Day 6: Hobart

We arrived in Hobart, Tasmania around 7:00 am after another day at sea. Zack and I signed up to go sea kayaking at this stop, and that started at 10:30, so we started our day with a quick walk around town to check things out. In the grand tradition of civilized people everywhere, the shopkeepers of Hobart refuse to open before ten, but we did get a general lay of the land, which was nice. Also, we got the clear impression (based on the number of people out and the tents going up all over) that something exciting was going on in town that day.
The something exciting turned out to be the finish of a very important sailing race that runs between Sydney and Hobart. The race can last anywhere from three to five days, and the winners were due into Hobart that day. We arrived at our sea kayaking starting point just in time to see the winner pull through the bouys that marked the finish, and as we paddled around the harbor hearing about the history of Hobart from our guides, several more boats pulled through the finish (including one of the kayaks which ran away with its passengers!). It was a nice little trip.
It was a little chilly in the morning, but by the time we finished our kayaking, the day had warmed up and the sun was shining through. We went back to the ship for long enough to change into dry clothes and eat lunch, then headed back into town to take in the fair atmosphere of the harbor where the sail boats were coming in. We also stopped in to a little pub in the afternoon to taste some of the local refreshments. Because (again) water and digital cameras don't get along, and because most museums don't allow pictures either, these are our only pictures from Hobart:

After our refreshments, we visited the Hobart Maritime Museum, which turned out to be much more interesting than either of us expected it to be. Hobart exists because the harbor used to be a common place for two different species of whales to come during mating season. Apparently the harbor would be just packed with whales, which made it a perfect spot for whalers to come and live. The whaling industry created a town, but destroyed both the whale population and the trees surrounding the harbor (which were all used to keep the fires going to boil down the whale blubber). The museum had a fascinating display about the industry which led me to be very glad we don't do that anymore. Yuck.
By the time we got through the museum, it was approaching our departure time, so we said good bye to Austrialia, and returned to the ship to move on to New Zealand!