Fern Tree Playground

Today started with a trip to the Farm Gate Markets. They were literally around the corner from where I’m staying. They are more my kind of markets than the Salamanca markets. Everything has to be grown, produced or made by the stall holders. I bought some slow cooked beef, various small goods, sauerkraut, seeded crackers, and cheese.

After putting all the shopping away I headed back to the Brooke st Pier to catch the bus to kunanyi/Mt Wellington. It was a lovely drive of about 45 minutes. There were some gorgeous rhododendrons in gardens on the way up. I’m glad I didn’t try and drive up myself. The road is quite narrow and very windy. The driver was very informative and had lots of stories.

The view on the way up and up at the top was fantastic. It was cold but a bracing cold and not unbearable. I was really lucky with the weather as it was a fine day, unlike yesterday which drizzled all night and a storm came through during the night. One of the buildings on the waterfront was hit by lightning and a fire started. We couldn’t see Cradle Mountain but we could still see pretty far.

I had a late lunch at the hotel after returning and then had a rest. I’m reading a book set in Hobart in the 1880s and some of the characters live at the Springs partway up Mt Wellington. Today really put a lot of that in context although I can’t imagine regularly walking into Hobart from halfway up the mountain. There is a half marathon “Point to Pinnacle” that operates in November. The runners run from the Wrest Point Casino to the top of the mountain. We saw some people possibly training for that on our way up.

I got a bit sidetracked by the book (to the surprise of no one who knows me well) and it was close to three before I got going again. I went down to the shopping precinct to buy some sunglasses as I left mine at home. I don’t wear them all that much but will need them for upcoming boat trips. I wandered around looking for the cat and the fiddle clock that is in the area. I found the arcade but not the actual clock despite going round in circles several times.

Back to the hotel for a shower and then down to the Drunken Admiral for a seafood dinner. I had kingfish sashimi followed buy salmon in tomato, capers and olives. I can tick eat salmon in Tasmania off my to do list.
I walked around the port looking at restored yachts and reading the various information signs. I could hear church bells in the distance that had been going to a while. I tracked them down to St David’s Cathedral. Apparently there was a visiting band who were playing. It was very loud as you got close.

I pick up my hire car tomorrow and start exploring the rest of the island.Read more