activity on a pier had some commercial fishing boats.
Several nights I dined on fresh fish in restaurants along the waterfront. One night I had scallops at “The Blue Eye” restaurant. The scallops and the restaurant are favorites of the locals.
On my last night, I had dinner at Muir’s Upstairs, another local gem. I had a white fish that reminded me of cod.
I wish I could remember the name of the fish. I can’t. But, it was the trademark of the restaurant, an institution in Hobart, and had been brought in by its own fishing boat that morning. The waiter called it a “hook to plate” dinner…fresh from the sea and onto your plate. It reminded me of some of the fish restaurants in Morro Bay, near where I live, that touted the same kind of freshness in their fish. It was delicious!
Salamanca Place was another favorite.
It’s the site of the famous Saturday market, which, sadly, I missed. But, I did enjoy a stroll through the shops there…
and enjoyed the little square that anchored the area.
Battery Park and Arthur’s Circus…..
…..were filled with the history of Hobart and the old buildings that have been a part of Hobart from its beginning. They are now upscale living areas boasting real estate that comes at a very high price. The infamous bakery, Jackman and McRoss lives there. This restaurant is purported to have the best scallop pie in town, another favorite Hobart taste treat.
In the morning of the day I had my visit with the kangaroos and the Tasmanian Devils, I spent a fair amount of time at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
They had a great exhibit about the Tasmania Devils, which gave me a good base of information for my afternoon tour. The museum was delightful……and, it was free.
Tasmania was, of course, where I spent my time with the kangaroos and other Australian animals at the Bonorong Animal Sanctuary. This was one of the highlights of the whole trip for me.
On the way to the sanctuary, we stopped in Richmond. There, I viewed a beautiful old church…
and the oldest surviving large stone arch bridge in Australia.
The bridge was built by the convicts who were banished to Tasmania in the 1800s and beyond. It still stands today as a reminder of the forced convict labor that was used to build the bridge. The area around the bridge was beautiful, green and serene and is now a lovely residential site.
I also toured the old jail, where convicts were imprisoned.
Men and women British convicts were imprisoned on the island for doing “bad” things. “Bad” was subject to interpretation.
Isn’t that always the case?
“Bad” could be anything from insubordination to murder. When the convicts got to the island, they had some semblance of freedom. But, they were required to do tasks as assigned. If they didn’t do them, they were imprisoned in the jail, crammed in together in very small quarters. If they misbehaved in the jail, they were sent to solitary confinement. It was a double-edged sword. Solitary confinement provided some relief from the overcrowding of the jail, but the cells were lonely, cold and desolate. It’s hard to say which was worse, the general prison or solitary. Either way, it wasn’t pleasant. I, for one, am glad I don’t have to spend any time there.
Much to my disappointment, I never got to any of the walking and hiking trails in the beautiful mountains surrounding Hobart, of which there are many. I also missed Mount Wellington and the spectacular views of the city.
I enjoyed my visit to Hobart…..but there were other places for me to visit on this trip before I was done.
So, I will just have to go back.
And, I will go back…..and, I will spend more time.
What was I thinking?……..
Travel With Betsy 
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