Two Tasmanian Devils

 

Yesterday, Friday, we were in Hobart and today we were in Port Arthur to wrap up our 3 days in Tasmania.  In Hobart, our main destination was the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.  After leaving the ship, we walked through the port area and city.

We began our climb up to the gardens by passing through the Queen's Domain with its rose garden.

We then walked along the Soldiers Memorial Avenue where trees were planted in honor of WWI soldiers who lost their lives.  Each tree had a placard memorializing a soldier.

We eventually made it to the gardens which we found to be lovely.  We loved the lily pond.

There was a section of Tasmanian plants that included descriptions of how the plants were used by the indigenous people.

After a refreshing stop for coffee and scones . . .

. . . we worked our way back to the lily pond and sat for a while.  It was the perfect spot to enjoy the beauty and contemplate nature (and other things).  I might just have to have a jigsaw puzzle made of this scene.

Since we were in port until midnight, after dinner we were able to walk around the lively port area.  It was a beautiful evening.

This morning we were anchored in a beautiful bay by Port Arthur.  It is a tender port, but being anchored in the bay and being able to enjoy the views made it worthwhile.

We were not expecting much from Port Arthur but what we found there was quite surprising.  Port Arthur was the site of a prison as were many of the Australian towns.  Today, it is a UNESCO World Site that gives a thorough glimpse into its past through the ruins and the houses you can tour.  Signs all around offer brief stories about the prisoners.  We wound up spending over 3 hours walking around the site.  Simply fascinating.

                                               

It is always rewarding to be surprised by the unexpected!  Speaking of the unexpected, we are about to depart for the final port on this cruise segment.  We have a day at sea before arriving in Sydney.  The captain just announced that he is expecting strong winds out of the north and sea swells from 4 to 5 meters.  It could be interesting.  I'll let you know.

Which brings me to today's truism as I think about our surprising day in Port Arthur - "WORDS TEND TO BE INADEQUATE".

Peace and blessings,

Linda and Larry