Hobart Tasmania...

Tuesday, March 3. Blue sky. 21 C.

Hobart is closer to Antartica than it is to Darwin on the top of Australia. 

A bit of a rocky night earlier, then calm as we entered the long entranceway to Hobart Port. Hobart is a city, no doubts about that. First of all you need to look at a map or know where Tasmania is. It is at the bottom right side, [SE Corner] of Australia and it that large island at the bottom. Population is about 250,000.

Hobart is Australia's second oldest Capital, [after Sydney], founded in 1804 as a British Penal Colony. Many of the earlier buildings are still standing and many of those are in use today. They were built by the convicts themselves, some of whom were masons, and are beautiful specimens of Georgian Architecture. No doubt those who were masons taught other unskilled convicts the trade, and on and on it went.

Tasmania also has the world's oldest trees, the Huon Pine. A 60 foot Huon Pine tree can be thousands of years old. Tasmania is an interesting place to visit, we first came here in 1999. It is the home of The Tasmanian Devil, a rather elusive, ugly looking badger-like creature with an evil sounding shriek, hence the name.

Fellette and I were up around 4:00 am this morning. I was expecting a reply from our travel agent in Vancouver to my enquiry about flying us out at Sydney rather than spend another 36 days as we had planned to do. We had some complicated exchanges and finally we came up with a plan that is now confirmed.

 

We fly out of Sydney this Saturday at 8:30 pm, and land in Vancouver, the same day at 3:30 pm, five hours earlier than when we left, thanks to the dateline. It is a killer flight, 14 hours. We are flying Business Class so the price is also a killer. Such is the price of keeping harmony in our house. My Bad!

A very short trip to Port Arthur, also Tasmania, overnight.  Ship departs Hobart at 10:30 pm tonight.

We will start packing tomorrow sometime. 

Four more sleeps!

An Interesting Day.

View from the ship.

All bundled up with our heaviest sweaters for the apparent cold.

Tasmanian Devil home in a wildlife park. They are inclined to be difficult to find. 2023.

This Kangaroo is fed by us tourists at a wildlife park. They rotate the Kangaroos as they get fat and lazy, as you can see. 2023.

Oversize Bronze Tasmanian Devils, these you can pet. 2023

A lazy Kangaroo, overfed. 2023 

A Kiwi bird. 2023

At Sea on The Way to Tasmania...

Monday, March 2. Rain, fog. 18 C.

A rocking and rolling journey since we left Melbourne yesterday. That was fine since we were basically worn out. As a result of both of those factors we were perfectly fine with staying in bed somewhat later. 

We have a Port tomorrow and the next day, in Tasmania; Hobart and Port Arthur. Again, we were here three years ago with longtime cruising mates, Jim and Gail. These are not large cities or places, Hobart is a small city, Port Arthur is more about the prisons and convict life.

Fellette and I have been going over the itinerary for the remainder of the cruise, [35 days]. We are  thinking that we would have been better to call the cruise endening in Sydney, rather than San Diego.

The rest of the cruise, from Sydney, where we are is a few day has 18 Sea Days and a lot of ports we have already visited, so we are doing some serious thinking about shortening the trip by flying from Sydney in a few days, rather than flying from San Diego in 35 days.

Stay tuned.