Hobart

Happy New Year Everybody! Hobart’s fireworks may not be up to Sydney’s but they put on a good show from a barge moored near our ship. We didn’t only see the fireworks (third extra) but we felt them too with the bangs ricocheting off the hull.

We had a free day in Hobart before disembarking tomorrow. This morning we took the ferry (first extra) to MONA, Museum of Old and New Art. Striking modern architecture (main) but rather overwhelming in the dark noisy interior - a lot of rather aggressive contemporary art interspersed with Renoir, Picasso, indigenous art, Warhol, Medieval art, classic photography etc etc.

After we came back we walked past all the yachts in the harbour (second extra, with their flags at half mast), browsed the Salamanca craft market, then strolled around Battery Point which has lovely old houses and the finishing line of the race.

When the sun was out it was scorching but a couple of squalls with strong wind and rain rushed through. We sheltered from the second in a waterfront bar with a refreshing pint of the local pale ale.