At the Hobart marina in Tasmania on a sunny, chilly day

Tasmania, Australia

 

My husband Alex and I flew in from Sydney to Hobart, capital of the Australian state of Tasmania, one sunny October morning. Ever resourceful, he immediately saw the notice on the white board about the Sky/City Airporters, a bus that would bring us to the city center for A$15 one way. A big savings indeed, instead of taking a cab, so we got two-way tickets, in anticipation of our return trip. Only lightweight baggage was allowed, though, so we were glad to have brought only our backpacks and a trolley each.

The bus driver was a friendly local who, as we slowly wound our way to the city, kept us entertained with a history of Hobart while pointing out places of interest. One of these was the Tasman Bridge, a huge 5-lane, cantilevered bridge that spanned the wide Tasman Sea and the Derwent River estuary, connecting the eastern and the western part of the city.

We were also due for a happy surprise that morning, as the bus swung up a hilly portion into a residential area, where we saw beautiful Federation houses with their lacy, wrought-iron grilled balconies, and gardens in full bloom. One by one we were deposited at the door of our hotels, and after depositing our things at the Hobart Apartment Hotel, Alex and I were eager to explore the city by foot.

 

Hobart is the second oldest Australian settlement (1804) next to Sydney. It started as a penal colony, and later became a prosperous town. It has a busy port, the end point for the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, which begins a day after Christmas.

 

Thus, the first thing we looked for was the marina. There was a lively air there when we reached Sullivan’s Cove. Beautiful, stately, and mostly sparkling white yachts were moored in the bay. Many boats meant for Antarctic explorations were berthed here as well. The waters were calm, as a chilly wind blew from Mt. Wellington, a looming presence all over the city. 

 

Many seafood restaurants were preparing for the day’s meals, with crates of fish and other marine delicacies getting unloaded from trucks into the establishments. From across the street we espied a unique sign, Mission to Seafarers, written across a low building. On top of it was a wingéd blue angel, and a circular balcony on a three-story edifice beside it. Signs said “The Flying Angel Seafarers Centre,” and “Harbor Lights Café.” Later we learned that during the 1900s, a Presbyterian minister was shocked at the morals of the seamen that docked at Hobart so he put up a mission house and distributed religious pamphlets to “save their souls.” It is not known whether he succeeded or not, but the mission house he started became a place for seamen to meet up, as it was conveniently located just across the bay. A center was thus established for them, and this included a place to stay, socialize, and have food. 

 

Walking further we reached the Queen’s Domain, a wide green space where the ANZAC Parade is located. Anzac refers to the Australian and New Zealand Army. They saw action in WWI; later, both Australian and New Zealand forces fought in WWII, the Korean War, the Malay Peninsula and Vietnam Wars. Currently, they serve as members of Peacekeeping Operations in the Middle East. There was a tall cenotaph commemorating the bravery of these men and women, and from this vantage point of the Domain, one could espy the Tasman Bridge and the Sea. 

 

We went back and reached the Brooke St. Pier in Sullivan’s Cove, and noticed that there were signs offering the Double Red Decker Bus that went around interesting sights of the city. Without any hesitation, Alex and I ran off and bought 3-day tickets from a red-colored ticket booth manned by Cathy, a very cheerful elderly lady. When the bus came, Alex and I scrambled up to the top level, which was open to the sky; we were cautioned not to stand up suddenly when the bus was moving, as low branches of trees could catch us unawares. 

 

Taking the Double Red Decker was one of the best ideas we had in Hobart. The high vantage point of our seats gave us breathtaking 360-degree views of Hobart. The sun was shining, and although the temperature was around 7⁰C, our hats and jackets kept us warm. There were times though that the wind became very cold, and it even rained a bit. Up went the umbrellas of the ever-ready travelers!

 

The bus took us as far east as the Botanical Gardens (a place for coming back and to be explored later), as far west as Sandy Beach (with wild ducks sunning themselves in the white sand) and Wrest Point where the first casino was established in the country, with its  round, tower-like hotel. We also reached the northeastern side, to the Cascade Brewery (the first brewery in the island, started in 1824) which offered free beer tasting to visitors, with the Female Factory (former women’s prison site) across it. The ride certainly gave us ideas on what to see for ourselves later, like Battery Point, Penitentiary Chapel, and Victoria Parks, among others.  

 

It was almost freezing when we got down by the marina. Alex suggested we get some food. It was a good time to try one of the many sea boat’s take away meals. These were restaurant boats moored in the bay, and had two tables tucked away in the rear. The wind by this time had become unforgivingly cold, and I had to stomp my feet from time to time while waiting for our beer-battered fried fish, calamari and shrimp, and large chips. Our hands were so numb we could hardly hold the umbrella as it was raining again as we walked home. When we reached our hotel room, the sun suddenly shone! —YA, GMA News