Day 9 (15-Mar-15) Hobart and Southern Region (247 km)

On our second to last day we forfeited breakfast (as there was little room or appetite for yet more food) and dashed off by car to the summit of Mount Wellington. Alas, as we neared the summit, we found ourselves driving through a snow shower! Given it is still officially summer ‘down under’ we were both very surprised and decidedly under-dressed. Undeterred, we continued to the top to take obligatory photos of Hobart and the coastline far below; nearly freezing to death in the process. A thermometer situated at the observation deck indicated that the air temperature was 1C, with the high winds adding a -10C wind chill. Running around in shorts and flip-flops was thus a very incongruous sight.

Alas, with clouds covering the summit ridge, we were unable to see much at all. We thus headed in a dispirited mood back down the mountain. Half way down however the weather started to break, with clouds giving way to blue skies and the sun bombarding us with its warmth. We thus reversed course and headed back to the summit. This time we were afforded spectacular views of the city and surrounding coastline, all of it captured on video and photos. Feeling victorious at completing our mission successfully we headed back down the mountain and embarked on a leisurely drive south, through Huonville and Geeveston, to the southernmost point on our Grand Tour of Tasmania, at Dover. We then returned to Hobart via Cygnet, Veron Sands and Woodbridge, arriving back at the hotel at 16:45hrs. The entire route offers great views of North and South Bruny islands, and the many oyster and salmon farms in the Houn River separating the islands from Tasmania.

Following a quick cup of tea we elected to go for a long walk – Astrid is insistent that we complete a minimum of 10,000 steps per day, equating to about 9 km. We thus headed for the Botanical Gardens, stopping off at the Cenotaph that is very visible from almost anywhere in town, given its elevated perch on the banks of the River Derwett.  Our route through the park brought us onto the Soldiers Memorial Avenue, also known as Soldiers Walk. Lining each side of the path are two rows of stone plinths, with plinths in each row spaced 10m apart, and the path stretching some 1.6km directly towards the Cenotaph. Each plinth has a brass plaque listing the name, date of birth, occupation, address, church affiliation, and regiment of Hobart soldiers killed in The Great War. The plaques also give details of when each soldier was killed, where, how, and whether they have a known grave, and if so, the name of the cemetery. A tree is sited next to each plinth, with many having been replanted since the avenue was first created by a traumatised and bereaving city back in 1919.

Walking along this path of remembrance and reading the many plaques is a very sombre experience, with some stories unbearably hearth wrenching – those with brothers also commemorated along the same walk, some who had not yet turned 16, others killed on the same day, in the same battle, with yet others who had married only a few days/weeks before leaving Australian shores, never to return. And of course those killed at Lone Pine Ridge at Gallipoli have a special place, both along the avenue and in the Australian psyche, as it is this battle that created the ANZAC legend, and which to this day has all Australians wearing their pride for ANZAC accomplishments on their sleeves. Suitably, we completed the walk just as the sun set behind Mount Wellington, with only the eternal flame left to illuminate three simple words engraved on the side of the cenotaph facing the Soldiers Walk – LEST WE FORGET.

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