Tasmania
The size of a small dog, they don’t look very intimidating
Although I did see a couple of them having a little scrap, it was pretty funny to watch.
With cool, blustery and unpredictable weather, Tasmania was a drastic change from the other parts of Australia that I have seen. One of the feature attractions in Tasmania is the Port Arthur prison, established in 1830 and closed in 1877
Back in the colonial days, when convicts were being shipped off to Australia, the worst of the worst usually ended up in Port Arthur. It’s located on the Tasman Peninsula which is connected to mainland Tasmania by a strip of land less than 100 meters wide called Eaglehawk Neck. Back when the prison was operational, ferocious guard dogs were chained in a line across the strip to deter escape
Heading out by boat from Port Arthur, clouds are literally rolling down the mountain after us
The ominous Isle of the Dead, where over 1,100 convicts were buried
And out into the Southern Ocean, next stop Antarctica (one day I hope)
Just up the road from Eaglehawk Neck is the Tessellated Pavement State Reserve
The name comes from these tile-like shapes that are created on the rock due to salt and water erosion
Pretty bizarre, and worth a look just to see what tessellated meant. On the right below is one side of Eaglehawk Neck, and beyond that is the Tasman Peninsula
Hobart, the Tasmanian capital, is Australia’s second oldest city. Below is the marina where the sail boats pull in if they survive the annual Sydney to Hobart run
Looking out over the marina on a clear night, the Southern Cross is enormous and beautiful.
Of course, it was only a matter of time before this was discovered
Cool atmosphere, great place to shoot some pool
and down a few ice cold Cascade Draughts
Where does the Cascade come from? The oldest brewery in Australia of course, bult in 1824
The top floors were added in 1927 to make way for more modern brewing equipment. That’s Mount Wellington in the background, 1270 meters tall. It was snowing on top the day I arrived.
We had a good tour of the brewery followed by a tasting of all the brews, compliments of our tour guide Priscilla
That’s a Tasmanian Tiger stuffed behind her, part of the Cascade logo but sadly extinct since 1936.
The kangaroos in Tasmania are pretty friendly
You can even walk right up to them
Went to see my first live cricket match ever at the Bellerive Cricket Grounds in Hobart
South Africa got spanked by Sri Lanka. Both teams are visiting, playing Australia and each other in the VB Series. Good luck getting a ticket when Australia is playing. Bellerive is right on the water, inviting additional local spectators
Looking back on my visit to Tassie, as the Australians call it, I can see why they all recommend it so much. It really is a beautiful and unique part of Australia, I’d have to say I’m now a big Tassie fan too.
Flew back to Sydney last Friday night, and got out to take a look at the famous Bondi Beach on a beautiful Saturday
A mass of bronzing humanity, with an esplanade behind it full of cafes and bars, you can understand why Sydney locals are so happy to have this as their back yard
And just like that, almost four weeks in Australia have come and gone, and it’s time to move on. I’m leaving first thing tomorrow morning on a flight to New Zealand’s South Island, destination Christchurch. I’m smiling just thinking about it.