Mitchell's Birthday

We went shopping for Mitchell's Birthday presents today.  When a man knows what he wants shopping is a breeze.  We managed a park right outside the store and had the required articles within a few minutes.  That's what I call shopping!

The speed of the shop left more time for a celebratory afternoon tea.

Our Latest Viking

Cooper has joined the Vikings Basketball Club and is practicing on Fridays after school.

He runs like a rabbit and spent the whole session with a grin on his face - except for when he was hit in the nose!  We also watched him shoot about 8 goals.

He looks like he will enjoy basketball.

End of the Cricket Season

Jack, Cooper and Lachlan had their final night of Cricket for the year last night.  The evening started with a skills workout.

Then the medals and certificates were presented.

Then it was on to the socialising and the Barbeque with their mates.

Another Notch

For Claire's Birthday we spent a little time in the Yarra Valley.  First port of call was the Mandala Winery for a wine tasting and lunch.  It is a great setting.  The Beef fillet was perfectly cooked and presented.

We really enjoyed their wine so a few samples were obtained.

Just down the road we called in at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie.  Just walking in the door adds a kilo or two.  The place was jumping.  It is a supermarket for chocolate.  Again we obtained a few samples and the chocolate was wonderful.

On the way home we called in to see Mum K who was in fine form.  Now that her pain management is under control, her quality of life has improved dramatically.

Then it was home to recover from an afternoon of over indulgence!

Expanding the Skill Set

Holly showed off her latest creation, a whole Lego Shopping Mall that has pride of place in her bedroom.

Ebony took on the cooking challenge of producing the sweets for dinner last night. Delicious results and the cook enjoyed her own work!

New Pets

Apparently it took a while to convince Mum but Coco the lop eared rabbit is now the new member of the family.

Mitchell has opted for an entirely new form of pet - his new smartphone.

Ebony's New Challenge

It's a new School year and Ebony has started training as a Peer Mediator to assist other students.

Hobart

We decided to stay in the centre of Hobart and walk around the city.  It is small and picturesque being situated on the beautiful Derwent River.

There are some great old buildings alongside some questionable architecture.

We had a few meals in the historic Salamanca area

Arthur's Circus was a building development 1830s style

Quaint buildings and shops dotted the area, many refurbished to a high standard.

My father lived in a number of houses in the Glenorchy - Moonah area. All have been replaced but his school is still operating in the same building. 

My Grandfather was Chief Design Draftsman at Consolidated Zinc on the banks of the Derwent.  Although there have been many changes since, I believe he worked in this building.

 Mount Wellington is the best vantage point for a view of the city and surrounds.  No other Capital city has anything like this.  We were even able to photograph our Hotel from the peak.

Wooden Boat Festival

We landed in Hobart in the middle of the Wooden Boat Festival.  The place was absolutely pounding and the docks were full of boats of all shapes and sizes.

Mawson's Hut

It was wonderful to see a replica of Mawson's Antarctic hut on the waterfront in Hobart.  We will never get to see the real thing (that has been restored) but this is an exact copy.

They have duplicated the hut and the equipment it contains as it is now preserved in Antarctica.

Nice place to visit but you would not want to live there!  We did note however that they did have one of the staples of life there to sustain them - Kraft Cheddar Cheese!

Historical Hobart

The cultural cringe of the 60s and 70s saw the destruction of many of Hobart's historical assets.  Part of the original chapel, courthouse and gaol does remain.  It is interesting to note that the bell tower, through which the free settlers entered is made of imported European bricks whereas the courthouse (right) is made of convict made bricks.

The building survives because it was used as the Supreme Court up to the 1980s.

So some of the convict past has been retained including some of the cells,

and the gallows area where about 50 people were hanged.

Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)

The Art it houses may not be to everyone's taste but that is the nature of the beast and what makes it so interesting.  MONA is a spectacular (semi-underground) building in a spectacular setting and a huge asset to Hobart. 
You can travel to MONA by catamaran up the Derwent River.

The building has a limited impact on the environment as much of it is buried in sandstone rock

And then there is the artwork.

Most spectacular of all was Nolan's "Snake" installation comprising hundreds of individual indigenous portraits.

If you visit Hobart you must visit MONA.