Thursday, April 24, 2014

TASMANIA


I hope everyone had a great Easter.
We flew south to Hobart, Tasmania, that little island state south of mainland Australia.  Did you guess it?
And Hobart is down at the bottom,  43 degrees south latitude, so much cooler than our home in Brisbane, Queensland.


Brooding Mt Wellington overlooks the city, usually with a dusting of snow on top.


We drove up there, and yes, indeedy, there was snow!  And Very Cold Wind!

I loved it...it was just above freezing, and I was wearing Accessories..
gloves, a knitted beret, warm, scarf, tights, cashmere sweater and faux leather jacket - Excellent!


Above the tree-line, there is an eerie atmosphere.


A dull day, but the views were spectacular..
We retreated away from the wind, into this glass viewing space - a bit tricky for photography..





Our Hobart hotel was near the water, and the historic wharf area with its famous Salamanca Place markets:



  
Bought ourselves new leather gloves with furry lining...


It was nice to see some real Autumn leaves..



And speaking of yellow, remember Kate's spectacular yellow dress from last week... 

Look what Style Arc patterns produced, just 24 hours later:


So, do you think I ordered it?

And here is tonight's dress, the only evening function in Australia, a reception in the nation's capital, Canberra:


Elegant and understated, and looking beautiful after three weeks of touring.
I am sure they are both looking forward to flying home tomorrow.

I will tell you about a few more things we saw and did, next post.

Be good and stay safe XXXX




31 comments:

  1. Hello Patricia,
    Rather naughtily, we have to say that we wish that the Cambridges would stay down under..... But then we have adopted a Republic as home.

    Such a pity that the pattern makers cannot spell Duchess.......still, it made us smile....

    What gadabouts you are and such a contrasting environment from where you live. We know absolutely nothing about Tasmania so it is all most intriguing. The market looks exceedingly colourful and joyous!

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    1. He he, much amused by the naughtiness, Jane and Lance. Young Prince George has been dubbed the Republican Slayer, such is the interest. However, I suspect much of Australia's current fascination is more to do with celebrity than the monarchy. The pattern surprised me, bad spelling and all, as it seems to break laws of copyright, privacy, and who knows what else!
      Tasmania is a little gem, tucked away on the path to the Antarctic..

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  2. This sounds like a fabulous trip Patricia. I bet it was very chilly on top of the mountain but what magnificent views. Doesn't Kate look striking in her beautiful cream dress and soooo slim. I'm sure if I was on a three week trip I'd be a good half stone heavier when I got home!!
    Patricia x

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    1. Loved the freezing temperatures, Patricia. Those young royals are certainly energetic, and have probably lost weight with all the rushing about they have done! On the other hand, I have not yet had the courage to step on the scales, post-Hobart :)

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  3. Lucky you! I have always wanted to go to Tasmania. Granted, it's a bit easier for you to get there than for me. :-)

    I'm glad you got a chance to wear accessories. The cold and skiff of snow must have seemed very nice after your long, hot summer. I'm intrigued by the picture of what looks like felted slippers at the market. Did you buy a pair?

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    1. Tasmania is a nice change for us, cool and picturesque, with lots of Georgian architecture. Didn't buy those felt slippers, but they do bring out the inner elf, don't they?

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  4. It sounds like you've had a wonderful trip. I've never been to Australia but I really want to go. Thanks for sharing your photos and experiences.

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    1. You must come to Australia, one day, Jennifer. The little bears would love it :)

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  5. What a super trip, Patricia. I love your gorgeous photos of Tasmania. Welcome to my world where clothing is concerned. I'm still in multiple layers most of the time in late April. -)

    I'm a quiet Royalist, not talking or blogging about the Royals, but much preferring a monarch to a president as head of state. Kate looks wonderfully elegant in that evening dress and I love her hair pinned up like that.

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    1. Yes, it is a bit like stepping into England going down to Tasmania, Perpetua. It felt strange leaving home in 30 deg heat, clutching thick coat and scarf etc. but they were needed on landing when we had to walk across the tarmac from the plane in biting wind. (It is a very small airport). I thought the evening dress and the hair up was a wonderful look, too, and commendable for doing something slightly different after 3 weeks of scrutiny!

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  6. Oh, you were in Tasmania, I did not know. So refreshing after all the hot wether you´ve had.
    What a stunning place, the glass viewing place looks gorgeous.
    In your picture of Kate, we finally see her hair up !

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    1. Refreshing is the perfect word, Mette, and it was indeed. I gulped down that cool air with enthusiasm. I will post a few more pictures soon. Kate with the hair up, looked nice to me. They fly home today, and I bet they sleep the whole way home because they have been incredibly busy here.

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  7. We loved our few days in Tasmania earlier this year...no snow on Mt Wellington then ! our stay in Hobart ( which we really enjoyed) managed to miss the Salamanca market, so I was very interested to see thos epictures. It really is a lovely city isn't it ? I just feel that I wanted to see so much more of the island. It made me laugh to hear that Tasmanian Ricky Ponting had moved to Melbourne so he could be near his family in Tasmania.....then realised that it is only a 56 minute flight...so he is pretty close to them.
    Glad you enjoyed your lovely autumnal visit. Did you go to MONA ? Jx

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    1. You really did get around a lot on your trip, Janice. I like Hobart, a small and gentle city, and the Salamanca market is only there on Saturdays so we were lucky. I would happily go back any time, and the whole island is worth seeing. We booked late so could not get a direct flight and went via Melbourne. About 4 hours total flying time for us. Yes, we did MONA...trying to think up a post! x

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  8. Patricia,
    Tasmania looks very pretty, and that glass viewing space is something else! What an incredible view it is from there. I really like Kate's yellow dress. I am really into yellow this spring, and just bought me a yellow blouse recently. And I love her white dress, that's so elegant. It's so different to see Autumn leaves in your area right now. We are in full spring here, and the flowers are blooming and the sunshine is coming our way.

    Have a wonderful rest of the week.

    love,
    ~Sheri

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    1. Hi Sheri, You will look great in your yellow blouse, I can just imagine it with your dark hair (coming from another dark haired lady :) Enjoy the spring flowers, a beautiful time of year. You have a great week too. xx

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  9. I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to Tasmania - it is a lovely place - I've been there twice now, and seen a large part of the island. Always enjoyable, very friendly. Quite a different culture from the east coast of Australia. And shows that a low key economy can produce a much better quality of life than the rat race economies.

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    1. Agree with everything you say, Sarah Liz, always enjoyable and we have seen quite a bit of Tasmania over several trips. I love the 'different' feel of it, like going to another country, only easier. And the cooler climate is heavenly!

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  11. I'm glad you had a great time, that's somewhere we want to go to.

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    1. Thanks Greenthumb, Tasmania is well worth a visit, easy to drive around and very picturesque.

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  12. What an exciting trip! Your photos are gorgeous. I'm glad you got cooler weather and crisp autumn leaves there! Such an exotic looking place. I don't blame you for ordering that pattern. I love the dress

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    1. Could not resist the pattern, Sanda, if only for the fun of it. It is a very cute dress. The cooler weather was blissful, and the more so because we came back to 30 deg heat; not much Autumn happening here this year.

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  13. Tasmania is definitely on my "to do" list Patricia, your photos capture the cold beautifully. And yes I agree Kate just looked beautiful on tour.
    Kind Wishes to you Shell - A Darlings Nest

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    1. You must go, Shell! I'm sure you would enjoy its attractive old-world flowers, architecture, antiques ....
      The tour was a huge success, wasn't it? Love how they matched the Australian flag as they departed - clever!

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  14. The trip sounds great, always nice to have a few days in a different environment. I really like the photo of the yellow tree/blossoms reflected in the water. I can imagine you ordering that dress pattern qickly, what color will you make it in?

    Darla

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    1. Tasmania was about as different as we could find without leaving the country, Darla. Some of the yellow trees were really stunning but we were driving too fast on the highway for me to capture on film.
      I am thinking of doing the dress in navy/white linen. Chic?

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  15. Spectacular views! Looks so crisp and clean in Tasmania. Most of us think of Tasmanian devils when the word comes up ... because of the cartoons.

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    1. Crisp and clean it is, Debra. I had forgotten those old cartoons, so funny how Hollywood picked up on the poor old Tasmanian devils. We only see them in zoos. Trying to think of somewhere in the US it reminds me of - maybe New England, I think.

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  16. Oh I've enjoyed this little peep of Hobart thank you Patricia.
    I visted there many years ago for my godson's wedding.
    We stayed at a nice little hotel called The Islington from memory - I must look through the photos!
    We were only there for a couple of days and then up to Brisbane where the grooms parents live.

    The Duchess looks so elegant - she is the perfect clothes horse don't you think!

    Shane x

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    1. Hi Shane, yes Hobart is a neat little place, and a good base for getting around the island, which we thoroughly enjoy.
      The Duchess certainly is elegant, and really finding her look and style, I think. So slim, just like Diana was. How do they do it!!

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