HOBART WOODEN BOAT SHOW 12TH-14TH Feb 2011

It’s by chance we’re here for one of the main events for Hobart, which also had perfect sunny weather to show off such hard work and love an affection to take care of these beautiful crafts.

We also managed to meet up with very good sailing friends we had originally met in the Caribbean in 1997 after crossing the Atlantic, Phil and Cloreen Brown on their boat Manukaii II.  They were here visiting the island in their classic Mazda MX5 sports car, enjoying similar pleasures as we are: the boats, the scenery manicured and wild, the old world feel of 1800-1830’s style English architecture.

The owners name and details of the boat gives us plenty of information, other than how much time is spent to achieve the results

This Camper and Nicholson beautiful  boat cost the owner over 3 million to renovate at Noakes Yard in Port Stevens, NSW, Australia

You can almost touch these sea lions, they are so realistic, sunning themselves on the rocks

The cray fishing boats in harbour

Hobart bridge and surrounding area from the top of the signal station

Next morning, thick fog envelopes the area like cotton wool, as we head to BRUNY ISLAND

We head over on this car ferry, just a short 30 minute trip away south of Hobart

Bruny Island Cheeses were a good start the the day!!,  She even had non-pasteurised ones!

Magnificent views across to the mainland at low water, with the mist hanging in the hills

The Bruny Island Pinot Noir was pretty good too, the cool climate suits these grapes!

The sea looks so inviting, pity it’s so cooold!

View from the top of Mount Wellington, my goodness, still lovely weather eh?

Jeremy Firth and Penny on board Risinante, at the  Royal Tasmananian Yacht Club.  We first met them whilst at the island of Curacao, in 1998 before launching ourselves out on a 3 day trip  across to the Honduras Islands,  negotiating a turbulent sea which Jeremy reckoned was as bad as the roaring forties down here!  They are leaving tomorrow (17th Feb) as radio controller for the around Van Dieman’s land rally.

We had dinner with them in the area just behind Battery point, full of small renovated fishermen’s cottages like this one.

At the other end of the scale, the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) near Berriedale, just North of Hobart is into the same league as the top art Museums of the world – built underneath the sandstone rock of the Derwent River.  This is the entrance to it, quite a surreal feel to give you the idea of what you will see inside (on three floors beneath the earth) is going to shock you also!