Hobart - Part 1

Written on: 09.04.12

Isn’t it amazing how tired you can get from just sitting on your bum all day? I arrived in Hobart at 11pm last night, 9 hours after I got on the plane from Airlie Beach. It was nice to be able to go to bed straight after I got to the hostel (Tassie Backpackers), although it was hard to carry my suitcase up the flight of stairs when I was so tired. I’m glad there was doonas at the hostel, because it was freezing!!

It was still freezing this morning when I woke up; I did not want to get out of bed. It was cold in the dorm and it was cold in the bathroom and it was cold outside. The highest temperature it’s said on my phone today is 9 degrees C. It’s weird to think I’m still in Australia! I knew it’s colder in Tasmania since it’s so far south, but I didn’t realise it would be this cold already. It’s kind of like a Norwegian/British autumn. Hopefully my phone’s weather forecast is right and it will get warmer later this week. I actually had to go out and buy myself a scarf and a pair of gloves (which I am wearing while typing this!) because it’s so cold! I don’t want to buy too many warm clothes though since I’m heading north again in just over a week.

I walked around Hobart a little bit today and I went to the Tourist Information Centre. While I was there I booked a tour for Thursday and I got a map of the historical buildings of Hobart. On the historical buildings map I circled the ones I want to see and divided them into three walks that I will do on three different days, starting tomorrow. So I now have a walk to do on three of the days I’m here, a tour on Thursday, then there is a market on Saturday that I’d like to check out (Salamanca Market), that leaves only 2 days where I don’t have anything to do so far. I think it will be easier to get off my bum and actually get out and about now that I’ve got all that planned, it’s too easy to just stay inside with a book when nothing is planned. So if all goes well I think I will do this in the rest of the places I’m going to here as well; check out the TIC and plan what I want to do while I’m there. I like planning. I’m a planner.

 When I got back to the dorm from my walk I decided to close the windows, I had thought of doing it earlier I just didn’t know if we were allowed, but I was too cold to care anymore, and then I found a small heating fan, or whatever it’s called, that I turned on. It’s slowly getting warmer, but I’m still sitting here with my gloves, scarf, cardigan, long sleeved top, jeans and socks. At least it’s warmer than it was this morning. I just have to remember to turn it off before I leave the dorm; I’d rather not start a fire.

Written on: 10.04.12

I walked around to see some of the historical buildings in Hobart today, as well as seeing some really nice buildings I got to see streets in Hobart that I might not have walked down if it wasn’t for the buildings that I wanted to see. I took pictures of some of them, but many were just average looking buildings so I didn’t bother. 

I think the most interesting one was the Penitentiary Chapel and Criminal court.

Penitentiary Chapel and criminal court

 “For over 150 years the area south of this site was used as a gaol. In 1966 it was bulldozed. Only John Lee Archer’s handsome Penitentiary Chapel (1831-34) and adjoining offices escaped destruction. Today it is the home of the National Trust which provides guided tours of the building and accounts of its grim past.”

The back of the Penitentiary Chapel and Criminal Court

I did want to take the tour that they offered, and if I have enough money left of my budget at the end of my Hobart stay I might go back and get one. It was only $8 concession and $10 for a regular one. I can sometimes get a concession one just because I’m a backpacker and have a YHA card which is great.

 On the way back to the hostel I walked past a Chinese restaurant. I think it was called Dumpling World or something like that. I had a look inside and their food is fairly cheap, so I might treat myself to dinner there one night. It must be nice food as well because when I looked inside there was a long line of people waiting to order at the take away counter and also many people sitting at tables.

By the way, did you guys know that Western Australia and Tasmania doesn’t celebrate Easter Saturday, but Tasmania celebrates Easter Tuesday? Most of the shops were open today though, and there were a lot more people about than what it was yesterday, yesterday it almost seemed like a ghost town.