Hobart, Day 1

Wed Oct 8
20:04, Hobart
Woowee… people with stinky socks really should either wash em or contain them in a bag or something. One of my roomies has socks that have permeated the room. Yelch. Luckily, my bug repellent can double as an air freshener (Bug Off from Escents smells like lemongrass).

Hobart reminds me of Halifax. I think a lot has to do with the antique ships in the harbour. Went to Fish Frenzy for dinner, and had 2 pieces of Blue Eye and chips. I don’t know if I’ve ever had Blue Eye, but it’s like a smoother and tender chicken. (I know, everything tastes like chicken... Will’s probably going buck buck buck right now =P). You can choose what type of batter for the fish: beer, bread crumbs or tempura. I chose beer batter, just so I could have a point of comparison. REALLY YUMMY!

I also had a Ginger Beer…The brand eludes me, something like Gillispie. Brewed in the bottle (non alcoholic). The ingredients were lemon juice, sugar, ginger kibble, yeast, and water. OMG, we need to have that here. Am seriously contemplating buying a few bottles to bring home. And I would, if this were the last stop on my trip. Maybe I’ll just go out and have one for each of the days that I’m here =P

Wandered around for a bit. It’s a quiet, small city, but a very nice feel to it. 12 degrees, so just in my comfort range. Oh, and it was raining a bit when I landed. Like a true Vancouverite, I bring our weather with me =P. It’d rained in Sydney and Melbourne as well.

Booked two tours. One to Port Arthur and one to the Borobong (sp?) Wildlife Park. Not having a car really puts you at the mercy of tour companies. Most unfortunate.

Oh, the pilot on the flight here was FANTASTIC. If not for the sound of the tires on the tarmac, I totally would not have noticed the touchdown. Tiger Airways is definitely worth a booking for anyone who wants to go to the south Pacific. Reasonable fares. (But also a good idea to check out Jet Star and Virgin Blue to compare prices).

This hostel is alright. The YHA Montgomery’s. My room sits on top of a pub, so you can smell the grease. I was also warned at booking that there is loud music till about 1am on Friday nights; maybe I’ll head down to the bar then. Have yet to have Aussie beer. That might be the time to do so.

I also must mention that I am not a fan of the charges when calling 1300 numbers. They’re so-called premium numbers that get charged a higher rate. So annoying, cuz they’re for booking or banks and stuff, the people who put you on hold the longest so the charges are ridiculous. Use a payphone if you need to call these numbers; you’ll save tonnes.