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Hawai’i 2020

January - March 2020
A 71-day adventure by Betty Read more
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  • TravelerHawai’i 2020
    1
    Day 43

    Manly Beach

    February 19, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I got a late start today as I FaceTimed Alyssa and family at her request. It was a good time because little Leila was jabbering and very active. Then I had to deal with my finances as my debit card got rejected when I tried to make an ATM withdrawal, the cheapest way to get foreign currency. I had checked with the credit union before leaving home so there shouldn’t have been any issues. Since I arrived I have been using my Visa card but it would be nice to have cash for any small purchases. After 3 tries I was able to find a bank that would exchange my USD for AUD ($50 USD = $71 AUD).

    My plan for today was to take the ferry to Manly Beach, a 30 minute cruise through the harbour, at a reasonable price of $13 return. Unfortunately, as I approached Circle Quay my ferry was just pulling out, meaning I had to wait 30 minutes for the next ferry. It was nice to see the city from a different perspective.

    When I arrived at Manly Beach I stopped at the Tourist Information office to get a map and recommendations. The man I spoke to gave me very poor advice which really spoiled my afternoon. First I went to Manly Beach and walked about a km on the boardwalk. My only other objective was to see Quarantine Beach where immigrant ships and convicts were quarantined with infectious diseases, particularly the European plague, from the 1830s until 1984. The property has been converted into a hotel and conference centre maintaining all the original buildings. The Tourist Office told me I could get there by bus or by a 25 minute walk. I chose to walk the route he had recommended but he didn’t tell me that it was over 2 km straight uphill! Nor did he tell me that the Visitor Centre and buildings closed at 4 o’clock! The map I was given was very poor and when I encountered a young man on the road he too was confused. After walking for over an hour I eventually ran into two couples who were staying at the hotel so they invited me to join them. It turns out they were all teachers who once taught in Cold Lake, Alberta. Unfortunately, all the museum buildings were closed as well so all I got to see was a short tour of the property from the mini-shuttle bus provided by the hotel. What a disappointment after all that effort! The teachers were fun though and I did get to see an echidna!

    I wisely took the bus back to the wharf where the ferry was waiting. I didn’t get back to the apartment until 8 pm after a long, frustrating, poorly planned day.    Read more

  • TravelerHawai’i 2020
    Day 44

    Bondi to Coogee

    February 20, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    While yesterday was a bit of a disappointment, today’s adventure more than made up for it. I took the public bus to Bondi Beach, which was a 40 minute ride through suburban Sydney. The bus fare was only $7.50 return as fares are based on km travelled. Bondi is world famous amongst surfers. Although the beach is massive there are signs all along saying no swimming allowed. The only place for swimming is a short stretch between the flags where the lifeguards are and they patrol the beach to enforce this. “Between the flags” applies to all the public beaches and there is actually a clothing shop in Bondi with this name that sells expensive t-shirts.

    The coastal walk extends for 6 km along the Eastern shore and is well marked. There are six beaches along the route as well as an underwater nature trail. The sand is fine and white. Most beaches have surf clubs with seawater pools. The surf club at Bondi is called Icebergs because the members swim year round. The clubs offer a lifesaving program whereby indigenous youth are learning to be lifeguards.

    The condition of the walk is very good and is popular with mostly young tourists and locals who use it for fitness walks. There are a lot of ups and downs, including stairs and steep inclines, especially the last km which is all uphill. It is estimated to take 2 hours but it took me 3 hours as I stopped for rest breaks, a picnic lunch, and to take in the awesome views. It was the most unforgettable walk!

    I walked around Coogee and then hopped on the bus. As if I hadn’t done enough walking, I walked around the CBD before collapsing in the apartment around 8 pm. The best part of a winter holiday.....Steps 19,644, 13.7 km! I would never do this in Winnipeg in February!    Read more

  • TravelerHawai’i 2020
    Day 45

    So long Sydney

    February 21, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Sydney is an amazing international city where I could hear multiple foreign languages spoken as I explored. It was very clean and I always felt safe. They have a homeless problem as most cities do these days but I did see outreach workers talking with individuals lying on the sidewalk. In many areas there were buskers and the instrument of choice seemed to be the keyboard, not the usual guitar. When walking down the street I noticed that people walked on the left side of the street as they do when driving. The streets were busy with people from morning until evening. It’s sad that our downtown doesn’t have the same vibrancy.

    My apartment was in a great location where I could walk everywhere and the design of the city made it easy to navigate. In 1968 it was the tallest residential building in the Southern Hemisphere according to a plaque in the front lobby. I felt a little anxious being on the 27th floor, especially when the building manager came to test the new fire alarm system and it wasn’t working in my place. The AirBnB host had left instructions to open the window when cooking because if there was a false alarm I would be charged the $1800 fee that is billed by the fire department. There are no screens so two insects flew in one evening and promptly got squished but then I saw a bird fly by and I immediately wondered what I would do if it flew in the window! Although I found most people friendly and helpful, it was apparent that it is not appropriate to talk in the elevator. I made that mistake the first day and got strange looks. One thing I didn’t like about the apartment was the rude awakening every morning around 8. That was when the jackhammers would start up. There is a big construction project down the street but with the single pane windows it sounded like the workers were right in the apartment with me.

    My bags were packed and I was out the door by 11. It was moving day!    Read more

  • TravelerHawai’i 2020
    Day 45

    Hello Hobart

    February 21, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    The train, which is what the locals call their subway or underground system, was only two long blocks away. I got on what I thought was the airport express but on the way to the first stop I realized this was not the right train. So I hopped off, as well as one lugging a 20 kg suitcase can hop, and I was on my way on the next train. Security at the airport was much more lax than I am used to. Shoes don’t have to be removed and I was allowed to bring my full bottle of water with me. The main thing they were concerned about was aerosols, such as puffers.

    It was a smooth two-hour flight to Hobart, the capital of the state of Tasmania. I purchased a return fare on the Sky Bus for $33, which took me within three blocks of my next home. I was able to get a last-minute reduced rate on a one-bedroom apartment at the Mantra Hotel, a 1920s heritage building. For less than the price of a hotel room I have a large apartment with a partial kitchen plus the added bonus of a washer and dryer, much needed at this point. On check-in I asked about the possibility of insects as I was getting tired of being on alert for them. I was happy to hear that there would be none as it is generally too cold in Tasmania for most bugs, unlike the tropical environment in Sydney.

    I headed to the local Woolies to stock up on food. On my way I came across a free Friday evening music event at one of the parks. The music was the blues so I stopped and listened for awhile. It reminded me of the Grand Forks concerts as there were all age groups there.

    The population of Hobart is just over 240,000, 45% of the total population of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a British penal colony it is the second oldest city in Australia, second only to Sydney. The city is hilly and of course my hotel is situated at the top of a hill. The temperature is going to be much cooler here and it will definitely be a more relaxing week than in Sydney.    Read more

  • TravelerHawai’i 2020
    Day 46

    Exploring

    February 22, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    The Saturday morning Salamanca Market is the largest in Australia and is a major attraction in Tasmania. There was a little bit of everything....garden produce, artisans, local foods, locally produced gin, food booths and entertainment. I was impressed but there were so many people there, in part because a large cruise ship was in port.

    After lunch I took a leisurely stroll along the waterfront and discovered another free music event. This was a Blues, Brews and BBQs Festival sponsored by a local brewery. There were a lot of people crammed into a small space so I listened to a couple of songs and then moved on.

    It was warm and sunny. I slowed my pace down and enjoyed a relaxing day. For dinner I walked across the street to a locals hotel and pub called The Welcome Stranger Hotel and ordered a pizza for take-out. The pizza wasn’t the best but the experience was worth it.    Read more

  • TravelerHawai’i 2020
    Day 47

    Museum & gardens

    February 23, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    First stop was the Tasmanian Museum & Gallery. I wasn’t expecting much but they had three floors of exhibits and it was very well done. I spent three hours there learning about indigenous culture, the extinct Tasmanian tiger, history of Tasmania, and so much more.

    Then I walked to the Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens. The map said it was only 2 km but it was all up-hill and the signage was poor so I ended up taking a roundabout route, eventually finding my way with the help of an elderly Scottish lady walking her dogs. The gardens were very nice but not many flowers were in bloom considering it was the end of summer. There was a Tasmanian Wine Festival with live music in one section of the garden so I got to hear music as I walked about. There were many intoxicated men leaving the gardens at the end of the day, and these weren’t youngsters. Tasmanians really seem to love music! After walking several km I was glad it was down-hill all the way back to the apartment.    Read more

  • TravelerHawai’i 2020
    Day 48

    “Grind rogues into honest men”

    February 24, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    One of my main reasons to visit Tasmania was to learn about the history of it being a penal colony. So I booked a van shuttle to the Port Arthur Historic Site which was a 1 1/2 hour drive from Hobart. Tour companies use the tourist office just down the street from me as the main pick-up point so it was convenient. Tasmania is seeing strong growth in tourism which supports 17% of total employment. One day there were nearly 5,000 cruise passengers in town from two cruise ships. The place was hopping. I think because of the demand the tour companies are charging a lot for their tours. This company charged $60 for the shuttle ride to and from the historic site. There was no commentary as the driver’s microphone wasn’t working. Petrol averages $1.50 AUD a litre but I still saw this fare as excessive.

    The route to the site was on a narrow, two-lane winding road but our young driver, Maddie, seemed to have good driving skills. As we left the Hobart area the landscape changed to rolling hills, forests, and so many lakes....huge lakes. I saw cattle, horses, goats, llamas and two echidnas, but no kangaroos. We drove through the Tasman National Park which is popular for recreational activities like camping, hiking, boating and fishing. There is a well-known hike in this area called the Three Capes Track, a one-way 46 km track with overnight huts. The coastal area is rocky and rugged and looks beautiful in the photos. Two couples my age had just completed the track and were in our van returning to Hobart. They were loud and boisterous as they relived the experience. It was something I would have enjoyed doing.

    We arrived at Port Arthur at noon. The admission fee was $40 AUD and there was no discount for seniors unless you could prove AU or NZ residency. This included a 40 minute guided walking tour and a 30 minute harbour cruise to the Isle of the Dead cemetery and the boys prison. Our tour guide was a man from California and he was very entertaining, not the usual dry, fact-laden talk. The site was chosen because it was at the south point of the Tasman Peninsula making it difficult to escape from. It was established in 1830 and initially used male convicts to produce logs for government projects. In 1833 it became a punishment station for repeat offenders from all the colonies, including Canada. The youngest prisoner was 9 years old and one of the boys that Oliver Twist was based on was a resident at the Boys Prison. By 1840 more than 2000 convicts, soldiers and civil staff lived here. It all ended in 1853 and Port Arthur became an institution for aging and physically and mentally ill convicts. Some of the administrators believed in hard labour and punishment but later they introduced solitary confinement which broke a lot of the men. The settlement closed in 1877 and tourism began, becoming a World Heritage site in 2010. In 1996 a gunman took the lives of 35 people, wounding 19 others in and around the site, adding to the tragic history of Port Arthur. There are 11 sites across Australia that show the world’s first conscious attempt to build a new society on the labour of convicted prisoners. What a concept! Most Tasmanians today are descendants of these convicts.

    We had to return to the city at 4 o’clock so that really only allowed about 2 hours to independently tour the buildings. I made it to most of them but not all. It was a pricey but fascinating day.    Read more

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