The Tamar River and Cataract Gorge - two of Tasmania's natural beauties

True to form, after an overcast weekend, the Monday start to the working week has dawned bright and clear. This bides well for our Tamar River Cruise this morning! Think though that I need to pace myself a bit better - following the wine tasitng yesterday and a glass of wine with dinner, I need an extra Ondansetron this morning.

Now that we are getting close to the end of this adventure, we are planning a little strategically just what we are posting home versus what we are carrying, knowing that we have a few days in Brisbane before actually heading home. Gen has begun looking at the weather at home, as well as the daily weather here. She's not liking what she is seeing! The first couple of days when we get back are hot, humid and even raining. Won't worry me, I plan on catching up on some sleep for the first day or two!!

You have to love the new technologies that we have at our fingertips these days. We plug into Google Maps the departure address for our cruise this morning to be informed that at this time of the day, on a weekday, our trip should take us 27 minutes - that means we can spend a quarter of an hour or so planning what to send home wit Meredith when we leave Hobart.

Into the Launceston Sea Port we drive to join our extended tour on the Tamar River Cruises. There are quite a number of people milling about - including as the captain later introduces, a couple celebrating their 53rd anniversary. Wow, now that is an achievement! We set off right on the dot of 10, with more people than I thought would be cruising on Monday, but when we consider the number of people who appear to be touring in Tasmania at the moment, I guess it makes sense.

Anyway, our captain Lynn (a male) is another dry wit, with lots of little quips!
The morning cruise that only does the Cataract Gorge left 15 minutes earlier and as we enter under the Kings Bridge, it passes us on its return to the wharf. We continue to where the Gorge is ponded at Basin 1, to provide controlled water flow to the city's first hydro-electric power system.

The bridge was needed to allow the population easy passage over the Esk River (which flows into the Tamar Basin.) Local manufacturers did not yet have the capability to cast the steel needed for the bridge, so the contract was awarded to a firm in  Manchester, England, transported in pieces to Launceston and assembled on a pontoon and floated into position and then lowered on to its abutments on the receding tide. Despite the challenges, it worked perfectly, first time! But in no time, the local uproar about the short-sightedness of building a single lane bridge soon won out and a local firm was contracted to replicate the first span and a second span was installed to make it a two lane bridge. Nowadays, the Kings Bridge shares the traffic load with the newer Paterson Bridge constructed in the early 1970's and opened in 1973. Together they connect Launceston city with the north-west.

Lynn's commentary was very proud of Launceston's achievements. If ever there was a worthy ambassador for this City, he was leading us on our tour today. He kept apologising for the weather "beautiful one day, better the next!" Think that slogan is already taken Lynn!! But I have to admit, today it suited well to this Tasmanian idyll.
The sun is high, without a single cloud. The water, on a waning tide, is as smooth as a piece of glass. Motoring out of the harbour under speed restrictions there was barely enough wash from the boat to raise a ripple. We pass not only suburbs that have examples of every style of architecture from the Victorian and Federation through to the modern day - all in one view; but examples of Launceston's prowess in industry. For example, all the tugboats in Tasmania and many from Victoria and South Australia are serviced here. They can turnaround a full inspection and water worthiness certification in a week.

Lynn tells of the founding fathers of the city and this part of Tasmania. It is very like the settlement of our own Maryborough in Queensland. There are rags to riches reports, stories of gentlemen convicts and of enterprising entrepreneurs who right to the modern day have shaped the skyline and successes of the City. The Velo Winery has been established by Michael Wilson as a tribute to his career as a former Olympic cyclist. We pass by the Rosevears area and see the Rosevears Hotel where we are staying. Turns out the accommodation developed here cost in the order of $5.3M and the developer has approval to develop a $15M marina that is yet to be commenced.

We are now travelling at cruising speed and the wash from the boat creates significant waves that we see slam into the banks that have been planted with a rice-plant in an effort to stabilise the banks and minimise the continual siltation of the river. When boats such as this can create the impact that it does, this is always going to be a lost battle. Yet, despite our speed, we are still travelling slow enough to see a Sea Eagle resting atop one of the channel markers and Gen was in the right place at the right time when he decided to take flight and she manages to photograph him on the wing!

And not only do we see the sea eagle, we also see a wedge Tailed Eagle, lots of water fowl, black swans and on the return journey Lynn tells us there is a seal off the aft bow, but we can't see it. The siltation of the river has threatened the commercial port status of the city of Launceston. And despite all efforts, all mitigation efforts have not made an iota of difference to the efforts of mother nature!

Turns out, that sitting on a tidal river also makes Launceston vulnerable to 1:100 year floods when the city is in receipt of severe storms! Just like home again!! In the 1990s, the city installed a levee that has very successfully protected the infrastructure in later events and when the next 1:100 year event hit in 2016 the city stood dry thanks to that levee. Now, I wonder how the Tamar River and Basin compare to the Mary River? Actually, I don't (wonder that is). The two river geomorphology of the two systems could not be more different!

On board we were served morning tea once we had cleared Kings Bridge - brewed coffee or tea with muffins, biscuits and Lions Club christmas cake ("who doesn't love a good fruit cake," asked Lynn, "and the Lions make the best"). We then travelled toward the mouth to the Batman Bridge - not the nana nana nana nana type, but the cantilevered bridge, and Australia's first cable-stayed bridge, named for the John Batman, a Launceston businessman and the co-founder of Melbourne. We turned around, on the length of the boat! here and were then given a wine and beer tasting - Velo Pinot Grigio, Ninth Island Chardonnay, Velo Pinot Noir plus a Boags beer that neither of us sampled. Lunch was served - a good selection of rolls and focaccia with a variety of filligs, generous slabs of local cheeses and plenty of fruits. Surprisingly the fruit - predominantly tropical was very sweet and refreshing! The trip back to the wharf was quieter with passengers seated and happy to watch the passing birdlife.

We are coming in on a dead low tide, and at one point the two staff members alarmingly send worried looks to each other as there is a sickening grinding sound. The boat stops momentarily and then Lynn does a little jig with the boat and we are off again. Gemma tells us that this very boat was 'put on the mud', 'fast' only a few months ago! Not sure if that was meant to reassure us or not?! 
Finally we dock at the wharf and the boat disgorges us all, with the next cruise load of passengers waiting on the dock.

After a relatively lazy morning, enjoying the sights from the water, we are now headed to Cataract Gorge to see this wonder from the ground. Gen tells me that she had been here last time she visited Launceston and loved it. she had done the Duck Reach Trail and the Reedy and snake Gully Track which circumnavigated the whole gorge, but said that as there were some very steep sections on this walk, it wouldn't be suitable for me to do. We head off to the entrance and the inclinator so that I didn't need to walk down the very steep slope. Nope, not operational. Bugger. Oh well, I tell Gen, the steps have a railing. Off we set. 99 steps later, I am ready for the jelly-like knees to have a bit of a rest. Ah, the cafe is just here!

We start with Scones with Jam and Cream and a coffee to pep ourselves up! We can see the Suspension Bridge and the Chairlift through the picture windows as well as the plentiful children's activity areas - adventure rides, tumble tubes, slides, a small wave pool complete with artificial beach etc. Coffee downed, Gen asked if I was up to walking to the Suspension Bridge. Yep, lets go!

Well, that walk was longer (and steeper) than either of us knew. And Gen had to cross that suspension bridge with a number of other people on it at the same time, so it was swaying. If only you could have seen the poor girl's face! Turns out the total trip around the First Basin Loop was 900m. Add that to the walk down to it, and the tortuous climb back to the carpark, and we did about 1.2km in right on an hour. Mightn't seem much to most, but to me it sure was.

We had booked dinner for 6pm at Alida at Penny Royal, but now it is only 4:30pm. Me knackered, and with all the other activities at Penny Royal closed at 4, we decide not to stay in town and wait, but rather, to cancel the reservation and head back to Rosevears. We decide to detour and have a look at the local town of Grindlewald, that is modelled on the Swiss Village of the same name. As a condition of building in the tract, there were strict caveats put on land purchasers who had to build in the Swiss Chalet architecture style. The original settlement is now a resort, and the 'village' has grown to quite an up-market suburb.

Back at the hotel, we decide to eat in the room tonight (I need an early night). Shared a Chicken Parmi as I'm not too hungry!

Off to take a look at the Pyengana Cheese factory en-route to the Bay of Fires tomorrow. Our time is closing in on us fast!

Those Roaring Forties - famed in this region

So the morning dawns wet and windy. Roaring forties is isn't but it is more blustery than yesterday. The whitecaps are dancing in the bay in front of our unit. And the exposed front of the motel units are being showered with salt-laden air blown in from the water over the low bushes that have also succumbed to the stiff breeze. Certainly explains the rusting on outdoor furniture and window and door frames.

The motel has a tired, defeated air. Planter boxes outside each room have plants that are clinging stubbornly to life. Just. The rooms are clean, we have met the cleaner both days - she is pleasant and seems efficient, but everything is being done on a tight budget. The motel has a For Sale sign, but any buyer will be knocking down the dollars for sure. The 'accessible' room that we have been allocated is nothing of the sort. There has been a token effort - handrails have been added to the toilet and shower but the facilities themselves are not accessible - it would meet any standard inspection.

It has a comfortable bed, but when you see all the schmick advertising for King Island this is not what you expect.

In fact, King Island has not been anything like what we expected. There is beauty here, a rugged defiant beauty. The land is under considerable strain. When we tell people we are from Queensland, they beg us to send the rain this way. The land is in drought and looks like it has been for some time. Its yellow and dry and the incessant wind is eroding areas where uncounted heads of cattle have walked the same path one after another time after time. There are not a lot of large trees, there are stands of paper-barks and stringy mulga with the odd white gums that shed their shards so that they drape on the bushy undergrowth. When we drive through wooded areas there is enough ti-tree that you can smell it on the air.

Gen goes down to the Bakery to buy Egg and Bacon Rolls for breakfast and adds cheddar to each and avocado to hers. They are delicious. Freshly made on lovely soft long rolls with crusty semolina tops. They are too big for me to finish, but only because of the generosity of the fillings. And the coffee is good. And strong. Mmmm.

We have decided to take a look at the south of the island today. We head out towards Grassy (grassy what, afterall, it is usually an adjective) and take a detour to see the Calcified Forest. Remembering what we were told by the car rental agent, if its on the map, its okay. So we confidently set down the gravel road. Now, the same rental agent also told us that the map is not accurate. As we lose GPS on Gen's phone, we also learnt that this statement is very very true. Distances are approximations only and roads are not marked accurately - like listed once when there are two entrqances, like distances not being anywhere near correct - kind of helps to explain why so many ships hit the rocks - the directions are shite, and have been so for hundreds of years! But the outcome of not being where you think you are is that you are more likely to have an adventure!

We head off on what we think is Seal Rocks Road, and later turned out it was Seal River Road. The road (read bush track) gets sandy. Gen tenses up and I tell her to breathe. Let the car find its own way. We finally end up at a locked gate and the track abruptly stops. So we turn around and go back to the junction, only then realising that we mis-read the sign and have travelled down Seal River Road, not Seal Rocks Road. We continue on what is now the correct road, gravel but much better than the bush track we have just left. We work out that we have been down to the Colliers Swamp Conservation Area, getting as far as Big Lake. Our plan had been to visit the Calcified Forest just near Seal Roacks. Nearing the correct site, we see a new(ish) Parks and Wildlife sign announcing that we have indeed arrived at the Calcified Forest! Well, we have arrived at the carpark.

As I mentioned earlier, the map is at best a mud map, the signs are just as contradictory!  One sign says 630m each way and the other says 1.5 km return. While my maths might have once been questionable, even can calculate that the two figures differ by 240m. Not a big deal normally, but to me it most definitely IS a big deal. I had said to Gen this morning that I would have a go at walking the track - it is graded a 2 - easy, but not wheelchair friendly. Just after leaving the carpark we are met with the first of the uphill sections. Now, remember that the base landform here is one of dunes. And dunes travel (might explain the dicsrepancy in the length) but these are well stabilised dunes with grasses, mulga, ti-tree and the odd gum. Up hill, down hill we walk. And again, and again. In steeper parts, the path has been compacted with light gravel and edging boards, but overall it is very sandy. We have been walking for about 30 minutes with Gen leading the way and pausing every 40 - 50m to turn back and check that I am still following. Its about now that my legs are heading for jelly, as I said, an easy walk compounded by the sand. We see yet another hill so Gen suggests that I wait a minute while she pushes forward to see how much further it is. she is back quickly to announce tht the walk ends just over the next hill BUT it ends at a 100m walk across loose sand before you reach a timber viewing platform. With timber steps that begin with a large step from soft sand. Disappointed was not the word either of us use. There is now way that I can do this safely. So Gen pushes on to climb the platform and get some photos, while I turn to walk slowly back to the car. Now, natue is a strange beast - there is a small swallow on the path ahead of me. We chirp away together as I plod on. About 30m ahead, it hops ahead of me, stopping frequently to make sure I'm still with him. My own light avian guide!

I get to the car about 4 minutes before Gen and am happy to stop, leaning against the dusty car to catch my breath. Too bad I didn't think to get one of the bananas or the water we are carrying from Gen before we parted! She's back before I know it and we both have a well-earned drink, draining the water-bottle dry. Sitting back in the car, we eat our bananas and are set to leave when another car arrives. Out hops a lady who takes a pack out. Booted up, pack on her back, I am sure that she was better suited to take that walk and even if it was a 1.5km return walk, it probably only felt like 1260m to her! Still I'm proud of myself. I would have walked just over a kilometre - the best I've done in a long time and even a low-graded walk, I can't help but think that if an anthropologist were to walk that path today, they would probably scratch their head and at our tracks (how do you explain a perfectly round small indent alongside my footprint?!

We still haven't reached Grassy (grassy what??) so decide to give Surprise Bay where another boat was wrecked. Back to Pearshape - yes, that is the name of a locality here -settlers obviously had a sense of humour - can't believe that they have named an area Snodgrass - a favourite Goon character of Michaels! We get to Grassy - the second largest settlement on the Island and is laid out in a more ordered grid pattern. Still very tired looking, there is evidence of some newer construction. Lord knows what it would cost to build over here- all construction materials would need to be freighted in by barge. But for the most, it is simple weatherboard construction which weathers poorly really - it is whited-out, an outcome of inhospitable weather. The most modern building here apart from one or two swanky new-come homes, is the hospital.

Right along this coast there are countless shipwrecks. And its easy to see why. The Island itself might be sandy, but it is completely enclosed by rocky outcrops and platforms. There is another lighthouse, the main port that had been used until the 1990s to ship scheelite mined just above the port. This is a mineral used in the making of tungestan and the company will have made some tidy $ during its operation, but they have done a very poor effort to rehablilitate the land. At the point beyond the port, which is now used to live-ship beef cattle (We see one laden trailer being shipped to the wharf area) there is a Penguin colony. As it is the middle of the day, we don't bother going all the way down to it as they are nocturnal and so will only be seen at night. We want to visit the Historical Museum at Currie that is only open and manned by volunteers every second day, so today it is. It is open between 2 and 4, and its almost 2pm now.

We follow the main road back and ignore Siri when she wants us to take the scenic route. There are lots of wildlife for us to encounter on the way back, all of which like to use the roads, perhaps because it warms up during the day. We dodge wallabies, pademelons, Cape Barren Geese, domestic turkeys (gone wild) farmed geese and a myriad of birds - turn out that the Island is a bird haven with a number of hides strategically located at various sites across the island - Cecile would love it! We see eagles, hawks, thousands of finces, and of swallows, magpies on steroids, butcher birds and more black birds than there are people on the Island. We even encounter a small herd of Black Angus cattle on the road and patiently need to wait for them to decide which way they will scamper.

Like the rest of Australia, roadworks rule the activity here - there are a number of projects being funded with federal government funding displaying the all familiar signage that I know from work. And with that construction we also see a tree-feling crew - god knows why, the trees are already well back from the narrow roads.  As Gen says, "why are they knocking down our CO2 filters? Lots of newly sealed roads with loose stones. Gen drives like a pro!

We well and truly get our laugh for the day when Gen pulls alongside a gaggle of geese, oh hang on, it was a rafter of turkeys and we spend a few, minutes gobble gobbling back and forward with then. The rooster is becoming quite indignant, probably at our atrocious pronunciation, so we head off laughing before he thinks to attack us!

Finally we arrive back at Currie. We want to have a look at the King Island Museum which is manned by volunteers and only open every other day. Turns out today is the only day it will be open while we are here. It's on the edge of town just below yet another lighthouse. It's only when you get up to lighthouse levels that you can get a true appreciation for the treachery of the rocks. Close to the shore there are a myriad of rock ledges and platforms, and just past them, there are rocky outcrops where the waves break. Makes for testing photos, but I can only imagine how difficult it would be to navigate.

Turns out, the museum is the former Lighthouse Keepers house. At 8 rooms, it was definately the most substantial building in the town. It has been built to weather the weather! The walls are about a foot thick and made of sandstone. The steps up into each room is large and the floorboards are wide original timbers. The museum has one volunteer on duty.  She tells us that she contacted her friend on her way in telling her that town didn't seem busy so there was no need for her to come in as well! Turns out she was wrong and so she was kept very busy - there three other groups there at the same time as us. She was a wealth of local knowledge and passionate about the island and its people. Each room has been develop around a theme. Is it obvious that this museum has had the support of a professional catalogue service. The exhibits are well displayed and relate well to the theme of the room. Gen isn't really a museum kind of person, but here she finds enough to keep her busy while I drink in family histories and even read up a bit on some of the shipwrecks. The volunteer was saying that up until 1976 anyone could salvage from shipwrecks, but that after that it was banned. One of the visitors commented that she saw evidence of someone with a metal detector on one of the beaches this morning.

I was asking the volunteer (Val) whether there had been a resurgence of population in town, based on the ABS statistics that I read this morning. She was delighted to tell me that there had been a number of younger families with ties to the history of the Island returning, bringing much needed children - so much so that an extra teacher has been sent to the school. We have seen much evidence of young ones, but it is still the school term, so I guess they are inside mostly on weekdays.

We have booked accommodation in for dinner tonight at Boomerang By The Sea- the motel where we are staying - by all a counts it is a good restaurant and at the time of booking we see that it is operated by different people. After our visit to the museum we had gone back to our unit and I had had a sleep - that walk had done me in today!

We hear cars arrive and when we open the door just before 7 to walk around to the restaurant, the car park is full.

Up some unfriendly steps into the restaurant which is not quite full, but definitely doing a good trade. We are seated near a large picture window that in the long summer days (and with the added benefit of daylight saving a mere week ago) would have afforded a stunning view. Tonight all we see is black as the sun had set hours ago. The menu is definitely more upmarket than the pub last night but I am disappointed that there is so little seafood on offer. A friend Prue sends a message to make sure we try the King Crab - oh, if only that was a choice.

There is a tour group of 8 people in and they are all served a half crayfish each - it must have been prearranged as it is not on the menu 😳. 

We select a fried Camembert with fig and walnut jam to share as a starter, served with foccacia. Not what we expect, but much lighter and to be honest, nicer. Gen is thrilled that they have a good selection of meat choices and settles for Aged King Island Scotch Fillet, cooked blue and served with confit local potatoes, baby carrots and brocollini. I had the Prawn and Crab Papardelle - hold the chilli. It to was cooked to perfection, although a very big serve with 8 large prawns still succulent and quite a bit of Crab broken through the dish. Our preferred King Island chesse plate was sold out (what the?!) so we chose a creme brulee and a Sundae. Hard to stuff those up. Port arrived, but coffee didn't. Not quite what we expected. We both got the feeling that the main tourism market is the golfer these days - overhearing the partners of the chest-bumping golfers, we get the impression that they feel likewise.

Back to our room, down those steps (our waiter was nice enough to offer a hand) and I begin the blog. Internet coverage drops out well before I am finished so I go to bed frustrated to have lost an hours worth of wit. 😞 😞

Hobart - a City of choices

 Despite the rain late yesterday and last night, this morning dawned overcast but clear. The rain has cleansed everything, the air is crisp and the light is bright.

We begin our morning with breakfast at Daci and Daci - yet another bakery recommended by many. Situated on the fringe of the CBD, we consider ourselves lucky to get a car space across the road. They are busy, but we get a table without any difficulty. And now to the choices - the first of many for the day.

The menu is varied with all day servings from both the breakfast and lunch meals. After coffees while we deliberate, we settle on a Twice Cooked Gruyere Souffle from the breakfast choices and a Chicken, Creamed Leek and Tarragon Pie served with Red Pepper Relish from the lunch menu. I ate about 3/4 of the souffle and Gen, 3/4 of the pie. They were truly delicious, flavour-some but not at all heavy. The service couldn't be faulted, again with all staff wishing the patrons, enjoy the rest of your day - every one of them to every customer. TASMANIA DOES SERVICE and does it very well. There is no rush, people sit and chat, sipping hot drinks if not partaking in a meal. We admire how classy the black uniform looks on the waitresses, and look up at the funky lighting. We've decided rayther than try to take a cake with us, we would add dessert to our breakfast - we are not planning to have lunch so we are ready for Mures and seafood tonight! In deference to the growing number of patrons in the shop, Gen goes to the front display counters and photographs the amazing pastries and cakes - all of them! They are amazing and are the subject of choice no 2. Again, we decide that if we buy two different ones, and share them, we can expand our experiences. After discussions and sometimes almost arguments, we choose the Mandarin and the Organic Chocolate and Raspberry Bombe.

The Mandarin looks realistically like a ripe, plump mandarin sitting atop a fine small pastry tart and the Bombe had the crispest tempered chocolate shell encasing a rich but not over-sweet pudding consistency filling with a raspberry gel centre. They were very different, one lighter and citrussy and the other rich and the other dark and decadent. Needing another hot drink to have with our desserts, but not wanting to be bouncing off walls, we both had a seven-spiced Chai Latte. So, breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea all done in the one setting we leave this little bit of paradise.

Our next choice was to decide whether we take a little time out to plan the coming few days, or start our exploration of historic Hobart. Planning won and we headed to the Tourist Information Bureau for advice and bookings. Again, the service was friendly and prompt. Staff gladly shared their passion and knowledge for their home state, made suggestions and checked vacancies in the South East for the following few days. I had booked for Port Arthur before we left home, but that was as far as we had planned. So looking at our (dwindling) time and our desire to see as much of the island state as we possibly can. So we explored two routes in particular around the Huon and Bruny Island.

After checking accommodation and tour vacancies we settled on two days on Bruny Island staying at the Bruny Hotel lodges at Alonnah and on my birthday, taking the Pennicott Wilderness cruise on the waters around the island and the adjacent Tasman Sea. We have needed to buy a National Park Pass. You buy it for a day, a week or for 2 months. So two months it is! Not sure whether we will be able to pass it on to someone for the second month, seems like a bit of a waste if we can't, but it was the most economical choice (yes, another choice!!) Also booked the Bruny Island ferry (also owned by SeaLink - starting to think that they have control of most of the ferries connecting the Australian mainland and our far-flung islands). After collecting appropriate tourist literature, we raced across the road to 'negotiate' with parking inspectors who had taken an interest in our car. Like all the Tasmanians they were friendly, and given that we were now ready to leave, they were accommodating. (we had overstayed our time - just a little!)

Parking, like in any capital city, is at a premium. The VIC (visitor information centre) staff had recommended that we use the Council car parks as they are cheaper and more conveniently located than the private car parks. Would hate to see how much less convenient the private ones are, because it was a bugger to get to the Council one! Google Maps does not recognise one-way streets in Hobart, so we ended up going quite a few blocks more than what we would have, had we been on foot.

This afternoon was devoted to exploring the Hobart CBD. Leaving the carpark, we encounter the first of many many hills and dales. Hobart has any number of very steep streets, and given the distance that we were planning on seeing, she had insisted that it was a wheelchair day. Thank goodness she did, there is no way that I could have walked where we went. We followed 'Hobart's Historic Places - A walking guide through the city centre' - a guide we can highly recommend.

We concentrated our walk in the Victoria, Collins, Macquarie and Davey Streets between Argyle and Harrington Streets. We explored church and cathedral - St Joseph's Church - the oldest surviving Catholic Church in Hobart and St David's Cathedral where we found a tattered piece of a Union Jack flag that is dedicated to Australia's last Anzac Alec William Campbell, in stark contrast with home where we celebrate Australia's first Anzac, Duncan Chapman. 

Following these immersions, we moved into more secular surroundings, stopping to admire the statuary and fountain and public art in Franklin Square where the dedications leave no doubt to the appreciation of the citizens of Hobart to earlier public models. Hobart's amazing architectureincludes the Hobart City Hall, the National Mutual Life Building, the Masonic Lodge, Hadley's Hotel, Ingle Hall and Hobart Town Hall - which span more than 200 years. We finally arrive at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. It was here we took refuge from the sun and breeze, although I found the temperature and humidity controlled environment a tad chilly. And my poor lips are paying the price - I was hoping that away from the stresses of work, my lips would stop peeling - wind and aircon however are giving them no respite! 

This complex is set in three floors (plus basement) of the former Bond Store and an adjacent younger building. Beginning with the geography, geology and zoological displays that showcased Tasmania's unique wildlife very well, the second and third floors concentrated on the social history of the development of the state, concentrating predominantly on the Hobart area. it was good to see that the encounters and later treatment of the First Peoples were genuinely portrayed. As sad as any colonising force many of the local natives that were encountered were murdered.

In the adjacent building there were exhibits that detailed Australia's activities and excursions into Antarctica where the worrying prediction states that within 50 years we may see much of that continent devoid of snow in the summer months!
There was scientific equipment, a 'live' (for the want of a better word) chunk of Antarctic ice - place in a frame on a refrigerated bed.  No wonder I was feeling the cold in this room! Gen on the other hand loved its icy air!!

The balance of this building housed art exhibitions including a Taswegian artist who lost her home in bushfires and is constructing new furniture from reclaimed wood and branches and twigs, hoping to fill a future home that is airy and stark. Her pieces are very organic and really tell a story. There was the Tasmanian collection of old and new masters and one focussed on jewellery. That one didn't really appeal to either of us.

It is now 4:45 pm and the museum is closing. Back into the streets we go, me in the wheelchair and Gen manouvertting through the-end-of-working-day crowds, up more. hills than we care to count to return to the car. We have a booking at Mures for dinner and Gen really wants to rest for an hour or so before a refreshing shower. Our reservation is for 7:30pm, the first booking we could get.

At 6:45 we depart the Battery Point Manor for Mures. 

There are three venues at the facility - Mures Upper Deck which is a rated restaurant, Mures Lower Deck which is more casual and Pearl and Co which is more of a retailing seafood. We had a reservation for Mures Upper Deck - on the recommendation of friends and those who have previously lived in Hobart. 
The traffic has calmed down and we find. parking spot within metres of the door. That was where my luck ran out. They have a stair-lift, a commercial version of the one we were considering for home, but it needs a key. So up the stairs goes Gen to collect said key, only to be told that the lift is currently out of order. Back down she comes to deliver the bad news and to walk behind me as I climb 18 stairs to the restaurant. With 14 steps at home, I figured it would be a breeze. Not quite. They were steeper and those last 4 steps were a challenge.

We are shown to a window-side table, both seated to look out over the waters of Victoria Dock and beyond that to Constitution dock where the Sydeny to Hobart Race ends. 
The menu is not large, and with some meat and vegan options, it focuses on locally caught seafood.
More choices to be made. Do we do entrees, mains and desserts? Or do we choose The Share Table at $70 per head? Of course we chose the latter and it was sublime, beginning with warm olive bread with oil and balsamic reduction that we paired with a cocktail. Then the courses in order of presentation were:
1. Oysters - we chose Kilpatrick
2, Gravlssx
3. Scallops (roe on) with smashed broad beans and bacon scallop cream
4. (Amazing) Seafood spaghetti with squid, salmon, premium white fish, prawns with a tomato salsa - one of the best dishes I have ever eaten.
5. Mures prawns and crumbed pink ling with chips, salad, brocollini and beans. And they had the hide to call this Fish and Chips!
6. Finally, dessert! A Chocolate Mousse with salted caramel sauce, toasted cocnut, orange segments and an almond crisp, It was light but oh-so-rich. The other dessert was a much lighter Earl Grey brulee, milk crumb and candied citrus peel.
We enjoyed a cocktail followed by a Pinot Gris for me and a cherry and pear Cider for Gen. We couldn'e even fit in any coffee!!

Decided we would walk along the dock looking at amazing bronzed statuary that pay homage to early settlers, early explorers and those who have lost their lives at sea fishing so that all of Australia can have quality seafoods from the cold southern waters. By now the wind had dropped and there were few pedestrians and even fewer cars, so it was easy to spend the next hour wandering the dock.

We have now returned to the Battery Point Manor and as I finish this tale, Gen is re-loading suitcases in readiness for our departure tomorrow for Port Arthur.

Check in again tomorrow night for the next instalment in our trip!