Though, like everything in Tasmania , back to front to my way of thinking, weather-wise, as Launceston is hotter than Hobart , the temp drops by about 5 degrees during the trip.
So I made the most of the sunshine by popping up to seeing the monkeys in City Park and the renowned Design Centre, but finally had to get in the car. I left Launceston in brilliant sunshine, following the midland highway down the heart of the country. The major traffic is logging Lorries, massive trucks which scared the life out of me; given this are mainly one lane uneven road surfaces….
First stop Richmond , and for the first time I fully appreciated the beauty of the colonial legacy in the ‘villages’ which dot the country. It is, like Westbury et al, simply a tree lined road lined with classic architecture (now coffee shops, antique shops etc) and churches, with an arched stone bridge. Richmond Bridge is particularly beautiful, built by convicts, like so much of Tasmania ; it’s richly carved in sandstone.
Next stop was Oatlands, an echo of Richmond , but with the addition of a working flour mill and stunning wetlands. I’ve become fascinated with the horticulture of the country, the trees are so weird. The Huon Pine, the blue leaves of the Gum Tree, the black wood lining the swamps, and the black swans, which are everywhere.
the view from Richmond
The middle of the country winds through rolling yellow hills, dotted with pine forests, and the mountains of east and west looming either side.
I had to trust the gps, but she didn’t let me down, as within ten miles of Hobart (there really are only 2 towns in Tas, north and south) traffic appears from nowhere, as do roads, suburbs, traffic lights, etc…panic! Luckily she got me and the car round numerous one way systems and into an underground car park-the right one!
Ah, the luxury, bath/TV/kettle/towels/soap, etc, though needless to say despite sinking into bed with a sigh of relief, I slept badly for the first time for ages.
Monday
Autumn has arrived in Hobart . The leaves are in full colour , reds and golds abound everywhere. The Botanical Gardens could be a different place, the Acers are every shade from pale pink to deep brown, the flowers, courtesy of rainfall, now in beautiful bloom, superb orchids.
The swift parrots are everywhere, (endangered species, apparently.) and their bright plumage much easier to see without the bright sunshine, I look up expecting to see sparrows and instead a multi-coloured bird looks down!
There is a distinct nip in the air too, but luckily I had saved the art gallery trawl for my return. Salamanca ‘s galleries alone took 2 hours to explore, art of every description.
The low pressure storm across South Australia (causing massive floods ) has led to a P and O cruise liner to take shelter in Hobart , towering over the town. It’s become the main tourist attraction, and the wealthy tourist’s spending money in the galleries was almost as absorbing as the art works!
The well hidden Allsop museum has a great exhibition of tourism posters from the 1920s to 1950s, from a campaign called ‘come to Tasmania -the Wonderland’, which was run by the Tasmanian Government at the time. Nowadays, as the librarian confirmed, it seems to me that the country undersells itself; I knew so little about it before I came and it is such a fantastic place.
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