Southern Tour Day 6: Wandering Hobart

By the numbers

12.31 kms

16,618 steps

I woke with a headache and the only thing I could contribute that tro was m y extra long walk the day before where I ended up walking pretty far and exploring the Hobart countryside. I didn’t want to get up on my last day in the city, but I was happy that I had canned my visit to Richmond as my head at the time was not ready for another day trip. I got some sandwiches from Woolworths. One included egg that I will save for the next day as I am heading to Launceston and I have a fridge. I had a coffee at the same time. Turns out I had a wardrobe malfunction as my long sleeved shirt was stick like a reverse cape inside my jumper. I walked to and from the shops like that and at first wondered what the cloth was doing inside my jumper at the traffic lights.

 

After my head cleared and I had food, I decided that I wanted to see Government House as that would be a great photo. I was unable to sort out a tour from the night before, so I would have another plan instead and that would be just walk through the gates for a photo. I headed towards that particular area as I knew it might be a little bit of a walk. Along the way I stopped across from the Woolshed apartments to have a look at the bunch of buildings that housed Hogs Breath cafe. It was where the first electric current in 1898 that ran until 1917. I thought it was interesting that it was the gasworks. I had to walk back towards the city as I couldn’t cross over the highway from where I was to the cenotaph war memorial. I soon found something that I had not expected and that was a track under the busy roads that takes you to a roundabout with a fountain.

 

I popped out where the TV stations were as in ABC, ch 10 and Win. I couldn’t go far from there so returned and appeared at a rose garden below a stunning building known as Domain House that I later learnt was part of University of Tasmania. I was going to walk up for pictures, but the need for a loo won. I had to get over the busy freeway to get to where the loos were. The same ones I had used the night before on my return to the city. There was luckily an overpass that I took. I was going to return later on, but that loo was required. Once there was relief, I wandered over to have a look at the cenotaph and watched as several Rosellas play. Back over the overpass, I headed up the hill that my phone map was telling me to do as I followed the soldiers trail of local people who served during WW1 and passed away during the war. Part way up I came across a Magazine, where gunpowder had been stored. It was there when I seen a hopping rat thing, but have no idea what it is.

 

Leaving the hopping rat thing behind, I found another one, but I missed taking a pic of it as I realised I had been walking away from Government House. I found I had been closer than I thought. The problem was the gate was shut and there was even a padlock on the gate. That told me I would not be welcome to enter along with signs saying private residence. I doubt I would be allowed in and right next door was the Botanic gardens, which I had a little wander around before heading back towards the city again. I did spend some minutes watching a honey eater in some flowers and ducks walking around in the gardens. There was even a gift shop and I had the thought, I could start buying patches to collect and include them to a piece of cloth of sorts. As a record of places I have been. Hang it up after a while and see what happens.

 

I decided it was time even though it was early afternoon to return to the room as I didn’t want to stay outside for too long as it was already chilly and on the way down the hill. I stopped off at Domain house to have a look around. You could tell it was part of the university campus, but I headed to the bakery for a scallop pie to see what they were like. It was like a chunky pie. Even if it was afternoon I was still unsure if it was going to rain or not. I had a look in several shops before returning. Someone thought I was looking at checking in, but I said I was getting my phone out for the key. When I did leave again I was hunting down a palmy from a nearby put where I ended up sitting at the bar.

 

Since this was my last day in the city, I will be heading to Launceston for a day or so before getting the ferry over to Melbourne. That should be fun unless it is rough and then I will know what sleepless would be like.