In Hobart we had arranged to stay at The Lea Scout Camp, another Wikicamps find which proved value for money. Although a basic arrangement for $15/night with power and water you cannot complain, also being only 10mins from Hobart and 5mins from Kingston shops you are very central. As soon as we were setup up we went into Hobart to catch the famed Salamanca Markets, this was one of Kellie’s to do items and it turned out to be quite enjoyable. Running the length of Salamanca Place the street market must be about 1-2km in length with stalls selling everything from fresh produce to hand carvings and everything in between. After the markets we were now feeling a little warm as the temperature was around 25’C (think of Bridlington on a hot day, that’s how Hobart felt), so we made our way to one of the beaches close to town for a swim. Although a little fresh the water was certainly refreshing and we were able to say we had swum in the Derwent River off Hobart, the next couple of days would not allow the same comforts as the warm weather was on its way and cold temperatures took over.
Wandering around Hobart the day before I had spotted some Targa Race officials so made some inquiries on the net, seems we had timed our visit for the Wrest Point Targa rally being held around the Huon Valley area so seemed only right we should try and catch some of the cars on the stage, this would also work well for our visit to Cygnet to check out the area. Taking the highway out to Huonville we turned south and made for a road junction just off Cygnet Coast Road, here we could take our position in amongst the trees over looking a downhill section of road which turned at the bottom heading back up the hill, the course car had only just been through so we were just in time to see the cars come through. Targa Wrest Point is a smaller scale rally for the south of Tasmania and then later in the year they have the main Targa Tasmania around the northern regions, it looks like good fun and certainly a mixed bag of cars competing, unfortunately the Lamborghini finished the previous day as a pile of molten plastic and metal so one less supercar to see in action, we did however have running commentary from Fred as each car came into view and I have to be honest he was spotting the brands sometimes quicker than me!.
After the cars had been through we made our way over to Cygnet, this is a small town just inland from the bay Port Cygnet, with a small country town hall with a weekend market and also the more modern cafes you would see in a city suburb. I suspect some of it’s popularity may have come from the Gourmet Farmer show on TV filmed in this area. We had some lunch then took a walk up the main street checking out some of the shops and market stalls before making our way back to the car. This was also where the Targa cars were stopping mid stages so we got to see them at slower speeds and gave all the drivers a cheer and thumbs up as they headed back out of town for the next stage. From Cygnet we took the coast road around the peninsular through Verona Sands and Gordon before making our way back through Kingston and back to the van. Speaking to a fellow camper he mentioned that the Mount Wellington viewing platform was to close the following day for works so as we still had some daylight left in the day we had an early dinner and headed up there for a look. Mount Wellington sits 1400m above Hobart and provides a natural barrier from the westerly winds that sweep across Tasmania, driving up there is an effort in itself with lots of switch backs but for some crazy clowns there is a track that you can walk up!. Once at the top the views are spectacular, it was a little hazy when we were there due to some bushfires in the distant hills but still the feeling of being so high up was still amazing and the views over Hobart and its surrounding suburbs were great. We had promised the kids desert as we had the early dinner so headed into Hobart waterfront area in search of some sweet treats, we found the 24hrs bakery so all was well in the world but Hobart is very nice to walk around on a Sunday evening if you get the chance.
Monday dawned and all was not well in Liam land, not feeling too well we took a lazy day, a text confirmed the kids school work had arrived in Hobart so we went to collect that and went back to Kingston library to dissect the 7 weeks worth of work, Lil was very enthusiastic about this, Fred not so but they will get used to it and it will become part of the routine. We also managed a visit to the Cadbury Factory, $4 for adults and kids free you get a gift bag with some chocolates and can listen to a short talk by one of the ladies who have worked there for quite a few years, the main event being able to buy discounted chocolates in the shop which should last us a while.
I was not well for a couple of days, we did have the car booked in for a service at Justin Cooper Automotive, if you have a Land Rover and need a service look him up in Hobart. Whilst the car was in we took the bus into town to wander around the shops, visit the Maritime Museum and have lunch from one of the floating fish n chip boats in the dock.
Feeling a little better and the kids having done some school work we planned to visit the Historic sight of Port Arthur, this is about 1.5hrs from Hobart and you pass through a town called Dunally, for those that do not know this is one of the areas caught up in the bushfires only a year of so ago and you can see the devastation with burnt trees, house remains but also on a positive note there are quite a few new buildings so the locals seem to be getting back on track.
Arriving at Port Arthur you are greeted by the visitor centre run by Parks and Wildlife, a family pass at $80 is reasonable value as it also includes a 20min harbour cruise. Port Arthur is known for a couple of reasons, the first being the place where the English setup a convict prison which housed up to 2000 people during its times, the second more recent history was the mass shooting by Martin Bryant killing 35 and injuring many more back in 1996. We first had a look at the display in the main centre, this gave stories of convicts and how different people got by in the new location, then we made our way outside to join the next harbour cruise. Just to remind me of my old job the cruise ship Astor was anchored in the harbour, something I was trying to sell fuel before leaving on this adventure. The cruise gives to a quick view of the two additional sites linked to Port Arthur, one being the Island of the Dead where as many as 1000 convicts and military personal were buried, and the second being the Point Puer Boys Prison, built just before Parkhurst in the UK. Returning from the cruise we could now wander around the grounds and check out some of the buildings and stories from when the prison operated, much of the buildings though were damaged in bushfires back in the 1890’s but through the conservation work some are being brought back to life.
Back in Hobart our next location was Bruny Island, famed for its gourmet foods and stunning views we took the ferry across from Kettering, only 15mins, and made a quick tour of the northern side of the island. Our first food stop was for some oysters, these would be mine for lunch. Next stop Bruny Island Cheeses, all made on site and many different flavours to enjoy, we grabbed a small piece of Tom cheese made from raw milk and with a cheddar texture. Now we were ready for lunch so pulled up at an area called The Neck campsite to devour our feast. After lunch we made our way to Cape Bruny lighthouse, the 4th built in Australia, the original lighthouse still stands but the light is now provided by a new solar light on the opposite cliff top. About now we were hearing thunder and could see a big storm cloud building and heading our way so jumped back in the car and checked the map before taking a forest drive to Adventure Bay on the east coast of the Island. This is an area where Captain Cook landed and is commemorated by a couple of memorials in his honour. Adventure Bay looks to be a very nice area with holiday accommodation and a caravan park which was filling up with it being a long weekend coming for Hobart residents. Now it was back to the ferry and into Hobart but before we got there I noticed a sign to something called Tessellated Pavement, something in my mind reminded my to have a look so we turned around, Kel’s nan had mentioned this spot from her visit 20 years ago so we went for a look, basically salts building in the cracks causes the lines in the rocks which give the effect of paving.
That night we were meeting with Kel’s cousin and partner for dinner, now that I was feeling better I could enjoy some fishy goodness to finish off our time in Hobart, next stop would be Freycinet National Park, home to Wineglass Bay.
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