We were staying at the Hilton and advised there would be a large cruise liner berthing next to the hotel. There was the Arcadia.
This is the view from the other side of the hotel. Where our room was, we could almost walk onto the aft end of the ship.
We were also told this was a rather extraordinary day because there were two cruise ships in the port. particularly because it was near the end of the cruising season.
The other ship was two berths along, the Sun Princess.
Not as big as the Arcadia, up close it was still very impressive.
We were staying at the Hilton and advised there would be a large cruise liner berthing next to the hotel. There was the Arcadia.
This is the view from the other side of the hotel. Where our room was, we could almost walk onto the aft end of the ship.
We were also told this was a rather extraordinary day because there were two cruise ships in the port. particularly because it was near the end of the cruising season.
The other ship was two berths along, the Sun Princess.
Not as big as the Arcadia, up close it was still very impressive.
The next day we try a different fish and chips vendor. It was a good idea to go back to Mures and have the flathead, but I was foolish and wanted a different experience
And not be disappointed.
In the end, we selected Fishy Business
This order comprised battered flake, battered flathead, hoping that it would be similar to yesterday, sea scallops in batter, chips, two potato cakes, and tartar sauce.
The battered flake was excellent.
The battered flathead was scraps, three small pieces which were probably imported from Vietnam, definitely not fresh or local and, sadly, terrible.
The scallops were delicious.
The potato cakes were alright, but not strictly potatoes cakes, but the sort you get from a supplier. The real potato cakes game batter around a thin slice of potato. They had mashed potatoes, and the batter was not very nice.
For the price we paid, it was enough to say I’d never go back there again. You’d think as a place on the sea they could get it right, making the food themselves, but it gets a mega fail. Only the flake was definitely local.
Maybe next time we’ll try Flippers.
Maybe.
There were other sights and on the obligatory walk after eating, we came across a sailing ship
This ship is called the Windeward Bound, a two-masted brigantine-rigged vessel, and for the sailing buffs, Windeward Bound is rigged with four square sails, three headsails, three staysails between the masts, a gaff mainsail and gaff topsail, totalling 12 sails in all. The total sail area is 402 m2 (4,330 sq ft)
Later we visited the Mawson Hut Replica Museum, and it is authentic in almost every detail. And amazing that 17 men could actually stay together in it and not feel claustrophobic.
It was an eerie experience, and extremely interesting. I could not imagine myself staying in it down in Antarctica, in the freezing conditions.
We were staying at the Hilton and advised there would be a large cruise liner berthing next to the hotel. There was the Arcadia.
This is the view from the other side of the hotel. Where our room was, we could almost walk onto the aft end of the ship.
We were also told this was a rather extraordinary day because there were two cruise ships in the port. particularly because it was near the end of the cruising season.
The other ship was two berths along, the Sun Princess.
Not as big as the Arcadia, up close it was still very impressive.
I knew there was a reason why we don’t travel anymore.
And now, everyone is letting go of the Covid shackles, and the airports are overwhelmed.
Yesterday, the Qantas baggage system broke down and caused endless delays. Today, we’re in a queue that’s literally a mile long, just to be screened before we even get into the terminal.
And, we are in a smaller plane operated by Qantas Link, the main airline’s feeder. Confusingly, it has two names, National Jet Systems, and Qantas Link, the name painted on the aircraft.
Our plane is a Boeing 717, but it is actually an MD 95, made by McDonnell Douglas before Boeing took them over.
And so, it begins…
Boarding time comes and goes, as it always seems to, this time that age-old excuse, the flight attendants are on an incoming flight that is delayed but is on the ground.
That could mean almost anything, but in this case, we’re told, that they are coming from another satellite some distance away. Well, at least they will get some exercise.
9:56. The attendants arrived. They just got off the plane from Newcastle, so it can be confusing, going from destination to destination, well, at least for me it would be. For them, it’s all in a day’s work.
I asked for early boarding because Rosemary cannot walk very well, so it remains to be seen if this happens.
It does, and it’s a slow walk downstairs, and upstairs, but we have to wait because there is a sewerage spill and while waiting to get clearance to board, we’re getting a birds-eye view of the poor man who has to clean it up doesn’t make the wait any easier.
By 10:10, we were on the plane and seated.
We’re organizing a wheelchair and assistance at Hobart, to make things easier.
Minutes later our traveling companions are boarding.
Some confusion reigns, we are sitting in the wrong seats, row 5 instead of row 6. A bit of seat shuffling and everything is good.
10:30: The sewerage spill has been cleaned up. The front door is still open, but they just connected the tow vehicle.
10:33: Doors closed. 10:35: Push back. 10:40: Heading to the runway. 10:45: Take off, or is that wheels up? It’s not on the new second runway, perhaps because there are so many complaints from the residents nearby.
11:00: Time for a snack. It’s Tomato Salsa with corn chips, almonds, and pretzels. 60 grams worth, small but reasonably tasty.
Now we’re left to our own devices, as there is no onboard entertainment, and the plane is too small and too old to have onboard Wi-Fi.
Perhaps a siesta, but the seat is too uncomfortable to find a position that will allow it, so I guess a bit of writing is in order.
That and staring out the window and noticing that we have been hugging the coastline almost all the way south, except for when we were crossing Bass Strait, 32,000 feet above the waves.
Bass Strait is not a waterway you want to willingly cross at the best of times, and I have, once, crossed it at the worst of times, and it wasn’t fun.
1:00: Startin that, you would expect from such conditions.
I had expected, given the forecast for rain and heavy winds that we would have a treacherous landing but it was not, the rain had passed and the wind not as bad, and got on the ground without much ado.
It was exactly as the pilot said, 1:30 pm.
We were the last to disembark, with a wheelchair at the end of the disembarkation ramp, there are no air bridges here in Hobart.
My first impression of the airport, it’s like a country town with a tin shed, though the terminal looks a lot different inside than outside. And they do have international flights.
Our bags we out by the time we reached the baggage carousel, then it was off to the car rental counter for an effortless and pain-free pickup.
The worst thing was the distance from the terminal to where the car was parked.
I knew there was a reason why we don’t travel anymore.
And now, everyone is letting go of the Covid shackles, and the airports are overwhelmed.
Yesterday, the Qantas baggage system broke down and caused endless delays. Today, we’re in a queue that’s literally a mile long, just to be screened before we even get into the terminal.
And, we are in a smaller plane operated by Qantas Link, the main airline’s feeder. Confusingly, it has two names, National Jet Systems, and Qantas Link, the name painted on the aircraft.
Our plane is a Boeing 717, but it is actually an MD 95, made by McDonnell Douglas before Boeing took them over.
And so, it begins…
Boarding time comes and goes, as it always seems to, this time that age-old excuse, the flight attendants are on an incoming flight that is delayed but is on the ground.
That could mean almost anything, but in this case, we’re told, that they are coming from another satellite some distance away. Well, at least they will get some exercise.
9:56. The attendants arrived. They just got off the plane from Newcastle, so it can be confusing, going from destination to destination, well, at least for me it would be. For them, it’s all in a day’s work.
I asked for early boarding because Rosemary cannot walk very well, so it remains to be seen if this happens.
It does, and it’s a slow walk downstairs, and upstairs, but we have to wait because there is a sewerage spill and while waiting to get clearance to board, we’re getting a birds-eye view of the poor man who has to clean it up doesn’t make the wait any easier.
By 10:10, we were on the plane and seated.
We’re organizing a wheelchair and assistance at Hobart, to make things easier.
Minutes later our traveling companions are boarding.
Some confusion reigns, we are sitting in the wrong seats, row 5 instead of row 6. A bit of seat shuffling and everything is good.
10:30: The sewerage spill has been cleaned up. The front door is still open, but they just connected the tow vehicle.
10:33: Doors closed. 10:35: Push back. 10:40: Heading to the runway. 10:45: Take off, or is that wheels up? It’s not on the new second runway, perhaps because there are so many complaints from the residents nearby.
11:00: Time for a snack. It’s Tomato Salsa with corn chips, almonds, and pretzels. 60 grams worth, small but reasonably tasty.
Now we’re left to our own devices, as there is no onboard entertainment, and the plane is too small and too old to have onboard Wi-Fi.
Perhaps a siesta, but the seat is too uncomfortable to find a position that will allow it, so I guess a bit of writing is in order.
That and staring out the window and noticing that we have been hugging the coastline almost all the way south, except for when we were crossing Bass Strait, 32,000 feet above the waves.
Bass Strait is not a waterway you want to willingly cross at the best of times, and I have, once, crossed it at the worst of times, and it wasn’t fun.
1:00: Startin that, you would expect from such conditions.
I had expected, given the forecast for rain and heavy winds that we would have a treacherous landing but it was not, the rain had passed and the wind not as bad, and got on the ground without much ado.
It was exactly as the pilot said, 1:30 pm.
We were the last to disembark, with a wheelchair at the end of the disembarkation ramp, there are no air bridges here in Hobart.
My first impression of the airport, it’s like a country town with a tin shed, though the terminal looks a lot different inside than outside. And they do have international flights.
Our bags we out by the time we reached the baggage carousel, then it was off to the car rental counter for an effortless and pain-free pickup.
The worst thing was the distance from the terminal to where the car was parked.
We ate at the wharves, and a place called Mures, which has sit-down eating.
Originally, we were going to get lunch at Flippers, or one of three choices along the wharf.
The only problem was nowhere to sit and eat.
This means you have to hope the food at Mures tastes any good.
So, we ordered a curried scallop pie with chips and potato salad, a serving of battered flathead, and crumbed prawns.
While we were waiting, I got a bottle of Tasmanian champagne.
Then it arrives. The battered flathead also has a mountain of chips, and we are going to be struggling to eat all of them.
The battered flathead was, as the saying goes, to die for. It’s the best-battered fish I’ve had in a long time.
The curried scallop pie brought back a lot of bad memories of my mother’s curried sausages. It’s the same curry taste, and I used to hate it
It was also similar to the four and twenty curried meat pies I used to have 50 years ago as a teen, with exactly the same taste.
Sadly, it was not a pleasant experience, but the flathead more than made up for it. The potato salad was delicious too, but for something so simple, so many people managed to stuff it up. This was exactly how I liked it.
The champagne was very good too, so the whole experience was above average. Pity about the scallop pie. More scallops and less curry would make it a more pleasant experience.
I knew there was a reason why we don’t travel anymore.
And now, everyone is letting go of the Covid shackles, and the airports are overwhelmed.
Yesterday, the Qantas baggage system broke down and caused endless delays. Today, we’re in a queue that’s literally a mile long, just to be screened before we even get into the terminal.
And, we are in a smaller plane operated by Qantas Link, the main airline’s feeder. Confusingly, it has two names, National Jet Systems, and Qantas Link, the name painted on the aircraft.
Our plane is a Boeing 717, but it is actually an MD 95, made by McDonnell Douglas before Boeing took them over.
And so, it begins…
Boarding time comes and goes, as it always seems to, this time that age-old excuse, the flight attendants are on an incoming flight that is delayed but is on the ground.
That could mean almost anything, but in this case, we’re told, that they are coming from another satellite some distance away. Well, at least they will get some exercise.
9:56. The attendants arrived. They just got off the plane from Newcastle, so it can be confusing, going from destination to destination, well, at least for me it would be. For them, it’s all in a day’s work.
I asked for early boarding because Rosemary cannot walk very well, so it remains to be seen if this happens.
It does, and it’s a slow walk downstairs, and upstairs, but we have to wait because there is a sewerage spill and while waiting to get clearance to board, we’re getting a birds-eye view of the poor man who has to clean it up doesn’t make the wait any easier.
By 10:10, we were on the plane and seated.
We’re organizing a wheelchair and assistance at Hobart, to make things easier.
Minutes later our traveling companions are boarding.
Some confusion reigns, we are sitting in the wrong seats, row 5 instead of row 6. A bit of seat shuffling and everything is good.
10:30: The sewerage spill has been cleaned up. The front door is still open, but they just connected the tow vehicle.
10:33: Doors closed. 10:35: Push back. 10:40: Heading to the runway. 10:45: Take off, or is that wheels up? It’s not on the new second runway, perhaps because there are so many complaints from the residents nearby.
11:00: Time for a snack. It’s Tomato Salsa with corn chips, almonds, and pretzels. 60 grams worth, small but reasonably tasty.
Now we’re left to our own devices, as there is no onboard entertainment, and the plane is too small and too old to have onboard Wi-Fi.
Perhaps a siesta, but the seat is too uncomfortable to find a position that will allow it, so I guess a bit of writing is in order.
That and staring out the window and noticing that we have been hugging the coastline almost all the way south, except for when we were crossing Bass Strait, 32,000 feet above the waves.
Bass Strait is not a waterway you want to willingly cross at the best of times, and I have, once, crossed it at the worst of times, and it wasn’t fun.
1:00: Startin that, you would expect from such conditions.
I had expected, given the forecast for rain and heavy winds that we would have a treacherous landing but it was not, the rain had passed and the wind not as bad, and got on the ground without much ado.
It was exactly as the pilot said, 1:30 pm.
We were the last to disembark, with a wheelchair at the end of the disembarkation ramp, there are no air bridges here in Hobart.
My first impression of the airport, it’s like a country town with a tin shed, though the terminal looks a lot different inside than outside. And they do have international flights.
Our bags we out by the time we reached the baggage carousel, then it was off to the car rental counter for an effortless and pain-free pickup.
The worst thing was the distance from the terminal to where the car was parked.
The next day we try a different fish and chips vendor. It was a good idea to go back to Mures and have the flathead, but I was foolish and wanted a different experience
And not be disappointed.
In the end, we selected Fishy Business
This order comprised battered flake, battered flathead, hoping that it would be similar to yesterday, sea scallops in batter, chips, two potato cakes, and tartar sauce.
The battered flake was excellent.
The battered flathead was scraps, three small pieces which were probably imported from Vietnam, definitely not fresh or local and, sadly, terrible.
The scallops were delicious.
The potato cakes were alright, but not strictly potatoes cakes, but the sort you get from a supplier. The real potato cakes game batter around a thin slice of potato. They had mashed potatoes, and the batter was not very nice.
For the price we paid, it was enough to say I’d never go back there again. You’d think as a place on the sea they could get it right, making the food themselves, but it gets a mega fail. Only the flake was definitely local.
Maybe next time we’ll try Flippers.
Maybe.
There were other sights and on the obligatory walk after eating, we came across a sailing ship
This ship is called the Windeward Bound, a two-masted brigantine-rigged vessel, and for the sailing buffs, Windeward Bound is rigged with four square sails, three headsails, three staysails between the masts, a gaff mainsail and gaff topsail, totalling 12 sails in all. The total sail area is 402 m2 (4,330 sq ft)
Later we visited the Mawson Hut Replica Museum, and it is authentic in almost every detail. And amazing that 17 men could actually stay together in it and not feel claustrophobic.
It was an eerie experience, and extremely interesting. I could not imagine myself staying in it down in Antarctica, in the freezing conditions.
Thrills, Spills, and just a dash of Romance 