Holy mackerel it’s a long flight from Los Angeles, California, USA to Sydney, Australia, then to Hobart, Tasmania, Australia where I am starting my “down under” adventure!!!
At the Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Airport, I saw an interesting statue of the Tasmanian Devil. While helping a young student in Tucson, Arizona, USA complete her “Flat Stanley” project, I took a photo for her. She’ll research, is there really a Tasmanian Devil and locate where in the world is Tasmania, Australia. (The answer to the question is, yes the Tasmanian Devil is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world. It once lived on mainland Australia. Now listed as endangered and only found in the wild in Tasmania.)
Arriving exhausted, I simply went to sleep once at my hotel. The next day I was up birding and exploring. (Actually I did see a masked lapwing the previous day as my driver drove me from the Hobart Airport to my hotel.) My first full day, I wandered the streets of Hobart, approximately 270,000 people, and saw 9 different birds. Stopped at the grocery store for some snacks: Lamington Fingers and TimTam were on my list. At the grocery checkout line a woman joked with me, “One must come to Australia to get the Timtam”. Her favorite snack when I asked which of the two she enjoyed most.
The wind blew all day and I don’t think it hit 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I had my winter jacket on although technically it is the start of spring here. I envied the locals who were walking around in t-shirts. Rain is a sometime-thing. When I left the airport the previous day it absolutely poured for 5 minutes and that was it. Today it sprinkled for 2 minutes and that was it. Tasmania, an island of almost 500,000 people total, is subjected to whatever the winds blow on and over it. Umbrellas are everywhere. I cannot imagine holding an umbrella in these winds.
I continued my wandering of Hobart. Walked through Franklin Square, St. David’s Park, Prince’s Park, Salamanca Center, along the waterfront, stopped in at St. David’s Cathedral, ate lunch at The Whaler, and literally got blown around the town. It was all fun!
Tonight I meet my fellow travelers with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). We are here for six days before heading to mainland Australia. I will maintain this blog possibly with more blogs per week than my usual, so check-in often mate.
Photos from my first day wandering:
So happy you are officially back to an overseas exploration. I am off to Portugal a week from today. Was OAT who you used in Morocco? Looking forward to your posts. I loved my 3 weeks in Australia and New Zealand, but didn’t get to Tasmania. I remember a foreign exchange student at Lansing from Tasmania and her presentation.
Don’t bother tasting Veggiemite. A guide in the Blue Mountains gave us some🤢.
I used Intrepid and was wonderful, yet know it is all on public transport. Yup, must be an acquired taste with Vegemite, even with the recommendation to put butter then the vegemite on my bread. Love Tim Tams though!
You are IN HOBART! I am the one in need of a repeat trip. I read your posts in the incorrect order!
Mary, always fun living vicariously through your travel blogs.
Thank you for your kind words; love sharing my adventures.
Lovely pictures! Enjoy!
Yes, thanks!