Salamanca Market and bush tucker

 

Salamanca Market and bush tucker

On the beach right in front of the hotel is a natural phenomenon.

Tessellated Pavement State Reserve formed by compression by overlying sediments and differential erosion of the pavement.

A heron fishing by the pavement.

A close up of the heron.

The Blowhole, another unusul feature caused by the sea eroding a weakness, usually a fault, in the rock. The blowhole was eroded by erosion and has collapsed to leave just a flooded former cave.

The blowhole looks less impressive from the landward end. 

The cliffs have suffered from sea erosion whch have also left overhangs as well as caves and blowholes.

Tasman's Arch, a former cave where the roof at the landward end, perhaps originally a blowhole, has collapsed to leave just an arch. There is a walk way that passes over the top of the arch with a lookout point facing the sea. 

The Devil's Kitchen, another former rock cave now largely open to the elements but new caves are being formed at the end of the channel.

A view of a new cave opening.

A view along the channel of the former cave out to sea. 

We had a long lunch break on the harbour front. There were the Mona Roma 1 and 2 moored in the harbour. They are fast catarmarans that take customers from the harbour to the Museumof Old and Modern Art. MR1 is painted in a naval camouflage scheme in black, white and grey, suitable for merging in with ice floes and ice fields.

MR2 from a distance looks like desert camouflage in brown, yellow and white but many of the brown images are outlines of women.

There are several old but carefully restored buildings along the front whilst the Elizabeth Street former warehouse and pier has been convertd into upmarket apartments with pries to match.

The Sea shepherd Global was moored at the harour. Sea Shepherd is an international, non-profit organisation that engages in direct action campaigns to defend wildlife, and to conserve and protect the world's oceans from illegal exploitation and environmental destruction. Since 1977, Sea Shepherd has used direct action tactics to protect the delicately-balanced biodiversity of our seas and enforce international conservation laws.

From the gentle giants of the sea to its smallest creatures, Sea Shepherd's mission is to protect all marine life species in our seas. The campaigns have defended whales, dolphins,seals, sharks, penguins, turtles, fish, krill and aquatic birds from poaching, habitat destruction and exploitative capivity. 

Their ship is painted a dull grey colour. Judging by the amount of rust streaked down its sides, it has been on a long mission and is either in need of a major overhaul or the organisation needs a big increase in financing to renovate the ship for it to continue its mission. The organisation has separate but co-ordinated entities in 20 countries and has a fleet of 20 ships ranging to small inshore craft to major ships for the high seas.

A tall ship was in harbour. It is a training ship, Windeward Bound, operated by a local charity aimed at youth development and youth leadership.  

There were dozens of starfish in the shallow waters of one part of the harbour. The Tasmanian Museum and the Maritime Museum are both nearby. One requires payment but the other is free so just to fill in half an hour before lunch, you can pop in, see just want you want and leave. If I pay an entrance fee (and often they can be expensive), I want to get my money's worth

As it was a Saturday there was a busy street market operating in Salamanca Place with over 300 stalls. It is owned and operated by the City of Hobart. It has Tasmania's largest selection of locally nade products. It has glass workers, wooden crafts products, clothing, bespoke jewellery, organic produce, artwork, cosmetics, leather goods and a host of other goods. Plus since it was lunchtime, and there were a large number of people, there were cheeses, artisan breads, seafood, wines, spirits and a range of hot and cold food options. I had some wine, cheese, lobster and oysters.

Salamanca Place was previously known as The Cottage Green. Its name was changed after the Duke of Wellington's victory in 1812 at the Battle of Salamanca in Spain during the Peninsula Wars. It developed as part of the harbour and consists of rows of sandstone buildings, formerly warehouses for the port that have since been converted into restaurants, galleries, craft shops, souvenir shops and offices.

After stuffing my face with local fresh western produce, we were being taken on a bespoke bush tucker tour by a local aboriginal. We moved on to Risdon Cove. It was a great day on the ground being taken through the bush and having all the plants and their properties explained. There were plenty of flavouring plants, such as spices or herbs. There were plenty of fruit trees and bushes pointed out, but of course it depends which time of year that you are visiting. 

 

Risdon Cove was the site of a massacre on 3rd May 1804. A group of 300 aboriginals were on a kangaroo hunt. A dozen soldiers of the 102nd Regiment of Foot (NSW Corps) were under the command of Lieutennt Willaim Moore. The aboriginals had waddies, a club but no spears. The first engagement was at 11am. A carronade, a short barrel, heavy calibre naval cannon was discharged at 2pm. A number of aboriginals were killed but accounts are  contradictory and one alleged eye witness account is fabricated as he was not even in Australia at the time of the massacre. 

The land was returned to the aboriginls in 1996. There was only one tree standing at the time but all those seen today have been planted. They are a mix of native trees that were useful to the natives. The monument recording the event.

We were treated to a meal made with local ingredients including wallaby meat and locally occuring spices plus a choice of two types of tea.

There was also a dessert, a muffin with a sweet cream topping.