Thursday – November 1, 2018
The Tasman Sea lived up to its reputation as a windy & wild sea but we finally arrived at the Australian island of Tasmania early this morning. The Majestic Princess steadily cruised up the Derwent River to the city of Hobart and quietly tied up at the dock.
I had read that Hobart gets only 40 days of sunshine a year so I was very surprised and elated to see a beautiful sunny day from our balcony. It was a cool 43 degrees but crystal clear! Mount Wellington towered over the capital city:
Since this was our first stop in the country of Australia, all the passengers had to disembark and be screened by the Australian Immigration Service. The process was well organized with many inspectors so we passed through quickly and easily. We had obtained on-line Visas which were electronically connected to our passports, before we left home.
Hobart is the capital city of the island state of Tasmania. The Parliament Building overlooks the port and the CBD (Central Business District) had many law offices. The port is designated an historic district of renovated warehouses. Salamanca Street has many boutiques and cafes.
We went to the Hobart Museum and Art Gallery to see their eclectic collection of historic and modern artifacts. There were many well designed interactive exhibits. The museum described the plight of the original aboriginal people and the waves of European immigrants. There was an excellent exhibit on early expeditions to the Antarctic. We also saw displays of plants and animals which are unique to Tasmania, including the Tasmanian Devil.
The weather was fantastic today and warmed up to 77 degrees. We considered ourselves very lucky. Our time ashore passed quickly and we returned to the ship well before our 4:30 “Sail Away.”
Two tugboats were tied up at an adjacent dock waiting to assist the Majestic Princess later.
Clouds began to form over Mount Wellington before we cast off and by the time of our departure, there was a gray mist over Hobart and it began to rain lightly. We were so lucky to enjoy a gorgeous sunny day in Tasmania. Tonight we travel north toward the continent of Australia. We will arrive in Melbourne on Saturday.
