Hike: Queens Domain Circuit, Australia

Before I get into my final camping related post — the travel workout, I wanted to share the third and last hike from Arlene’s trip to Australia.  It’s always interesting to me that across the world the seasons change opposite mine.  You’ll see below.        

Hike (aka bushwalk): Queens Domain, Australia
By Arlene       

*****        

We chose to walk on our last day in Hobart; it turned out to be a 7 mile hike through various landscapes giving us a more comprehensive view of this lovely city. We started by ambling through Salmanca Square (old warehouses turned into retail shops) before turning to the docks on Sullivan Cove. From there we passed under the Tasman Highway and on to Soldiers Memorial Avenue, a long path which commemorated Tasmanian soldiers of WWI through plaques and the planting of cypresses and cedars along the path.              

From this part of the city known as Queens Domain, we headed up to the Upper Domain which is an elevated section of native grasslands. A lovely path called Joggers Loop runs around the perimeter of the Upper Domain and gave us great views of the land (and water) around Hobart.            

Our next stop was the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Garden which was an oasis of manicured lawns, distinctive gardens, and the provider of a great lunch at the café; our lunch spot was on a terrace looking out to mountains and water.            

 It is late autumn in the southern hemisphere, so we were treated to red, yellow, and orange leaves of fall as well as watching the children of Hobart at play in those leaves. We may be in a foreign land with unfamiliar plants and animals, but the joy of children on a clear fall day must be universal (and yes, they did run and jump in).