Tasmanian capital city and deepwater port, Hobart, with 1270m. Mt. Wellington in background.
The first European to see Tasmania was the intrepid Dutch navigator Abel Tasman, who arrived in 1642 and named it Van Dieman's Land. Despite visits by Bligh and Cook, it was more than 100 years later when Mathew Flinders finally circumnavigated Tassie in 1798 that it's status as an island, and not part of the mainland, was established. Tasmania is pretty close to Antarctica, meaning your sweater (or 'jumper' as they say here) is never out of sight. As the guidebook states : Tasmania has four distinct seasons, although storms can bring wintry conditions at any time of the year. Yup.
This was the big boatshow weekend (Feb 9-13), held every other year in Hobart. Over 500 boats participated this year, and for anyone who loves wooden boats as much as I do, it's a wonderful, and totally overwhelming, experience.
All creatures great and small...
