One Leg at a Time

18 days  already gone!  unreal – Time is such an odd thing isn’t it?  I have heard people say that when they are on holidays, on their boat floating along, that time goes so slowly.  I have not had that experience yet.  Time is whizzing along.

Today Evan (NOT WORKING TODAY!! woohoo!!) and I are taking the 11am ferry to Mona, the Museum of Old and New Art, which is a private art museum owned by David Walsh known for being a professional gambler, art collector and businessman.  We jumped on a ferry at the Brooke Street Ferry Terminal and for a $22 adult ticket you go sheep class and $55 you get posh pit tickets which includes drinks, canapes and a private deck.

(Leaving Hobart)

(Chris and Deanne, Galaxy III and Evan and I, we went sheep class)

The ferry winds you up the river Derwent taking about 25 minutes to get to Mona.  We went under two bridges, the Tasman and Bowen bridges. On the Western side of the river we saw sparse homes, winding roads and bush land.  On the Eastern side it is much more populated with industry and dense homes.

The river Derwent rises in the state’s Central Highlands and descends more than 700 metres (2,300 ft) over 200 kilometres (120 mi), flowing through Hobart, the state’s capital city, before emptying into Storm Bay and flowing into the Tasman Sea. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Derwent_(Tasmania))

Here’s Mona

Once at Mona be prepared to walk up 99 steps to get up to the museum.  It is an easy climb with flat platforms to stop and rest. There is an easier access for those more mobility challenged but I didn’t see how that worked.

At the top is a great vantage point to look over the river Derwent and if the weather were a bit more amenable there are places to sit,  a trampoline to jump on for kids and further up there is a restaurant, wine bar and a small set of market stalls on a grassy field that is very quaint.   Getting up to the market area we passed a couple of car parking spots that cracked me up.  Must be for master Walsh and his wife I imagine.

Once you are ready to enter Mona be prepared to be impressed or at least challenged.  The entrance is unassuming but once inside the complex is a marvel.  Cut deep into the earth you descend down stairs or lifts with windows down to the bottom level where you are greeted with headsets or a downloadable app for your ios phone that will give you information based upon your location in the museum.

You work your way back up the levels to the top at your leisure.  I Loved the fact that this is unconventional,  there are no words on the artworks, nothing that describes what you are seeing so you are not bombarded with significance.  You can use your phone to give you information if you like or you can walk through and observe to your hearts content all by yourself.

There are art works I could not have conceived of,  there are interactive works and there are some conventional art gallery type works,  there are Egyptian mummies and artifacts mixed in with modern work.  There is a glorious rainbow serpent wall that is HUGE.  It goes on and on.   Not at all conventional (I know I am repeating myself).  This place gives me permission to create whatever I wish to create and know that it is art if I decide so.   It is entirely amusing and cool.

     
(Images in Mona:  for information see www.mona.net.au)

We have booked the 3pm ferry back to Hobart so I missed seeing the library (another time) and instead went upstairs to eat lunch and make our way back to the ferry.

Back in Hobart Evan and I wondered around for awhile, checked out the Princess Wharf as they had stalls with vendors for boat stuff.  All kinds of things a yachtie could spend money on!

The weather has turned a bit nasty so we caught a taxi back to the marina for me to spend some time working on our blog and Evan is resting his lazy arse. (Evan said that!)

See its not all sunshine and lollipops on holiday.   It is a brisk 15 degrees cold.   Although we are hearing that Sydney is scorching hot.  I am feeling bad for all of our friends and family who are sweltering.   I am hoping that Max my furry best friend is surviving okay. I hope there are no bush fires and no brown outs to stop air conditioners from working.

It looks like our next leg will happen on Tuesday or Wednesday this week.  Monday we will do our shopping then sail to Kettering and have Nashira lifted out of the water to replace one of the ball cocks on the bottom and complete the repair on the raw water intake to the engine and salt water galley sink pump.

Until tomorrow – take some time and remind yourself of the things in your life that you are grateful for.

xoxoxox

Evan and Kelly