Saturday 25^th February, 2012

In the morning I drove to the blow holes. They should actually blow water high up during high tide, at least so I imagine a blow hole. It happened nothing, maybe it is because it looked a bit decayed. I enjoyed a bit the coast and drove on. As I am now on the road since a month and I am a bit fed up with packing and unpacking the backpack, I decided to stay the last few days in Hobart. As it was Saturday, I could visit Salamanca Market. There were many stands selling food, souveniers, bits and pieces. The atmosphere was accompanied with live music of different styles. Today was the warmest day this month, the thermometer climbed up to 39° C! To get it a bit cooler I drove up to Mount Wellington. The view was brilliant as the sun did its best. Now as I surrounded the island once I have now a better imagination as last time. I made a short hike up to the summit, accompanied by the sound of the crickets. I realised that there are different species and I could even take a picture of two of them.

Tuesday 7^th February, 2012

During breakfast I was asked by a hostel staff what I will do today. As it was sunny I was thinking about going up to Mount Wellington to enjoy the view. He explained me that there are three possibilities to get there. First with the car, but I do not have one. Second with the tourist bus, but there I just have 20 minutes time up there and I pay a lot. The third possibility is to go with the public bus to Ferntree and to hike up for two hours and then back down again. As I had time and the weather was good I chose variant 3. Later it turned out to be not the best one. I went by bus to Ferntree. There I asked in a shop how to get to Mount Wellington and they explained me the way. Following different pathes I hiked uphill. As long as it goes up it must be right. It got higher and higher and I could view out into the country. Slowly the clouds gathered and a light shower started. But the sun was back soon and I went on. Then the rain started again, but this time stronger. I was not sure if I should continue. After 10 minutes of thinking, the sun was back again. OK, lets go to the summit. A bit below an Australian told me that here is the best view. I sat down and enjoyed it. We talked a little. As soon as I arrived on the top, the rain started again. Still I viewed the sight and then stood below the roof of a hut. The rain did not stop anymore. Some guys which passed me when going up were looking for a lift. I thought this is a good idea and asked a man in about my age if he is driving to Hobart. He is from Hobart so I could join him on the way back. On the way he told me that it is in Tasmania quite difficult to find a job. Many go to the mainland to work. But they are missing nursing personnel like in all Australia. Back in Hobart it was sunny again. According to this nice young man the weather is very annoying this summer. It was not a real summer so far. In the late afternoon the rain came back all the time, so that I went into a museum about Antarctica.