Hello again, I returned from Hobart yesterday afternoon from my Tasmanian walking tour. Some final observations on the trip:
Weather
It was all over the place; arrived with bush fires raging, then we had some rain, a bit of snow and for the last three days of walking, glorious sunny days. In other words, we had typical Tasmanian weather.
Flora & Flora
I have not been to Tasmania for many years and had forgotten how unique, diverse and beautiful the scenery was. For the first time I visited some coastal areas; Freycinet National Park and Tasman National Park, and they were simply stunning. But I still like the alpine areas in the Cradle Mountain - Lake St. Clair National Park best. You will see trees, flowers and plants you won't see anywhere else or such diversity.
One thing you can be guaranteed of seeing is wildlife (unfortunately too often on the road). During our walks in the national parks we saw it all, in quantity; birds, wallabies, pademelons, wombats, snakes, lizards, echidnas, and quolls. It's a unique place, compared to the rest of Australia, because of this.
Hobart
It's an interesting place with a mixture of old, new and hills.
The process for crossing roads is different. Apparently, the rule is that as long as you press the button, you can cross at any time. You don't have to wait for the lights to change before crossing.
I am a big fan of Nandos (being a member of their frequent eater programme). In Hobart I went to Nandos a couple of times and the process for ordering is different too: ordering involves carefully going through the menu and discussing your options with the server. In other States, people don't have the time or inclination to go forensically through the menu. Needless to say ordering is a long drawn out process in Hobart but much more social.
I noticed there were also a disproportionate number of games shops in Hobart (i.e. those aimed at dungeon and dragons types), as well as a number of excellent bushwalking shops.
On the other hand, the traffic in Hobart - given its size - is horrendous, particularly in peak times.
Tasmanians
They are amazingly friendly. Wherever we went the people were friendly and eager to have a chat. Unlike in Melbourne, there was very little grunting involved. Shops are even quite happy to refer you somewhere else if they don't have exactly what you are looking for.
On the other hand the place seems to span the spectrum from hippies to red necks. I saw quite a number of people with what I call genie pants (harem pants). I also saw someone cycling in a rainbow coloured sequin jacket. We saw a number of road signs shot up in the country. In Victoria, the red necks are a bit further developed on the evolutionary ladder as they have realised it's a waste of good ammunition and money that can better be spent on cars, alchohol, and pokies.
One thing I learnt on this trip, that I didn't know before, was that Tasmanians have a sweet tooth. Their deserts were not only delicious but huge. We also stopped off at a few places for ice cream and their icecreams were not only huge but cheap. One scoop seems to mean three in Tasmanian. Even one of the sellers thought that they were undercharging.
Walkers
We saw a variety of walkers on our trip. Many were friendly and interested in what group we belonged to. Others were a bit more unique. We saw a number in short pants, short sleeves, and runners, on cold and wet days that were either unprepared for the weather or were from Scandinavia enjoying the mild Tasmanian climate My favourite walkers that we saw I christened Hippie and Heidi. Hippie had curly hair, Aristotle beard, and walked in bare feet. Heidi was blonde, had her hair in pig tails and giggled a lot.
Getting Back to Hobart
We had a few hiccups when our group was returning to Hobart at the end of the tour. A couple thought they booked a hotel at the airport but found out, on checking, that in fact they were staying in Hobart. When I checked into my hotel, they could find no booking in my name. They finally checked my booking number and miraculously a booking appeared (containing all the correct information). Who would have thought.
Flying Back to Melbourne
The airport at Hobart is very good except when it is busy (which usually means when more than one flight is leaving at the same time) when it's hard to move around. One person I saw was clearly dissatisfied with the food available (and probably price) at the airport, as they bought their own spaghetti in a plastic container for lunch.
Passengers on my flight provided a bit of entertainment. A Chinese group came on and it appeared someone was sitting in one of their (window) seats. They were right as the person moved to the right seat which was in the next row. The Chinese had a better grasp of English letters and numbers than him. He couldn't even get the seat right as his seat was in the middle not on the window. But then he was wearing a baseball cap with sunglasses perched on his head. Later, one of the Chinese decided to watch a film on their phone at full volume (no headphones) until she was pulled up by a steward and, surprisingly, instantly knew the error of her ways. I think some people push the envelope.
I also saw another one of those people with black woolly hair, wig, or extensions. that look like unfinished knitting.
Some final photos from Hobart...
Weather
It was all over the place; arrived with bush fires raging, then we had some rain, a bit of snow and for the last three days of walking, glorious sunny days. In other words, we had typical Tasmanian weather.
Flora & Flora
I have not been to Tasmania for many years and had forgotten how unique, diverse and beautiful the scenery was. For the first time I visited some coastal areas; Freycinet National Park and Tasman National Park, and they were simply stunning. But I still like the alpine areas in the Cradle Mountain - Lake St. Clair National Park best. You will see trees, flowers and plants you won't see anywhere else or such diversity.
One thing you can be guaranteed of seeing is wildlife (unfortunately too often on the road). During our walks in the national parks we saw it all, in quantity; birds, wallabies, pademelons, wombats, snakes, lizards, echidnas, and quolls. It's a unique place, compared to the rest of Australia, because of this.
Hobart
It's an interesting place with a mixture of old, new and hills.
The process for crossing roads is different. Apparently, the rule is that as long as you press the button, you can cross at any time. You don't have to wait for the lights to change before crossing.
I am a big fan of Nandos (being a member of their frequent eater programme). In Hobart I went to Nandos a couple of times and the process for ordering is different too: ordering involves carefully going through the menu and discussing your options with the server. In other States, people don't have the time or inclination to go forensically through the menu. Needless to say ordering is a long drawn out process in Hobart but much more social.
I noticed there were also a disproportionate number of games shops in Hobart (i.e. those aimed at dungeon and dragons types), as well as a number of excellent bushwalking shops.
On the other hand, the traffic in Hobart - given its size - is horrendous, particularly in peak times.
Tasmanians
They are amazingly friendly. Wherever we went the people were friendly and eager to have a chat. Unlike in Melbourne, there was very little grunting involved. Shops are even quite happy to refer you somewhere else if they don't have exactly what you are looking for.
On the other hand the place seems to span the spectrum from hippies to red necks. I saw quite a number of people with what I call genie pants (harem pants). I also saw someone cycling in a rainbow coloured sequin jacket. We saw a number of road signs shot up in the country. In Victoria, the red necks are a bit further developed on the evolutionary ladder as they have realised it's a waste of good ammunition and money that can better be spent on cars, alchohol, and pokies.
One thing I learnt on this trip, that I didn't know before, was that Tasmanians have a sweet tooth. Their deserts were not only delicious but huge. We also stopped off at a few places for ice cream and their icecreams were not only huge but cheap. One scoop seems to mean three in Tasmanian. Even one of the sellers thought that they were undercharging.
Walkers
We saw a variety of walkers on our trip. Many were friendly and interested in what group we belonged to. Others were a bit more unique. We saw a number in short pants, short sleeves, and runners, on cold and wet days that were either unprepared for the weather or were from Scandinavia enjoying the mild Tasmanian climate My favourite walkers that we saw I christened Hippie and Heidi. Hippie had curly hair, Aristotle beard, and walked in bare feet. Heidi was blonde, had her hair in pig tails and giggled a lot.
Getting Back to Hobart
We had a few hiccups when our group was returning to Hobart at the end of the tour. A couple thought they booked a hotel at the airport but found out, on checking, that in fact they were staying in Hobart. When I checked into my hotel, they could find no booking in my name. They finally checked my booking number and miraculously a booking appeared (containing all the correct information). Who would have thought.
Flying Back to Melbourne
The airport at Hobart is very good except when it is busy (which usually means when more than one flight is leaving at the same time) when it's hard to move around. One person I saw was clearly dissatisfied with the food available (and probably price) at the airport, as they bought their own spaghetti in a plastic container for lunch.
Passengers on my flight provided a bit of entertainment. A Chinese group came on and it appeared someone was sitting in one of their (window) seats. They were right as the person moved to the right seat which was in the next row. The Chinese had a better grasp of English letters and numbers than him. He couldn't even get the seat right as his seat was in the middle not on the window. But then he was wearing a baseball cap with sunglasses perched on his head. Later, one of the Chinese decided to watch a film on their phone at full volume (no headphones) until she was pulled up by a steward and, surprisingly, instantly knew the error of her ways. I think some people push the envelope.
I also saw another one of those people with black woolly hair, wig, or extensions. that look like unfinished knitting.
Some final photos from Hobart...
