Around Hobart–Oct. 8

I woke up this morning and the sun was shining, so I decided to drive up to the top of Mt. Wellington.  This mountain overlooks Hobart and on a clear day the view is terrific.  Unfortunately, as I got to the top, the clouds started rolling in at that altitude and so the view was rather limited.

Back down at sea level, I drove to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.  I was amazed at all the cars there, parked all alongside the road, with traffic officers controlling traffic.  I did find a parking place close to the entrance and found they were having a Spring Fair.  There were lots of people there with entertainers and food stands mixed in with the flowers.

I then drove over to where they have a large open market (Salamanca Market) every Saturday.  That was also crowded and difficult to find a parking spot.  I walked around there for a bit but didn’t find anything I really wanted (well, maybe a stuffed Tasmanian Devil, but I didn’t want to haul it around and pack it for the return trip).  Nearby is the Hobart Harbor, so I walked around and admired some of the boats and the buildings.

I was going to see if I could find some more interesting waterfront features but the roads around Hobart are too confusing so I headed back to the hostel for dinner.  It started pouring outside around 8 pm – hopefully it will clear by morning so I can continue my Tasmania journey.