To Hobart /Hobart

Yesterday, Easter Monday, we left Western Australia for Hobart, Tasmania. Australia has a population of 25 million, WA  2.4 of which 2.1 live in Perth.! It occupies a third of Australia’s land mass. 

We spent the day travelling. We left the Mantra Hotel at 0930. The serviced apartment ($180p/n)  was perfect - very spacious and well appointed - to be recommended and within a 12 minute walk of the CBD along the scenic Swan River. The free Redline  bus also passed in the adjacent street. 

We took the bus to the airport conveniently located in Adelaide street, 2 minutes walk from the hotel. Our first flight was with Virgin Airways, 3.1/2 to Melbourne.  After a 2 hour stopover, in addition to a gain of 2 hours, we continued our journey with a 1 hour flight to Hobart 

On the flight I spoke with a man, working in Hobart, returning after a weekend spent in Melbourne.  He had never been to Europe but had acquired a British passport as his father was British. In  Oz, one gets 3 months paid leave or 6 months at 1/2 pay, if one works for a company for 10 years. In the past, I think it was even more generous than that!! 

On arrival in Hobart, we took a taxi to the Central Hotel. It was very expensive at $53, for a 20 minute drive without any traffic. - elsewhere in Oz, taxis are inexpensive.  On arrival at 22.00 hrs, the city was in total lockdown - not a restaurant or a shop open. Maybe it hadn’t change all that  much since my previous visit! 

Accessing the hotel was like a Bond movie. As the reception was closed, we had to put a code in a lock, it opened and the key of our room appeared.! The hotel is adequate, perfect for a short stay. Breakfast was excellent - I’ve never had a better Eggs Florentine, the hollandaise sauce was to die for!!!

This morning, having visited the Tourist Bureau, we set off to walk the Hobart Riverlet walk. 

Sign posting isn’t one of Australia’s strong points. Australia appears to assume that everyone takes a tour - and you know my views on tours!!

We found the walking track at Moses and Collins - not we’ll sign posted. With a few deviations from the track (not our fault) , we arrived at Cascade - c 3km from Hobart. Views from track in the Park was very picturesque . Its trees have an autumnal hue , not unlike Ireland. 

Tasmania gets a lot of rain as the greenery of its landscape suggests. 

Casacade’s attractions are the ‘Female Factory’ and the Cascade Brewery. 

In the Female Prison (1828-1856), no buildings remain. 

Three of  the original five yards surrounded by high walls give one an idea of its layout. Between 1788 and 1853 some 25,000 women were deported to Australia and c.half were transported to Van Diemen’s land (Tasmania). Only a portion of the original site remains today. It was subdivided and sold by the government to private buyers. Today, some of the yards are occupied by private houses!!  In the 1970s the Women’s Electoral Lobby sought grant money to purchase Yard 1, others were acquired piecemeal until finally in 2008, the Tasmanian Government established it as a Historic site. While some of the  women  committed major offences, others were very minor. 

                       A quilt made by convicts

Our next stop was the Cascade Brewery - Australia’s oldest operating brewery, founded by Peter Desgraves in 1824, who devised the idea whilst in a Hobart Gaol for  crimes committed in England. 

He realised that the pure waters flowing from nearby Mt Wellington, with the addition of Tasman grown hops and barley, were the key to ‘genuine beer that cannot be excelled.’ 

A bus ride back to town and a walk to the Battery Point did reward. Battery point was built to protect Hobart but the artillery soldiers to fire the guns were few and so the guns only ever sounded on the King’s Birthday! It’s defence of Hobart was never tested!!

We passed the very modern Tasmania University -  its  Marine and Antarctic branch. 

Appropriately, a bust of Amundsen graced the entrance.

Nearby was located the institute for marine research, which sends ships into the Antarctic.  Here it’s next stop the Antarctic ! An ice breaker ship was in port. We chanced on an employee, who gave us great tips for our 1919 expedition!!

We continued to Salamanca Place, where the wharves’ use has changed - now shops and galleries. Behind the wharves is a modern area with accommodation, shops and restaurants. 

As we walked, we passed the imposing Tasmanian Parliament buidings overlooking the Derwent River. 

We returned  to Sullivan’s Cove and visited the various wharves there. 

On our return, I intended to visit a Tasmanian Chocolate Shop I had seen on my outward journey but it was closed on my return at 16.25 - no mention on the door of opening/closing times.

                                      False!!

Neither did the restaurant we intended to eat at tonight - “open for dinner’ it stated but no time given ! The Tassies have just had a 5 day Easter break - Friday to Tuesday!! 

We’re now ensconced  in ‘Hope and Anchor’ established 1807 reputed to be the oldest pub in Australia! 

Tomorrow we hire a car and set out to see the countryside ......

Perth and Freemantle.

Today Easter Sunday, we had brunch. Brunch is a real institution in Oz, it appears. Coffee is very important to the Aussies. 

I assumed a tall black was an Americano but even after adding water, it was still too strong.  I ate mushroom with avocado, ricotta  and beets on toast. It was quite delicious. 

                              Baked Eggs

We then repaired to King’s Park, one of the largest  urban parks in the world. The park is situated on an escarpment of the Darling mountains and has been a recreation centre ever since the colonists arrived. 

It was a beautiful, sunny morning as we arrived in the park. It’s situation on the banks of the Swan river makes for a spectacular setting. 

We  walked along the Law walk and entered the Botanic Gardens. The Auusies are very protective of their fora and fauna. They have different levels of protection depending on the plant’s vulnerability to extinction. As it is Autumn here, the variety of plants in bloom was limited. There is no indication in Oz of the autumnal colours we experience at home. 

Their ‘ king’ is the  Menzies Banksia. It goes through a number of stages from bud to blossom. 

The Gardens also sported a section relating  to women’s achievements in Oz.

What a change from my first visit when women with a degree were a source of wonderment and we had to hide the fact that we were graduates, when applying for jobs! 

As it is Easter Sunday the lawns hosted families with their picnics, playing cricket (yes even with the national teams’s recent debacle in South Africa!)  and tennis. 

We walked to the lake and having admired the quality of the Aussie lifestyle, we took a taxi to Perth station and boarded a train to Fremantle. 

Unlike Friday night on our return from Rottnest Island,  there was a great buzz around. 

We went to see the famous Freemantle markets. 

We graced the old Freemason Hotel 

A festival of comedians and street performers packed the mainstreet, entertaining an appreciative audience.  The pubs were full but a family atmosphere prevailed. 

We adjourned to ‘ Bread and Common’  a restaurant recommended to J and it didn’t disappoint.

We partook of freshest of oysters, 

followed by salmon mousse, squid and of course kangaroo or as the Aussies say  ‘roo’. It tastes not unlike a very tender, fillet steak.

The variety and quality of the bread was excellent - hence the name. 

We returned to Perth station 

and decided to visit the newly restored Melbourne hotel, the oldest hotel in Perth. However, it’s interior disappointed. 

We taxied back to the hotel. We depart for Hobart, Tasmania via Melbourne tomorrow - 4 hours Melbourne and a further hour to Hobart. 

To be continued.......

Margaret River

Margaret River - what a great trip!

Margaret River town is about 3.1/2 hours drive from Perth. To do it in a day, we opted for a tour. I’m not a fan of tours but Aviator / Adams Pinnacle scored very highly on Trip  Advisor, we booked. 

We were collected at the hotel at 07.20 and taken to a meeting point. I now know why I hate tours, we waited until 08.10. I later learned that the pick up bus had to return to one hotel on three occasions because the passengers were not in the foyer at the spppointed time!! 

We set out for Busselton, the gateway to Margaret River. Driving through farmland  with grazing cattle, we arrived at Busselton Jetty - the longest timber jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. 

           Jetty - it stretches far into the distance!

Our next stop was Bootleg  Brewery, where we stopped for lunch and beer and cider tastings!! 

After lunch we continued through the forest to Sandalford Winery, where we tasted their produce 

From there we continued to Manmoth Cave for a guided tour of the limestone caves. They were very spectacular cathredal like caverns dripping (forgive the pun) with limestone stalagmites, stalactites , curtains and columns. 

We continued to Boranup Forest with its enormous Karri trees. (In the Aboriginal language ‘up’ means a watering place). 

On to Augusta, where we visited the Cape Leeuwin 

Lighthouse 

and where the Southern Ocean and the Indian Ocean meet. 

Finally we arrive at the town of Margaret  River, 

passing numerous wineries en route. Wine production commenced here in the 1960s. Prior to its commencement, soil surveys, and general weather patterns were completed  to ascertain the area’s suitability for vine growing.  It quickly established very sophisticated marketing techniques and became better known in the wine world at the expense of longer established wineries such as Swan valley. The town itself was of no consequence and here is no proper river as our guide showed us the puddle that is Margaret River!!!

We then adjourned to a resort for dinner and set off on the return journey to Perth. We arrived back at the hotel at 22.00 - a long but most enjoyable day that gave us s great flavour of the Margaret river area situated south of Perth.