One nice thing about today was the fact we were already docked in Hobart since we arrived last evening by 8pm. Those folks that were on tours were about the first to get off without having to wait to be cleared by the local officials. The only requirement by Ian was to announce the biosecurity alert regarding products that are not allowed off of the ship. We know it by heart now. Anyway, some of the excursions offered today included a historic walk in Hobart for $50, or a ride to Mt. Wellington and the Botanical Gardens for $70. Out of town tours went to the Huon Valley and Terhune Forest walk for $170, or Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary to see some of Australia's famous animals for $90. In the past, we have visited the sanctuary finding it a lot of fun. How about abalone, oyster, and whiskey tasting? That went for $180. Something to do on your own was a trek to MONA, or the Museum of Old and New Art, which is reportedly controversial, according to our dinner mates. A "unique" experience but leave the young kids home. A great way to see the sights is a ride on the local ho-ho bus, which can be done on your own.
We had so much to do after breakfast, we stayed onboard until noontime. It just so happened that today was the final day of Hobart's Wooden Boat Festival, which was declared a holiday here. Everyone and their brother was at the marina, including us and the passengers on the Ponant Le Soleal (2013) which holds 264 passengers. A small ship at 10,944 gross tons, it is contemporary chic for young-minded couples and singles. It is about all inclusive with 12 zodiacs for offshore exploring. The only complaint we read was there is no walking or jogging deck. Chances are their cruises are much shorter in duration than what we are doing. And port intensive…so who needs to jog?
We have to mention that today was Superbowl LV11 with the Kansas City Chiefs VS the Philadelphia Eagles. The kickoff was at 10:30am here, so many guests stayed onboard to watch the game in the World Stage. It was not announced, but food was available, and the beverages were charged like always. There was no big hype with a fast food buffet and drink deals like we had in the past. But usually this would not be happening on a port day. So things changed with the festivities.
We walked from Macquarie Wharf at Sullivan's Cove where we were docked and ran into Ian, who was coming back to the ship already. We have been here before, but it has been a long time. We asked him which way to turn up the street, and he said we couldn't miss the crowd when we turned left. Boy, was he right. Throngs of locals were crowded at Victoria and Constitution Docks. There were several ancient steam locomotives set up with engines running, attracting folks that knew what they were looking at….mostly the guys. Further up, the marina was full of boats of all kinds, but more so, the tall wooden vessels from the past. Some were opened for people to go onboard and have a look. The deeper we got into the crowd, we realize we were passing by dozens of portable eateries. People were lined up at each venue to buy all types of food. Tables, chairs, and even picnic benches were available to eat the meals. No social distancing here, and absolutely no mask-wearing that we could see. Kids were out of school today, and they were running amuck in the melee.
Passing two piers, we ended up at Parliament Square and the greens that were in front of the Parliament House (also closed today). There were local families sitting on the greens enjoying lunch and watching a three- person acting team put on a show for the younger kids. We happened to pass by a hop on hop off bus stop where we found one of their brochures. Somehow we missed that info center in the cruise terminal when we left the building. Anyway, we got our bearings and followed the map up the street to get away from the crowd.
We found St. David's Park which housed many trees, two of which were gigantic coast redwoods from California. Going further up the street we located St. David's Cathedral, Anglican Church we assume. They were hosting the 55th annual floral festival, so we went inside to check it out. Inside the foyer were two docents that handed out brochures and also a slip of paper to vote for the best floral display. The theme of this festival was really recognizing the importance of water in relation to growing flowers. It was tied to the bible from what we read. After circling the inside of the church and seeing all of the displays, we agreed that one with yellow, orange, and white flowers was the best. They were all nice, so we really think the reason for the voting was to obtain your email address and get you on their mailing list forever. We wrote down that we were from the MS Zuiderdam…. period.
Continuing on, we passed by numerous period buildings/turned businesses. They were all in the Central Business District, although we did not have enough time to explore that area. On the way back, we went through another park called Franklin Square. A huge fountain was here as well as lots of seating surrounding the fountain. A group from the ship was on their walking tour here, but no one we knew. Walking downhill, we located the information center which was loaded with brochures. Can never get enough printed info. Just so we remember for the next time we may be here, there were big restrooms across from the travel center.
Locals were still dining at the food stalls while we checked out those wooden sailing boats from the old days. Some were taking reservations for a harbor ride. We could hear some kind of competition going on at the marina. Turned out to be a derby race with kids that had created a boat from scratch. Unfortunately, most of the craft sunk, leaving the kids swimming in the water. The one that was made from an old bathtub won first place, but it had also sunk to the bottom of the marina. Pretty funny, but it was a big deal for those who competed.
There were some real restaurants near the marina that were opened, but were jammed pack with customers. No lunch or beer for us today, since all aboard was 3:30pm. Back at the ship, we ended up with a room service lunch which was also perfect. Had to include a bowl of their chicken spaghetti soup since it was so cold out today. It looked like it could rain all day, but it never did. Of course, we had the umbrellas just in case.
The ship left the pier by 4pm, and we watched as all of the boats came out of the marinas. We felt as if they were out there to watch us leave the harbor, or it was the official end of the four day festival. Hobart is actually located on the River Derwent, so when we got out into the open waters, it was windy and rough. And cold. By dinnertime we had come out into Storm Bay, and the going got even rougher. But before we got to the open waters, a cool rainbow appeared on the port side of the ship. It came and went, but eventually appeared in full colors. Ian came on the speakers and said to check it out. We always consider a rainbow a good luck sign.
Speaking of dinner, we had company tonight. Heo and Greg were off to a special anniversary dinner for friends, so Susie had invited mutual friends Ginni and Rich to join us. We had a really nice visit with them, and even though we have known them for several years, this ship is so much bigger than the Amsterdam, that we seldom cross paths. We all had three years of catching up to do. Dinner starters were fried calamari and chicken noodle soup again. Salads were eaten, then one of us had the barramundi and the other a pot roast meal….both good. Desserts were one very decadent chocolate cake, which was more like a hunk of chocolate fudge with ice cream. The fruit plate was great as always.
We have one day at sea to relax, then we will be two days in Adelaide, another fabulous city down under.
Bill & Mary Ann
