Caboose

The morning after the wedding, not feeling all that great, I wandered from the backpacker hostel up the road to Avis to collect my hire car. I’d booked a Hyundai Getz (or something similar) but they didn’t have any, so instead I got a free upgrade to a Toyota Rav4. This had the advantage that I could sleep in the car (folding down the back seats) and the disadvantage of using quite a bit more petrol. The only other problem was the automatic gearbox, I don’t like having to guess when the car is going to decide to change gear for me.

My first destination was a bit of getting used to the car, driving up Mount Wellington above Hobart. It’s a popular spot to get a view over the city and also houses a few communications towers.

After that I started on my tour, taking in the Port Arthur Historic Site, a walk to Cape Hauy, Wineglass Bay (camping free at Friendly Beaches), Devonport (not very exciting), Cradle Mountain National Park and back to Hobart.


I was glad I turned back from a longer walk before that cloud and rain rolled in at Cradle Mountain.

Port Arthur is an interesting place, originally an experiment in new methods of treating criminals following the revolutionary idea that it might be possible to reform them. Most of the buildings are now ruins after years of bushfires, neglect and deliberate attempts to hide Tasmania’s ‘shameful’ past. It’s also somewhat notorious after the massacre in 1996. I noticed that none of the official information mentioned the shooter’s name, I wonder if this is a deliberate policy?