After two wonderful days at the Sea Dragon Lodge, I returned from Kangaroo Island to Adelaide late yesterday evening. Today I have taken two short 1hr 20m flights from Adelaide to Melbourne and then on to Hobart, Tasmania.
It's a sunny evening with a balmy 20C breeze blowing up from the harbour. Bit of a contrast from the 37C and 98% Humidity of Darwin but of course I'm just under 4500kms further south. I didn't have shorts for Darwin but I have come prepared for the more temperate climate here in Tasmania.
I'm joining the AAT Kings Tasmanian Wonders Tour from midday tomorrow so I have the evening and tomorrow morning to myself to catchup on posting.
It was an impressive drive in over the Tasman Bridge (See borrowed photo).
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasman_Bridge tells me that it is a prestressed concrete girder bridge connecting the Tasman Highway over the River Derwent in Hobart. When it opened on 29 March 1965, the Tasman was the longest prestressed concrete bridge in Australia, with a total length of 1,396 metres (4,580 ft). The bridge provides a vital link between Hobart's city centre on the western shore and the City of Clarence on the eastern shore.
The bridge gained national attention when on 5 January 1975, it was struck by the bulk ore carrier SS Lake Illawarra, bound for EZ Industries' Risdon Zinc Works with a cargo of 10,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate. It caused two piers and three sections of concrete decking totalling 127 metres (417 ft), to collapse and sink the vessel, resulting in the loss of twelve lives. The disaster split the city in half, forcing commuters living on the eastern shore to make a 50-kilometre (31 mi) round trip to the CBD via the next bridge to the north.
The Baltimore bridge collapse of 18 months ago in the USA is a timely reminder of what can happen when ships collide with bridges.
The Royal Carribean cruise ship Ovation of the Seas was visiting Hobart today and would have passed under the Tasman Bridge! She has a maximum passenger capacity of 4905.
It's about time I went in search of some dinner. I have a tour of Hobart tomorrow afternoon so more about this city later.
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