Tasmania

Almost straight after returning to Australia I went to Tasmania to work. Based in Hobart me and two colleagues worked hard for a week and then got some spare time to look around the place. After 15 years in Australia I had never been to Tasmania until this year. And suddenly I was there for the second time within a couple of months time. The weather is cold and wet at this time of year but the landscape and the historical character of the island sucks you in somehow and I am beginning to really like it here.

They say that Tasmanians are a bit slow and in the most remote places you can sometimes even hear the sound of duelling banjos, but I don`t believe it. The folks up the mountains here don´t look like they could play any instrument at all... We walked down Elisabeth Street to the waterfront and turned right pass the yacht club and to the casino. The views are amazing, like one beautiful backdrop in front of the other. The bay, full of sails and the old houses by the waterfront. Behind is the silhouette of Hobart city surrounded by hills and behind that rises the steep mountains with the top covered by mist (I think King Kong lives there).

We had coffee at the casino and then took the water taxi back to the city. Then, lunch at one of the floating fish and chips shops lined up along the Constitution docks

There are a couple of research ships for arctic and marine research based here. Like some of the old sailing ships, they let normal people pay thousands of dollars to be part of the crew for a couple of weeks. It is the adventure of a lifetime to participate in scientific research of Antarctica and its surrounding waters.

We spend most of our time in Hobart, which is very nice except for that the pedestrian traffic lights seems to be designed by Usain Bolt, or at least by someone from Jamaica. The green man turns red long before any fit young person could possibly walk across the street. We have now tendered to the Tasmanian Traffic Authorities to manufacture a new type of lights using different silhouettes (where It says “Don´t Walk” or “Walk” we suggest a change to “Don´t Walk” and “Bolt”)

Here is a plug for the best fish-n-chips in the world for Swedes, who are thinking of visiting me.