Tasmania

Been away recently to Tasmania. Had a trip down there for my close friend Pete's wedding.



Seems to be a very laid back unspoiled place, but not without some of the trappings of civilization. We stayed in Hobart, the capital in a lovely serviced apartment called Somerset on the Pier on the water.



I was surprised at how colonial the city feels, with so many Victorian era buildings still standing. Reminded me very much of parts of Glasgow or Dublin.



We also got away to another sort of preserved colonial town called Richmond, and down to spooky Port Arthur a former prison settlement for convict reoffenders. Quite interesting to see, and reflect on the the history of the settlement of Australia.


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On our last day there we took a cruise to the infamous Cadbury Factory for a Willy Wonka style factory tour, although there were no Umpa Lumpas. We stocked up on far too much chocolate for our own good.



On the way back from the cruise we saw a huge catamaran being built, worth a whopping $85 million. There's a link to Incat, the firm that manufactures them here.



We also saw the Aurora Australis docked in Hobart. It was awesome to see an Antarctic ice breaker up close. There's heaps on information on Australia's Antarctic division here. Their website makes me wish I had followed Science instead on media. Would be amazing to go on one of those research mission to Antarctica.



Tasmania is certainly worth a visit if you're living in Australia or planning on a trip over here.