Tasmania travels - Hobart Town

Up early for a quick walk around Salamanca Markets, where lots of pretty things were to be found and bought. 

We found the crowds a bit overwhelming and decided to head for the hills and the Truganini Conservation Area, about 10km from the city.

We took a short walk along the Truganini Track and around the Historic Mt Nelson Signal Station. The grassy area had great views over Hobart and Bruny Island - perfect for when Mt Wellington is hiding under the clouds. 

Which it did. Every other day we were there. 

Next stop was Wrest Point as it was on the  list of Tiger Track stamp venues.
We happily received an impressive stamp that filled a whole page of our book. 
Almost as big as the real thing. 

A wander around the waterfront and beautifully manicured lawns was a nice way to spend some time and the views were pretty darned great. 

A short drive back to the city had us arriving at The ‘Tench’ Penitentiary Chapel. Over 40,000 convicts passed through here on their way to the various penal colonies. Cells, gallows, courtrooms and information boards told the tale of the convicts that once were here.  It was a short visit for us, but worth popping in for a self guided tour of the historic site.



Walking down towards the waterfront, we passed by the Oldest  Pub in Australia,  the Hope and Anchor.

We saw some laneway street art of a Tasmanian Tiger...

... and got up close and personal with a real one at TMAG.


Customs House Hotel was good for a cheeky afternoon glass of something and some share plates for a late lunch/early dinner.  A favourite of yachties, one wall features photographs of past winners of the Sydney to Hobart Race. 
On one occasion, we had been in town on the 28th December and watched the winners come into the harbour, after their 2 day sail along the East coast and across Bass Strait.
I'll stick with a comfy trip on the Spirit of Tasmania, thanks. 

Constitution Dock has to be one of the most picturesque places in Australia. Those stunning old buildings in their pastel colours and that harbour with pink skies reflected on its glassy waters. Stunning.

And then there's the fantastic pubs and restaurants in the precinct, where seafood and fresh local produce make for amazing meals to remember for a long time to come. We ate dessert at The Lounge by Frogmore Creek more than once. The sweet treats were works of art. Almost too good to eat. 
Almost.

We walked out of there, feeling as stuffed as that Tassie Tiger at TMAG.
A good sleep was next on our to-do-list, as we had a big day ahead at Bruny Island.

Tasmania Travels - Hobart, Cascade Female Factory, MONA

We had a list of things to do in Hobart that was a mile long. Having our own car with us made the roadtrip so much easier. We were able to bring all our creature comforts from home, like extra items to keep the kids busy, plenty of clothes to suit the changeable weather, our own pillows  and our beloved coffee machine. 

Fuelled by a good breakfast in our apartment and a couple of espressos, we set off for our busy day exploring.

The Cascade Female Factory was our first stop. We explored the former convict facility, where more than 5000 women and children were imprisoned in the 1800s. Girls as young as 11 were sent here from England. As a mum of a girl the same age, I can’t begin to imagine how traumatic that must have been for those poor kids and young women. 

The self guided tour took us around what remains of the original site. From walled exercise yards to open spaces where buildings once stood, iron sculptures added to the vision in my mind of what it used to look like. 

My kids were fascinated by 3 nuns who were also wandering around with us.  I’m not sure they had seen nuns up close and had only heard stories of my Catholic school upbringing to make a connection with. Luckily, these sisters were lovely to chat to and seemed much nicer than the ruler wielding tyrants I recall. 

The kids completed an activity book and collected a stamp for their history lesson of the day. 

Next up, MONA. As much as it would have been fun to ride on the sheep seat ferry, we had a car, so we drove there.

The carpark had some wacky parking going on…

...and the parking attendants weren’t really doing a great job. It’s so hard to find good help these days.

Inside, we spent a couple of hours wandering around. Some works were a little …um…adult themed “cover your eyes, kidlets”, but we managed to manoeuvre around and see as much as we could of the kid friendly art. Every now and then we would take turns to sneak off, one at a time, to see the rest of the works.

 

Putter’s Adventure  Golf was next on the agenda, with two sets of 18 holes at Moonah’s Mini Golf course. Indoor and outdoor courses, with waterfalls, waterwheels and a lovely garden setting.

A random couple gave the kids a deck of cards and an emoji toy they had won in the arcade games, but didn’t
want. Kids were suitable thrilled with their gifts. We played with that deck of cards many times during our holiday. Thanks!

Having worked up an appetite, we went looking for dinner, which turned out to be a delicious seafood chowder at Constitution Dock.  

A day well spent in Hobart town.

P.S we saved a few $ by using the Entertainment Book at Female Factory and Putter's.
P.P.S. I may have spent said savings on a glass of Sauvignon Blanc to go with my chowder. 😆

Wall to Wall StreetArt Festival, Benalla

We visited Benalla last year, just after the Wall to Wall Festival had left town, but it didn't matter too much, as these giant masterpieces on the sides of the town's buildings weren't just there for the weekend - they were now part of the town's landscape.
This year, we made a special trip to Benalla to take part in the festival. Not on a cherry picker with a hundred aerosol cans, but a giant paint-by-numbers project that anyone could participate in - and it was ace!
Renowned artists like Kaff-eine had returned again to add their touch to the town...



...and Kaff-eine had also painted the outline of these prancing unicorns, for the public to colour. 6 tins of paint, 6 brushes and a few hundred punters of all ages lined up to try their hand at some street art, Benalla Style.
We chose our colours, grabbed our brushes and set to work. 
Opting for white, hot pink and a light turquoise, our chosen sections were brushed with careful strokes...
...and steady hands.

Suitably chuffed at our masterpiece, we then wandered around town, watching as the real artists turned plain brick walls into incredibly lifelike portraits, cool animations and breathtakingly beautiful designs.
Some of the artists are just starting out and others are known for their work all over the world. They get to work on the most incredible projects and in amazing locations.
Stencils and aerosols - the tools of the trade.
Ladders and scaffolding - the work benches.

Such a cool gig! For mere mortals like myself, who are happy enough to colour in the numbered sections of such masterpieces, or stand back and admire the rest, it's pretty darn good just doing that. 
The art is on display all over town, including the library and the skate park. I didn't get to see those in person, so now I have another reason to visit beautiful Benalla again.

What: Wall to Wall Street Art

Where: Benalla  
When: Daily 
Why: public art 
How Much: FREE to walk around and explore
Nearby: Goorambat Uniting Church  Winton Wetlands

Goorambat Uniting Church

In a quiet little town...

 ...in a quiet little church...
...you might expect to see a few icons, maybe some stained glass.

You wouldn't expect to find a huge mural, painted by one of Australia's best street artists, Adnate - but there it is. 

The entire back wall of the church has been transformed into a stunning portrait of a biblical figure, Sophia and a white dove.

The details in the portrait are amazing, the colours so rich and vibrant. The small congregation that meets once a month sure have the prettiest church around.
The mural was painted over a few days, during this year's Wall to Wall Festival. Not just limited to Benalla this year, the street art now reaches further afield to places like Goorambat and Winton Wetlands, giving visitors a greater region to explore when in the area.

What: Gooramabat Uniting Church
Where: 97 Halls Rd, Goorambat
When: Weekends 9am-5pm
Why: street art
How much: FREE to visit
Related posts: Wall to Wall Benalla Winton Wetlands Landscape Art

Bunjil Shelter

Just 10 minutes drive out of Stawell, and one of the most important Victorian sites in Aboriginal culture, Bunjil Shelter was on our must visit list. 
An information board in the carpark gave us directions to the site, which was just a short distance away.

Sandy gravel paths and stone steps led up to the rock formations on the hill.

In the 1960's, a fence was put around the cave to protect it from further vandalism. I didn't mind having to peer through the fence, for the privilege of being able to see such a significant piece of art in its original site.

The painting depicts Bunjil the creator and two dingoes, taking shelter in this cave. Red ochre and white clay coloured the portrait of the deity and his canine companions. It's the only known rock painting of Bunjil.

 

Some of the granite rocks had sheer faces, as if sliced by a huge knife. Others were smooth and round, like enormous eggs.The colours ranged from golden brown to dark charcoal in places.

The views from the site were amazing. The wide brown land was dotted with trees, which became increasingly more dense as it neared the Grampians in the distance.

The 200m track was easy to walk and only a short section was steep.

The area was quiet, with only the sound of birds overhead and in the surrounding trees. I spotted a few wildflowers, but no wildlife. 
Whilst we were there,  only one other  car arrived, making our visit that much more serene and we could imagine what it must have been like here  over 8,000 years ago, when the artist painted the rock.
Well worth the visit.


What: Bunjil Shelter

Where: Bunjils Cave Rd, Black Range Scenic Reserve

When: Daily      

Why: Aboriginal art
How much: FREE