Had a business trip to Tassie recently so we decided to make a long weekend of it & catch up with a couple of things on my to-do list & family.
Flew into Hobart - DW's knee has gone on her (booked in for replacement this Fri 13th
) so flight crew offered the hoist.
Friday took day off & did the Peppermint Bay Lunch Cruise - our new Antarctic research ship in Salamander Bay
Hobart dock area - Mt Wellington in background & Constitution Dock on RHS (Where the Sydney to Hobart yachts tie up after race.
In the background is the Tasman Bridge spanning the River Derwent
And a bit of history:
On Sunday 5 January 1975, at 9:27 p.m. Australian Eastern Summer Time, the Tasman Bridge was struck by the bulk ore carrier Lake Illawarra, bound for the Electrolytic Zinc Company with a cargo of 10,000 tons of zinc concentrate. It caused two pylons and three sections of concrete decking, totaling 127 metres (417 ft), to fall from the bridge and sink the ship. Seven of the ship's crewmen were killed, and five motorists died when four cars drove over the collapsed sections before the traffic was stopped.
Story has it, it cost more to repair the bridge than it did to build the whole bridge.
After leaving dock area we turned right & headed South between mainland & Bruney Isl.
One the way down we passed a number of salmon farm pens - interestingly the seabed under these pens is regularly monitored for sediment & if it builds up too much, they up anchor & tow to a new location.
Berthed @ Peppermint Bay Hotel for lunch - Oysters, Salmon, 15th hour baked Lamb & desert.
Saturday a quick run up the centre of Tassie via the lakes district heading for Steamfest @ Shefield - had a VW Golf for a rental car. Nice car & as it had android auto I got to have a play.
An old steam shovel & rockbreaker
Also had the trackor pulling comp
Lighthorseman display
And our great nieces dressed up in period costume
