First impressions

Bye-bye, Brisbane; hello, Hobart!

As with each of our internal flights, the journey effectively wipes out a whole day - this hop being from Queensland (home of this tiny leaf-like moth, which demanded to be blipped) and Tasmania (viewed from the air and on foot). It's definitely autumnal now in Tazzie, cooler than Queensland, but still several degrees warmer than May in the UK, so very pleasant. It goes dark before 5pm - and rapidly, in a matter of minutes - so our short walkabout began in daylight and ended in the dark.

Stepping out into Hobart is like entering a time-warp: it feels more like 1959 than 2019. All the shops are so old-fashioned. There's one that sells electric lighting with lamps so dated you half expect to see "Pifco 3/11" on the label. There's another shop that sells vacuum cleaners. Just vacuum cleaners. And though all the shops seem dated, the specific antique shops seem to sell goods dating from around the 1940s. That said, a lot of buildings look colonial, while others carry dates from the first quarter of the 20th century. Oh, and the policemen look like naval cadets! All seems very laid-back.

These instant reactions are based on one brief sortie. We're only here for one night, but finish our week with another two nights in Hobart in this same, comfortable, old-fashioned hotel. In between, we are touring the island by hire-car, with stopovers at various places. The view from the air looks most inviting ...