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| Australia & New Zealand Cruise 2019 Part 5 - Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne |
Melbourne in Transit - 5th January 2020
To follow but little anyway as it was pouring with rain and we did little ashore.
A Day at Sea - 6th January 2020
Adelaide, South Australia - 7th January 2020
Adelaide is the capital of South Australia, founded in 1836 when the first governor, Captain Hindmarsh, arrived. Adelaide is a huge sprawling metropolitan area stretch 90 kms along the coast and 20 km inland. A free shuttle bus service is provided from the Outer Harbour to King William Street and the Rundle Mall in the CBD, about 25 kms away taking about 55 minutes. The town of Port Adelaide, with its four important museums, the SA Maritime Museum, Port Dock Railway Museum, Historical Railway Museum and Historic Military Vehicles Museum, is just 10 kms south of the Outer Harbour. The shuttle bus went through Port Adelaide so we saw some of the restored buildings. Most of the points of interest are is in a small central block laid out as in a grid pattern and surrounded by Parkland and can be reached on foot - there is also a free circular tram route. The day was forecast to reach 31 degrees and our original plan was to base ourselves in the Adelaide Club using reciprocal membership from the Oxford and Cambridge club and then explore the town. We had a good look round in 2013 when we came on the Queen Mary 2 and we intended to add visits to museums or historic houses.
We started North up King William street from the bus drop off to North Terrace which contains many of the major Museums, University and Government buildings. Almost opposite the junction were the National War Memorial and Sailors Soldiers and Airmen Memorial commemorating those who fell in the Great War and World War II. Parliament House, on the corner of King William Street, was begun in 1873. Again it was built in stages with the first part completed in 1889 and the second part 50 years later. We turned right (East) and past the Adelaide Club almost immediately and found it closed for The Christmas holidays, it would have been nice to have known before we got to Adelaide. It was a small old building, almost dwarfed by the surrounding buildings and looking a little neglected in contrast to most of the clubs we have visited. We crossed into the shade of trees the other side of the road passing the major museums, art galleries and University buildings, many of which were being renovated. The UniSA and University of Adelaide buildings show an Oxbridge influence, especially Bonython Hall which was built in 1936 but looks much older. The Art Gallery of SA was established in 1881
At the end of North Terrace is the Botanical gardens and we we happy to walk into the shade. The gardens feature a Palm House, built in 1871 and the oldest glass house in an Australian botanic garden. It contrasted with the modern Amazon Water-lily Pavilion, temporarily closed. The water-lilies we saw last visit were very similar to the ones we have seen in Mauritius and outside was a lake full of lotus flowers. Last time we spent some time in the adjacent Museum of Economic Botany with its impressive collection set up as a reference and part of the 'acclimatisation' activities, again closed. We did however make our first visit to the futuristic Bicentennial Conservatory holding their tropical plants. It was built in 1989 and the largest single span glasshouse in the hemisphere with a steel superstructure supporting approximately 2434 square metres of toughened glass. It has an automatic misting (sprinkler) system which came on at 1030 and shortened out visit after the initial delightful cooling effect wore off.
Opposite the entry and at the end of North Terrace is Ayers House, formerly the home of Sir Henry Ayers and now the only survivor of the grand nineteenth-century residences that once lined North Terrace. This beautifully preserved home shows the luxurious lifestyle of wealthy colonial South Australians. It was built and decorated for the Ayers family by some of the finest architects and designers of the Victorian era. Sir Henry Ayers made his fortune from the Burra copper mines, was Premier of South Australia seven times. It is said he hosted some of the best parties in town here at his home. It is now part National Trust museum and part restaurant. It has been used for many purposes prior to its restoration including as a hospital and much detective work was required to restore it to its former glory from an all white paint job. Few of the contents are original although a number have been traced and a number of donations and bequests of contemporary artifacts have built up an impressive collection within. You are welcome to examine items on display, sit on the furniture and soak up the atmosphere - a refreshing change to the National Trust.
Last time we visited it was only open for guided tours and only in the afternoon at weekends. This time it's opening hours have been extended and we were welcomed as Members of The New Zealand Historic Places Trust and spent a considerable time there. We were shown spare examples of some of the various collections of bone china and porcelain they had been donated and one set we were interested in turned out to be Limoge of a similar style to some of our pieces and possibly decorated at the same place in Paris. Most early Limogewas produced without detailed decoration and then finished at specialist houses, many in Paris. Their collection of cut glass also looked very similar to some we have - we hope we may be able to return their hospitality with some information in due course.
We then walked back on the parallel Rundal Mall, now with mostly modern stores and Cafes but many still use or front some interesting old buildings. Rundle Mall was named after John Rundle (1791-1864). Many of the buildings date back to the 19th century, including the two-storey Adelaide Arcade which was completed in 1885 in Italianate revival style. The fountain, cast in 1850, was recently restored by public subscription.
Once back to King William Street we turned South, passing the Town Hall which we looked into as our previous notes said we had visited it - nobody stopped us but we felt out of place and we limited our exploration to the lower floor. It was then past the old Post Office and Treasury on our way to Victoria Square. There are many historic buildings around Victoria Square and it is the legal district, including the Attorney General's office and the Law Courts. St Francis Xavier's cathedral was quiet, with just a few people inside praying. The Cathedral is very dimly lit and has a strange glow as most of the windows have an orange shade glass with only a few with stained glass. Outside, the statue of Mary MacKillop, Australia's first saint, shows the start of her pioneering work in education. Although the original foundation stone of the building was placed in 1856 it was not until 1996 that the tower was finally completed and the building could be dedicated as a cathedral.
It was then on to the Central Market which is the largest undercover produce market in the Southern Hemisphere and is always very busy, with stalls selling fruit and vegetables, mixed with bakers, cheese and salami stalls, fishmongers and butchers. Local produce included the barramundi fish we had tasted on board as well as kangaroo meat which had also featured recently. Local cheese was more rare, but we were surprised by the excellent selection of european cheeses and the high prices locals seemed prepare to pay - we however picked up a very nice half Camembert full of truffles for $6.00 for immediate or earlier consumption. The entrance is opposite the Metropolitan Hotel, established in 1883, and .
We were now hot and footsore so started back towards the drop off point overshooting slightly to photograph the new and old parliament building and After a long wait for a shuttle bus we were quite glad to get back onboard and cool down, the return journey include the wait have been close to an hour and a half.
Kangaroo Island -
The visit was cancelled due to the horrendous bush fires which had already devastated over a third of the island.
Hobart, Tasmania - 10th January 2020
Write up of our visit to follow - in meantime we have added some background on Hobart
A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO HOBART
Hobart is the capital of the Australian island state of Tasmania. located on the South East estuary on the Derwent River. A charming riverside city; with a busy harbour and a skyline dominated by Mount Wellington. The surrounding countryside offers the historic, UNESCO-listed Australian convict site of Port Arthur, beautiful Botanical Gardens and an abundance of wildlife to discover.
A mesmerising mix of natural wilderness and colonial history rippled with an emerging cultural notoriety for good food and art, Tasmania is Austraiia's fascinating southernmost island outpost.
The smallest of Australia's states, Tasmania is comprised of a main island and hundreds of surrounding islands (including the larger King, Flinders and Bruny islands. and Macquarie Island some 1,450km to its southeast). The main island is found approximately 240km off the south coast of the state of Victoria on the Australian mainland, separated by the waters of the Bass Strait, while the Tasman Sea lies between the island's east coast and New Zealand.
The Dutch navigator Abel Janszoon Tasman is credited as being the first European to set eyes upon the heart-shaped island. Discovering the large island in 1642, Tasman named it for his sponsor (governor of the Dutch East Indies) Anthony van Dieman, and for over 200 years it was known as Van Dieman's Land. only renamed Tasmania in 1856, after colonial seIf-government was introduced and the importation of convicts from Britain had ended.
Tasmania's earliest inhabitants are thought to have First peopled the island up to 40,000 years ago (a land bridge to the Australian mainland existed until about 12,000 years ago), and their descendants were some of the most southerly dwelling peoples of the world. When the European explorers reached the island, they found small indigenous groups scattered across its land. However, these native populations were almost entirely wiped out by a combination of disease brought by the new settlers and the brutal battles they had with them (the conHict became known as the Black War).
The largest city and capital of Tasmania is Hobart (population c. 219,200). which lies in the island's southeast. It is arranged along the west bank of the picturesque Derwent River 12 miles north of its mouth and across the foothills of the often-snowcapped 1.270m-high Mount Wellington.
The British founded a small penal colony at Risdon Cove on the river's eastern shore in 1803, but this was relocated the year after to its current Sullivans Cove site, on the opposite bank.
Known officially as Hobart Town (or Hobarton) until the early 1880s, Australia's second-oldest capital was granted city status in the mid-19th century, during which time its deepwater port was a thriving whaling and sealing centre. There soon followed the establishment and growth of shipbuilding and mineral-mining industries, the development of hydroelectricity stations, and farming spread across the island's fertile lands. Between 1881 and 1911, the island's population had leapt from 115,000 to more than 190,000.
As the city's population continued to grow. so did its size and infrastructure; fanning out from the compact CBD, its suburbs have crept outwards from its harbour on the river's west bank and even across the water via the Tasman and Bowen Bridges. The University of Tasmania was established in Hobart in 1890 and stands prominently along with the city's cathedrals, synagogue (purportedly Australia's oldest) and heritage sandstone edifices of the 19th and early 20th century among the more modern architecture of a still-blossoming city.
Today's Hobart entices visitors to sample its emerging cultural scene. whilst exploring the history of the country's second oldest capital city amidst the breathtakingly beautiful Tasmanian scenery.
FAST FACTS
- Tasmania is known colloquially as 'Tassie' often abbreviated to 'Tos'.
- Tasmania has a total land area of 68,401 sq. km making it the 26th largest island in the world.
- Hobart is Australia's most southerly city.
- The city was named for Robert Hobart, 4th earl of Buckinghamshire. who was secretary of state for the British colonies when the settlement was first founded.
- Hobart native Mary Donaldson married Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik in 2004 to become Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark. The couple met at a Sydney pub during the 2000 Olympic Games.
- The Tasmanian Devil is the state’s most famous marsupial and can only be found in the wild in Tasmania. These small black mammals usually only reach the height of about 30cm and can weigh up to 12kg.
EXPLORING
CBD: The compact city fans out from the Port of Hobart, with its CBD just a 20-minute walk (1.5km) from and several of the city's attractions even nearer to the Cruise Terminal located at the wharf. Between the CBD and the wharf lies the Maritime Museum of Tasmania (open daily 09.00 17.00. admission charge applies) in the Carnegie Building, 16 Argyle Street. opposite Constitution Dock. Just a few minutes further is the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, at Dunn Place (open Tuesday to Sunday 10.00 16.00 hrs). with insightful permanent exhibitions on the creation and shaping of the Tasmanian colony, and explorations oi Antarctica. and a wide collection of national and international works of art.
Salomonca Place, on the port's southern side (linked to Battery Point by Kelly's Steps) contains a row of 18305-built sandstone warehouses that were once Hobart's commercial hub but fell into ruin in the middle of the 20th century. Restoration works and developments have since ensured that Salamanca is once more a thriving pocket of the city. with a slew oi bars. eateries and shops reinvigorating the area.
Mount Wellington Lookout: For 360° birds-eye views of Hobart and its beautiful surrounds. a visit to the summit of its 1270m-high mountain is a must. The two viewing platforms and visitor centre at Mount Wellington's peak are accessible via a drive up a steep. winding road (journey time is approximately 20 minutes). The visitor centre/shelter from the wind is fronted by floor-to-ceiling glass so you can continue to enjoy the panoramas away from the elements. There are walking trails for further explorations and although there are no refreshments available at the visitor centre, a brewery is located at the foot of the mountain.
Battery Point: Step back in time almost 200 years with a walk around this restored colonial maritime village, once the location for a gun battery. The atmospheric village is a charming place to explore; its jumble of narrow roads crowded with 19th century fishermen's cottages and home to the majestic edifice of St George's Church. Lining the points Hampden Road today are hip cafés and gourmet eateries for refreshment stops. Just a stone's throw from the village is the Narryna Heritage Museum a Greek RevivaI-style house built in the lote-18305 that boasts a beautifully preserved interior that offers a glimpse into upper-closs 19th century colonial life in Hobart. The volunteer-run museum offers tours by knowledgeable guides and its welI-kept grounds are also worth exploring. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10.00 16.30 hrs and Sunday 12.00 16.00 hrs: admission fee is charged. 103 Hampden Road. Hobart; +61 3 6234 2791.
Here are some pictures of Hobart taken during our visit
At Sea - 11th January 2020
We were honoured witha rare opportunity to Visit the Bridge, a reward for being Top Sailors. Pauline evn got the chance to blow the Noon Ships Whistle
Melbourne - 12th January 2020
Having stayed on board during the transit because of the bad weather we were determined to spend a good part of the day round Melbourne after we disembarked. We were lucky got off the ship fairly early and found a big cab to take all our luggage back to the same hotel and checked in promptly.
