Sydney, New South Wales > Hobart, Tasmania
I have lived in Australia now for over two years, but there is still a lot to see. This week, I ticked Tasmania off my Australia 'bucket list'.
The trip was planned with perfect timing. Monday was Labour Day and Thursday was my birthday, which my company fortunately gives paid leave. So I only took three days of holiday time.
September was a whirlwind. I took over my marketing assistant's work because she quit and I was still playing catch-up on many projects. I'm usually a beach destination type of traveler, but being away in the mountains and coasts of Tasmania is the peace and quiet I needed and very much was looking forward to.
Early Flight From Sydney to Hobart
We booked our Jetstar Hobart flights three months ahead, so they were only AUD $300+ return. The bad news was that the cheap flights had us flying at 6 am, but we would have all day Saturday to see what the capital city had to offer.
Our Purple Micra
After the three hour flight, we woke up at 10am landing in Hobart, Tasmania. The airport was very small tucked between the Tasman Sea coastline and mountains surrounding Hobart. As soon as we stepped off the plan onto the tarmac, we felt the chill in the air. After all, we were 42 degrees latitude. We weren't in Sydney anymore! First order of business (after putting on some extra layers) was to grab the car. We ordered a a Getz 'or something like it' and received a purple Micra. It looks cute at first, but is not comfortable at all. The passenger seat doesn't even have an armrest! Dave and I would spend the rest of the trip fighting over the driver seat armrest.
First Sign Out of the Car Park
Entrance to Salamanca Markets
We heard Tasmania life is 'slow'. We expected quaint slow-paced towns and that is exactly what Hobart is. One of the major attractions on a Saturday is to visit the Salamanca Markets at the wharf. Over the years, Dave and I have been to our fair share of markets and this one was mediocre. It sold leather goods, soaps, candles and bites to eat. What we did encounter different from the rest were fudge, Tasmania honey and mead. This would make perfect presents for our colleagues picking up the slack while we were away.
3 for $10 Fudge
Lemon Poppy Seed, Passion Fruit, & Hazelnut
Live Music Is Nice to Hear While Strolling Through the Markets
After a few hours at the market, we decided to roam around Hobart. It's quite spread out, so going anywhere past the CBD meant we needed to jump in the car. During our stroll through the markets, we decided we couldn't bear the cold any longer and needed to find some gloves. We drove through Hobart, North Hobart and Newtown to the first Kmart we saw. They had already turned over their winter stock to the spring line. Luckily, we found some grey women's gloves in the clearance section for $3!
During this time, it began to rain. The downpour coupled with the winter chill, made us want to check into our hotel room. It wasn't quite 2 pm and we hadn't had lunch yet. One thing Dave needed to do while we were in Hobart was visit his former colleague Ian. For the past few years, Ian saved up money and apprenticed at a few restaurants in Sydney, so we he could open up his own Malaysia restaurant. He did his research and found that Hobart would be the ideal place especially since he loves fishing. Myu has been open for over a month now.
The weather made parking very easy. Ian and his wife said restaurant traffic is highly affected by the weather and in Hobart, you can experience all four seasons in one day. The restaurant could seat around 20-30 people. Although it was small, it had a cool cafe vibe about it. Ian lit up when he saw Dave. They gave each other hugs and Ian could not stop smiling. At 2 pm in the afternoon, we were the only customers in the restaurant, so they gave us their full attention. We had a taste of his homemade sambal and Malaysian buns. On a cold rainy day, he served us the perfect Malaysian comfort food.
Entrees
Pork Belly & Calamari Buns
Mains
Chicken Laksa & Beef Rendang
After the Malaysian feast, we said our goodbye's and headed to the Quality Hotel Hobart Midcity. It reminded me of the Quality Inn in the States my family often used on road trips.
That evening our friends Kyle and Alison would be arriving in Hobart from the east coast. They had taken the Friday off and had a day ahead of us. Kyle is Dave's new friend and volleyball teammate in Sydney. Dave had met Kyle and Alison at an American Expat kickball game and we all became fast friends. On Sunday, Kyle and Dave would be on a fly fishing tour, so they needed to get back to Hobart on Saturday night. They would be arriving around 7 pm, so Dave and I slept for a few hours until they arrived.
Mures Seafood Restaurant
That evening, we enjoyed a few bottles of wine Kyle and Alison picked up on the east coast and dined at Mures, Hobart's highest rated seafood restaurant. After all, we were in the capital city known for its oysters. Kyle and Alison were new to oysters, but were willing to try. We ordered three types; natural with lemon, Mures style (natural with cream cheese and capers) and Kilpatrick (baked with bacon and Worcestershire sauce). They were all delicious, but my favourite is still natural with lemon. We toasted to our trip to Tasmania during the long weekend away. For Kyle and Alison, they only had two days left. Dave and I still had another nine days! I'll try to keep an open mind because I'm supposed to 'Expect the unexpected.'
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