My final days were spent in and around Hobart. The first necessity was a tour of the Cascades Brewery. This tour was along the same lines as the Boag's tour when I was in Launceston, but at the end, instead of getting a taste of all the beers made at the brewery we were given tokens and actually able to 'buy' half-pints. Needless to say, after 1 beer and 2 ciders I was in no condition to drive. Thank goodness I had a theatrical walking tour booked that started just outside the Cascade Brewery. Louise's Walk is no normal walking tour as it is led by two actors. They take on the characters of a female convict and the various people that she comes into contact with. It was a fascinating story. She was sent to Tasmania for stealing a loaf of bread to feed her family in London. Her story included being forced to leave her 3 young sons behind in London to fend for themselves, several trips to solitary confinement and being raped by her 'employer' and giving birth to a daughter who later died in the prison nursery. It is actually a horrifying story. I can't even imagine being in that situation. No one should ever have to go through anything like that. In the end, Louise ended up being 'hired' by a nice man and they end up getting married, though she never saw her 3 boys in London again.
The female convicts weren't treated much better than the men and were actually sent to factories instead of jails. They were considered factories because the women often did sewing, laundry and servent work for the upper class of Hobart. This is how they got into situations where they were raped by their employers. The women who became pregnant were the ones at fault for the pregnancy. They were allowed to give birth, forced to wean within 4 months and then sent to solitary for 6 months, leaving their child in the care of god only knows. Most infants died in the nursery as the conditions were very poor. The governor came to visit at one point and described the nursery as being black with fleas. Very saddening.
That night I did a pub history tour. It was interesting but nothing to write home about. It was something to do to keep me occupied.
The next day, I visited the Hastings thermal pools and caverns. The cave was amazing. The formations were fantastic and the size of the cavern was nothing like I've seen before. People actually have weddings in a couple of the 'rooms'. I made my way back to the thermal pools, thinking this would make for a great last day, maxing and relaxing in warm water. Totally not what I got. I was thinking Radium Hot Springs and I got Innisfail public pool. The water was no warmer than most of our pools. I was soooooo disappointed. 15 minutes was about all I could handle as it was only 18 degrees outside, so not even worthwhile.
I spent the rest of the day hitting all the back roads of Southern Tasmania. From the coast, nothing between me and Antarctica. The views were amazing and I just enjoyed driving my car around the winding roads for one last time.
The next mornng I was up early and to the airport and stepping through my door in Canberra at 9:30 am.
I really enjoyed my time and Tasmania and really did not want to leave. The scenery and activities left me breathless every day and looking forward to what was around the corner the next day. The fascinating history both horrified, amazed and tickled me. The people were beyond friendly and always waiting to help wherever needed. I definitely have Taz-mania.
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