Sunday in Hobart and Beyond

Though smaller, the Farm Gate Market is a real farmers' one.

There were two things we wanted to do on Sunday before leaving Hobart. One was to visit the Farm Gate Market which was just down the street from our hotel. This is a relatively new market and it is in the heart of town, not on the waterfront. It is a true farmers’ market as the goal is bringing Tasmanian produce and products to the city and allowing the shoppers to get to know the farmers. Hopefully, it will create a following of locals to sustain the market's grown and existence.

I watched this little guy eat fresh cherries
and it made me smile! So cute!

The market’s philosophy is simple: “if you couldn’t eat it, drink it, grow it or meet the producer, then you wouldn’t find it at the market” no more than 20% of a vendor’s items can be from other than the vendor’s own production. You could find fresh everything: free-range eggs, cherries, nuts, butters, breads and baked goods – some gluten-free, seedlings, herbs and spices, olive oil, wines, spirits, jams, mustards, hand blended teas, roasted coffee, pink eye potatoes (they seem to be special here), berries of all kinds, oysters, truffles, flowers and much more. It is smaller than the Salamana Market, but better food items and not many crafts. 

I just love fresh carrots!

After shopping for some fresh fruits and carrots for car snacks, we enjoyed breakfast and some people watching before heading out to see the famous MONA Museum. I loved watching a little blonde boy eat fresh cherries. There was more on his face than in his tummy. He reminded me of our grandson Alex.

Off to MONA. This is the Museum of Old and New Art. And it is a private collection. So I was thinking: some old house along the river with a bunch of antiques and some modern art. Everyone said we must go there, so we did.

The grounds of MONA

Well … was I surprised! Just outside of town, this museum occupies a peninsula on the Derwent River. It is owned by philanthropist David Walsh and is one of the most beautiful and interesting museum buildings I have ever seen. Thinking we would be in and out in less than two hours and on our way, I was stunned by what unfolded before my eyes!

This is a modern art exhibit: the car was smashed
in front and back like being shoved into the cement!

I was curious about David Walsh, thinking he was a wealthy winemaker. He is that, but much more. He is an Australian professional gambler who privately owns a substantial collection of  art, antiquities and a winery. Walsh made his fortune by developing a gambling system used to bet on horse racing and other sports. In 2001, he founded the Moorilla Museum of Antiquities on the Berriedale peninsula in Hobart, which closed in 2007 to undergo $75 Million renovations.



Some of the art installations were huge. Others, ancient.

It was re-opened in January 2011 as the Museum of Old and New Art or MONA. MONA won the 2012 Australian Tourism Award for best new development and is a major Tasmanian tourist attraction. And now he is trying to add a casino only for non-Australians to attract high-roller art lovers from around the world. He must know his audience! Of course, he is battling with the authorities over this. Mr. Walsh is obviously a controversial individual.



The grounds and buildings are new and contemporary. There is a restaurant and a tasting cellar for wine lovers. The vineyards surround the museum. As you enter, there is a simple lobby and ticket counter where the seller advises you to take the stairs or elevator to the bottom floor and work your way up! Okay, let’s find the elevator.

 

Very strange subject matter. Interesting media.

In the center of the next room, there was a large circular staircase going down. Since the elevator is in the middle of it and it was at the bottom, we decided to walk down – and down and down and … At one point you cross over a bridge into the bottom level and WOW! Walsh describes the place as “a subversive adult Disneyland.”  Lonely Planet says: “Ancient antiquities are showcased next to contemporary works: sexy, provocative, disturbing and deeply engaging.” It was all that and more!






Mission Accomplished!

The architecture of the building is an exhibit in itself. The whole museum is underground, three levels down. It abuts a sheer rock face which creates the interior wall on one side. Three subterranean levels have been cut into the Triassic sandstone river bank. Absolutely stunning! It took my breath away. Not bad for a $75 million AUD private museum. The MONA covers 61,354 square feet of galleries and opened in January 2011. Well worth a visit! No, it is a MUST SEE!

Strange subject matter!

There is a three story rock wall in front of which a waterfall is programed to spill water in the form of words. I tried to capture it as a photo, but it was difficult. I did get a video, but have not yet figured out how to put it in this blog. I will try again, but you may see a void here – again. Check below.

The museum is exhibiting a most interesting and disturbing show of the artworks by Gilbert & George. We didn’t know who they are and had trouble understanding their work. Some of it was utterly disgusting; other pieces were disturbing yet thought-provoking. I am still shaking my head over some. It was a huge exhibit and the pieces themselves are huge, covering a full wall.

I guess I am out of sync with the modern art world as I looked them up and see that they are very well known artists in several media.

They are two artists who work together as a collaborative duo called Gilbert & George. They are known for their distinctive and highly formal appearance and manner and also for their brightly colored graphic-style photo-based artworks.

They have lived in East London for years after having met in school and working together as actors and artists. It is also unusual for one of the pair to be seen without the other. The pair regard themselves as "living sculptures". They refuse to disassociate their art from their everyday lives, insisting that everything they do is art. This explains some of their most weird works. I won’t disturb you with the details, but I found most of it disgusting! Enough!

It was time to hit the road and head north along the east coast of Tasmania. We had a Bed & Breakfast reservation in Richmond. We would need to get there in time to find a place to eat on a Sunday night. Small towns don’t have a lot of options.

Where in the Devil Is Tasmania!

Arriving in Hobart, Tasmania. What a backdrop of the city!
Those are low clouds - not snow!

As kids we learned about the Tasmanian Devil through cartoons. No one actually talked about the real animal or where Tasmania is located on this big blue ball! In fact, for years I thought Tasmania was a country and not just a part of Australia that broke away from the mainland thousands of years ago.
  

Tasmania was one of the destinations we wanted to visit while down under. If we were to sail down there, we would have to spend another year here in Australia since it would be too tight of a schedule to explore Tassie (as the Aussies call it) by sea and see the rest of Australia in one season. And I do want to get back to land to spend time with rapidly growing grandchildren, so another season here is not an option.

The fishing fleet: prawns, mussels, oysters and every
species of fish imaginable found in the fish market.

Knowing we could not see all of Tasmania, we chose a trip along the east coast from Hobart to Launceston. This itinerary gave us the opportunity to see the two major cities and beautiful beaches, landscapes, mountains and national parks all in a seven day fly/drive package. It was the perfect length of time and amount of driving. I am sure the west coast drive is just as beautiful.

A view of the waterfront from across Constitution Harbour.

The roads here are similar to New Zealand – very narrow, no shoulders, few divided highways, but we did not find any one lane bridges here! That made it a little easier. Although Dennis commented several times that the Aussie drivers are more aggressive. Dennis is quite efficient as a “British” driver. In fact, he is concerned now about driving in the USA and then coming back to drive more here. One cannot let the personal automatic pilot kick in while driving. He remains focused on the road so he misses a lot of what I get to see and photograph along the way.



Everyone warned us that it would be cold in Tassie so we should take our woolies. Leaving 90-105+ temperatures here on the mainland had us concerned when it came to packing. Of course, I packed too much just to be prepared! Jeans were the most used item along with a long sleeved shirt and a sweater or fleece. Actually, the cool weather of 60-75 degrees was refreshing. I was more comfortable down there as I don’t like hot weather. It was snowing up in the mountains further inland at Mt. Wellington.

Fairy Floss: the Aussie version of Cotton Candy

Like New Zealand, Tasmania and all of Australia is known for trekking trails. The population is very outdoorsy and most activities involve trekking, surfing, sailing, fishing, beaches, camping, etc. And Tassie has a number of state and national parks with free campsites. Plus you can camp almost anywhere you want to as long as it is not mark as off limits. There is a lot of land and a small population.



So many flower stalls! All beautiful!

And, of course, there are the wine trails and tours. We didn’t take advantage of all of the tasting cellars along the way as we didn’t want the hassle of bringing it back to the mainland. Besides there are so many choices in the stores that you don’t need to go to the vineyards. I do find it amazing how much wine other boats buy for stock onboard. I guess we just don’t drink that much. And that is a good thing!



Beautiful hand knit and felted hats and scarves knit from
silk, merino wool, alpaca or a combination. Fine work.

We tried to visit a number of the “Essential Tasmanian Experiences” as recommended in guide books. Our first two days were in Hobart near the Tasmanian Peninsula in the southeast corner of Tasmania. There were historical sites everywhere and most of them highlighted the convict history and the terrible things that happened. Since it was similar in a number of locations, we did not visit many as it is not our history and it is quite depressing. It just underlines the fact that people of all skin colors, ethnicity, religions, etc. have been treated badly in every part of the world at some time or another. Everyone seems to have some of this ugly history.

And, of course, I am attracted to the fiber arts everywhere.
These garments have a lovely hand.

Hobart is Australia’s second oldest city and is a bustling seaport town and harbor. And it has a sprawling suburbia around it. People are actively out walking, jogging and biking throughout the downtown area. It is quite hilly so you get a good workout! In the heart of town is Constitution Dock which is surrounded by great seafood restaurants. Of course, this was where we ate our meals! Fresh seafood is wonderful here.



I can see I need to work on my knot skills!

Every Saturday there is the Salamanca Market - an outdoor market. It is like Eastern Market and the Ann Arbor Art Fair in one all outdoors. It is hard to believe so many vendors set up shop there every week! In this vibrant market, you could find anything you might need there: plants, honey, meats, wine cheese, breads, fruits and vegetables, clothing, jewelry, leather and woven goods, toys, handmade items of all kinds, photography, all kinds of artwork and more! It was huge!

 

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Even though the day was a little overcast with an occasional mist, it was a lovely way to spend a few hours.  It was also a dog and smoke free area which made it more pleasant – only the strollers to trip you. The market is run by the city and the vendors are all licensed. I love that they call cotton candy “fairy floss” here!

We made a couple of museum stops: Maritime Museum of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (free admission). The Maritime Museum is run by volunteers and holds Tasmania’s largest and most eclectic maritime collection. Exhibits highlighted whaling, ship building, shipwrecks and Hobart’s connection with the sea.

 
 

After lunch we went to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. I have to admit that I wasn’t terribly enthused as I was tired, but I am so glad I went along with Dennis. The most moving exhibit was about their Aboriginal people who are believed to have arrived in the continent of Australia between 60,000-35,000 BC! Now that is what you can call “original indigenous people.” Then Tasmania separated from the mainland when the sea level rose following the last ice age sometime between 12,000-8,000 BC.

I can't imagine going out in the ocean for seals and whales
in this type of boat with the wind and waves down here!

In 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman discovered Tasmania and named the island Van Diemen’s Land after a Dutch governor. He was followed by visiting Captain Bligh, who planted the first apple trees in the 1700’s and the Huon Valley is still the apple capital of Tasmania. Convicts began arriving in 1788 and have a history of terrible treatment. Today relatives of those convicts consider their families’ survival as a badge of honor. Other than the Aboriginal People, everyone came from somewhere else.

A typical Aboriginal house. Since they were  either murdered,
sold or shipped off to the outer islands and west side of the
country, we won't see these in a village.

As for the Aboriginal People, they lived off the land and sea for years along the coasts. They produced sophisticated boats and used them to hunt seals and offshore animals and birds. There were 5,000-10,000 Aboriginals in Tasmania when the Europeans arrived. They lived in bands of about 50 people, each claiming certain areas of land and speaking one of nine native languages.

An interesting T-shirt commentary!
Everything is a matter of perspective,
but there is no excuse for human torture.



Here it is: The Tasmanian Devil

The ugly history began when the European sealers took the women for laborers and sex slaves, even trading dogs and other things so they could take the women back with them! As the Europeans expanded their farms into the hunting grounds, wars broke out between the two groups. This eroded into the Black Wars in the 1820’s. Unfortunately, Aboriginal groups were systematically murdered, arrested or forced from certain land areas. They were poisoned by arsenic on bread, trapped in steel traps or died from European diseases. There was an attempt to rid the country of Aboriginal people.

This exhibit shows Antarctica in relation to
the other continents and explains weather.

In the museum we saw a preserved Tasmanian Devil in a glass case. Other than road kill and a trip to a wildlife reserve, we haven’t seen any animals in the wild yet, other than birds. Most of them are nocturnal and we haven’t ventured out into the bush at night yet.



St. Dsvid's Anglican Catherdral

This museum is an interesting mixture of art and science exhibits as well as historical ones. The building itself is historical and they have excavated and exposed many of the walls which show different materials and building technics used over the years. Very interesting.

We found St. David's Anglican Cathedral in the heart of Hobart. Up on a hill which must be challenging to navigate in the winter, we entered to find a very serene sanctuary which is open to the public every day. I found it interesting as the literature says it is a "Persian/English Congregation."
 

And all of this was just on Saturday. We still have Sunday to explore the area.

Exploring the Land of Oz!

Newcastle is a lovely area on the Tasman Sea

Australia is huge! Although the boat will be here for about 10 months, we will not. Visa restrictions require us to leave after 90 days and then return for another 90 day. We can do this for twelve months. So in between the trips outside of the country, we are trying to figure out when and where to go and this is very weather dependent.



At Swansea, NSW, you have to schedule a bridge opening
to enter or leave Lake Macquarie. It is too shallow for us.

It is now Spring and moving into Summer. We have had some 107 degree days here in Newcastle, NSW already. It doesn’t last too long as a Southerly Buster blows in with cold air dropping the temperature 30 degrees within minutes and shifting the winds 180 degrees. You can actually see it happening!

 

 

 

For us, the problem is that it is too hot to go to the Outback until next April. So we are heading to Tasmania in December and have been told that it is chilly down there and to take our woolies! It might be a welcome change for a while.

Lake Macquarie. Not even close to Michigan lakes!

We have started exploring the New South Wales coast area, in addition to the places we went with the Down Under Rally. One of our local excursions was to find a shopping center and Bunnings, which is like a Home Depot or Lowes.

Dennis is finding the driving similar to New Zealand as it is a right-hand drive car and they drive on the opposite side of the road as we do in the USA. The biggest difference is that they drive faster and cut in and out more than the Kiwis.  

Coal is the major product around Newcastle. There is very
little dirt or pollution due to modern techniques.

We are not buying a car here as the distances are too great between the sites we want to see. Instead, we will do Fly & Drive trips to the selected areas. The bus and train systems are very good here. And the walking areas are boardwalks and sidewalks with room for bicycles and they go for miles along the beaches. If you like walking, you can walk for miles and miles.

We drove south to Lake Macquarie, which is a large inland saltwater lake with a channel in from the ocean. The entrance is too shallow for us to enter so we drove all the way around the lake. It took a couple of hours, but is nothing like the Great Lakes.

 

 

Maybe put Houghton and Higgins Lakes together and you have the same size. Or maybe only Houghton Lake! We see no reason to go there to sail. Plus you have to call the draw bridge an hour ahead and wait for a time for it to open.

Dunes just south of Nelson Bay.

A drive to the north along the ocean took us to Nelson Bay and the Port Stephens area. Along the way we found a road to the beach and were delighted to see where were: at the north end of the 18+ mile beach that starts just across the river from the marina here in Newcastle!

 

 

 

The sand dunes at that end are awesome. They give Sleeping Bear Dunes a run for the money! The beach is enormous, but I think Sleep Bear Dunes are higher.

Lunch is always an adventure on our road trips as we like to find places where the locals eat. The experience at Lake Macquarie left much to be desired. In fact, neither of us felt like eating dinner and I still felt less than good the next day.

 

The Aussies live at the beaches: surfing, swimming, biking
and walking. A real outdoor lifestyle here!

However, we hit the jackpot in Nelson Bay. We ate at the Rock Lobster Seafood Restaurant. Dennis was like a kid with a super happy meal! He loves his seafood! The food was really good and we were so full that no dinner again, but this time, no crummy feelings either. 

Then we topped it off with ice cream which is a real treat when sailing. I am not sure the sundae was called for, but appeared to finish off the “happy meal!” I found a new favorite flavor of ice cream: Baily’s and Almond. Really good!



We have seen several of these chess sets in parks.

So far, Australia has shown us some really special things and then some ho-hum ones. I guess we are lucky to have so many wonderful places in America that it takes something outstanding to top it. There is no place like home, but we have seen some pretty amazing places!

Next exploration: We will go to Sydney for the holidays and to Tasmania by air for a driving trip along the east coast.
 


The harbor at Nelson Bay



Great lunch stop

Dennis' critter lunch

New Year's Eve in Sydney!



We had a German lunch of sausages and beer here.

We are back in Sydney again. This time was planned as we decided back in September that being in Sydney for the New Year's Eve fireworks would be a once in a lifetime experience for us. Being rather cautious sailors, we decided not to join the chaos in the harbor and left the boat in Pittwater. The hotels make you buy the NYE package and pay in full when you make your reservation. Let me just say that this is the most expensive Holiday Inn room we have ever had - and it is nothing special.




Interesting mix of architecture in Sydney.

The Sydney NYE event makes it special and so the high room rates. And if you want a dinner, they start at abut $150 per person and go from there. Some have fireworks tickets included. We don't need tickets because we go up to the pool deck on the roof for a barbeque and drinks. The view is perfect as we are between the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. There are eight barges in the river so there will be fireworks the full length as far as you can see in either direction. Oh, yes, our room came with a bottle of champagne and chocolates decorated with fireworks paintings.



Inside the Queen Victoria Building

Since the room packages are for three nights, we came in on the bus on the 30th and will leave on January 2, 2016! (How did it get to be 2016 so soon?) Our time has been happily spent sightseeing and enjoying this fabulous city. It is filled with people and great places to eat. There are beautiful gardens and, of course, the waterfront to enjoy. We saw the Queen Victoria Building that has been repurposed into a vertical shopping mall. The Museum of Contemporary Art was fun.

Old and new tastefully integrated within the city.



Martin Place near the Royal Botanical Garden

When we retuned to the hotel from our explorations on the 31st,, we had to show our room key to get in the door. Only registered guests and no friends are admitted. There is no jamming extra people into your room or on the rooftop for the celebration. Hotel guest only. I like that plan.




If you rub this boar's nose, you should have good fortune!

We have friends out in the harbor on their boats and others down on the street in the crowds, but we can see it all from our room! Nice. But, of course, we will go up to the roof!

In the Royal Botanical Garden

There are so many places to walk to in the downtown area. It is a little like San Francisco with the hills and mixture of old Victorian buildings mixed in with the variety of modern structures.








And there are so many little shops as well as major stores. I wonder who supports all of them. We did visit a very exclusive pearl store and saw the most valuable pearls in the world. It is the Paspaley family business and the legend is as follows:



The crowds are arriving at Circular Quay

"One pearler emerged from the harsh early days of natural pearl diving to create a glittering future. As a refugee, the late Nicholas Paspaley MBE crossed the world’s oceans on a tramp steamer from a tiny island in Greece to reach his destiny on the remote northern coast of Australia, where rich pearl beds teemed with life and hidden treasures."

They farm pearls in pristine waters on the northwest coast of Australia. The water is the least polluted in all of the oceans and oysters make exquisite pearls. It is an amazing company that supplies most of the world's high-end pearls. I found a few beauties, but left them there for someone else.




Staking out their place for a good view of the fireworks
that are still ten hours away and it is hot!

I used the time between dinner and the 9 PM fireworks to upload photos and catch up on my blog. The early fireworks are for families; the real show is at midnight so we will be back up on the roof for those, too.

There was a lot of entertainment going on out on the water and on land to keep the crowd of about 1.5 million people occupied before and between shows. I heard they had added 1000 buses for the night to get people out of the city and back to the suburbs as no vehicles were allowed anywhere near the waterfront.

There was a light display on the bridge, a water gun fight between two tug boats, a show of airplanes, and a parade of lighted boats all over or on the water. While on land, there were musicians, mimes, jugglers, and a vast array of activities.

The crowds are filling the streets and enjoying drinks and signing. They have three more hours to go and I imagine they will be in fine shape by the time the big event sets off!

The whole waterfront on both sides of the river were lined with spectators for several miles on either side of the bridge. And the various bays were jammed with boats of every size and type. It will be interesting after the midnight show when they all try to raise anchor and head to their marinas! We will be finishing the chocolates and champagne and relaxing without their worries!

Here's to you: Happy New Year and Health and Success in 2016.