February 25, 2024
Day 6: Goodbye Hobart… on to the Tasman Peninsula
It’s been a glorious day here in Tassie, as they say. The morning saw us have a bit of a sleep in and we did a simple breakfast. After, we packed so that we were ready to go in the afternoon.
We decided to visit the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens on our last morning. From our place it was about a 3.5 km walk. The walk took us through the central business district of Hobart. Unlike back home, many shops were closed on a Sunday. It took about 50 minutes to walk.
The Gardens are over 200 years old. They date back almost to the first settlement in Hobart. They are the second oldest Botanical gardens in Australia, coming 2 years after the establishment of one in Sydney. With over 14 hectares of gardens, there is plenty to see and explore. The following are a few of the highlights from our walk through the gardens.
The lily pond looks like it came straight from a Monet painting with a small white bridge at the back of the pond. The lily were in bloom and ducks filled the pond .
The Gardens have an extensive section devoted to ferns. I never knew there were so many types of ferns. As it was a warm day, the ferns provided a beautiful shade and a wonderful cooling effect.
We were fortunate to visit in the summer, when there were so many flowers in bloom. It was such a treat to be surrounded by such beautiful blooms. You can see everything from roses, zinnias, to lillies. The zinnias are a part of a floral clock that is a centre piece of the garden.
The Japanese Garden is a beautiful representation of Japanese garden art. Hobart has a sister city relationship with the city of Yaizu in Japan and this garden celebrates that connection. Having visited Japan, I loved how they included many of the traditional elements.
Finally, the Subantartic Plant House, recreates the conditions on Macquarie Island, which lies 1500 km south of Tasmania and is about halfway to Antartica from Australia. You enter a building and the conditions are kept constant at 5 C and about 95 % humidity. You can see the flora that exists in this rugged environment.
For lunch today, we visited The Whaler, an old pub at the docks in Hobart. I had my first Chicken Parm. This is true classic Australian pub food. Its breaded chicken breast , with mozzarella, and tomato sauce served over fries. A delicious treat to end our stay in Hobart.
After lunch we made our way down to the Tasman Peninsula. Our next stop is Port Arthur. Port Arthur is around 100 km southeast of Hobart. The trip is very picturesque. On our way, we got to visit a few of the regions geographicaL wonders. As you approach Port Arthur , we visited the blowhole, the Tasman Arch and Devils Kitchen. These sites give you a wonderful view of the rugged Tasmanian shoreline. I had seen these sights online, but pictures never do these sights justice. That being said, here are a few shots.
It’s been a great day. We are staying at the Fox and Hound, right near the Port Arthur Historical Site. It’s a small hotel, with a a few cottages and a complete restaurant and bar. For dinner I had a Guinness Meat Pie, and a few lagers. Perfect way to cap a wonderful Sunday.
