Tasmania - Australia 2004 - page 615

wildlife. Traveling art exhibitions are mounted from time to time, but always on
display are the paintings of the colonial era. The art gallery has a particularly
impressive collection of paintings by Tom Roberts and by several convict artists.
The pride of the entire collection, though, is The Conciliation by Benjamin Dut-
tereau, the second-most painting of historical significance in Australia, after Tom
Roberts' Shearing of the Rams, which you can see in the National Gallery of Vic-
toria in Melbourne. Allow 1 to 2 hours.
40 Macquarie St. & 03/6211 4177. Free admission. Daily 10am-5pm.
ORGANIZED TOURS
You'll get a good introduction to the city on the daily Hobart Historic Walk
( & 03/6225 4806 ), a 2-hour leisurely stroll through historic Sullivan's Cove
and Battery Point. Tours start at 10am daily from September through May and
on request from June through August and cost A$17 (US$11) for adults, free for
children under 12. The tour requires a minimum of six people for a walk to go
ahead; group discounts are provided.
Several companies run boat tours of the harbor. Captain Fells Ferries ( & 03/
6223 5893 ) offers a range of morning tea, lunch, afternoon, and dinner cruises.
The company also runs Cadbury Factory Tours, which include coach transfers, a
tour of the factory, a harbor cruise, and two-course lunch for A$32 (US$21) for
adults and A$18 (US$12) for children; these leave at 9:45am Monday through
Thursday. Cruises depart from Franklin Wharf behind the wooden cruise-sales
booths beside Elizabeth Street Wharf at the bottom of Elizabeth Street.
The Cruise Company ( & 03/6234 9294 ) operates river trips along the Der-
went to the Cadbury Chocolate Factory. Cruises depart at 10am Monday
through Friday, returning at 2:30pm, and cost A$33 (US$21) for adults, A$16
(US$10) for children 5 to 15, and A$93 (US$60) for a family, including entry
and a guided tour of the factory; free for children under 5. The boat leaves from
Brooke Street Pier. Also of interest is the company's 2-hour Ironpot Cruise (to
the lighthouse of that name at the mouth of the Derwent). The scenic tour of
the river leaves Brooke Street Pier at 2pm every Saturday and costs A$20
(US$13) for adults; free for children under 15.
THE SHOPPING SCENE
If you are in Hobart on a Saturday don't miss the Salamanca Market , in
Salamanca Place—it's one of the best markets in Australia. Some 200 stalls offer
everything from fruit and vegetables to crafts made from pottery, glass, and
native woods. The market is open from 8:30am to 3pm.
Salamanca Place itself has plenty of crafts and souvenir shops that are worth
exploring, though you pay for the privilege of buying in such a fashionable area.
The best bookshop in town is a beauty and sells a large range of new and sec-
ondhand books, many relating to Tasmania. Find the Hobart Bookshop at 22
Salamanca Sq. ( & 03/6223 1803 ). For great chocolate and the best licorice,
head to Darrell Lea, shop 36 in the Cat & Fiddle Arcade between Collins and
Liverpool streets. There are plenty of other interesting shops here, too.
Store hours are Monday through Thursday from 9am to 6pm, Friday from
9am to 9pm, and Saturday from 9am to noon (though some open all day).
WHERE TO STAY
Hobart has some of the best hotels, guesthouses, and B&Bs in Australia. For
something different, you can stay with a Tasmanian family either in town or at