electricspells

peregrination :: camper van trip around Tasmania – September 2022

Friday, 2 September

Pre-departure

I was in Hobart for an ICNL Board meeting prior to venturing out in the camper van.

All of the arrangements made for the MONA trip the night before went smoothly.

View of Constitution Dock from the street
View of Constitution Dock from the street heading to the MONA ferry
Windeward Bound alongside at Constitution Dock
Windeward Bound alongside at Constitution Dock; a tall ship that trains young people

Ferry Ride

The ferry ride along the Derwent to MONA was fun. The Derwent River is very scenic.

View of Constitution Dock from the departing ferry
View of Constitution Dock from the departing MONA ferry
View of Hobart city skyline from the MONA ferry
View of Hobart city skyline from the MONA ferry
View of Hobart city skyline from the MONA ferry
View of Hobart city skyline from the MONA ferry
Travelling under the Tasman bridge
Travelling under the Tasman bridge
More of the Tasman bridge
More of the Tasman bridge
First view of MONA from the river
First view of MONA from the river
MONA, from the river
MONA, from the river
Not as impressive from the river as expected
The jetty at MONA
The jetty at MONA
The MONA ferry alongside at MONA
The MONA ferry alongside at MONA
There are two such ferries with different coloured camoflague

Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)

External art installations

Wrought iron train sculture
Magnificent wrought iron train sculture in the forecourt of MONA
Selfie with sculture
A selfie with the sculpture (head included for scale)
Overview of forecourt exhibition
Overview of the forecourt exhibition

There was much art – some fantastic pieces of which I liked "bit.fall" best.

bit.fall – live-sourced random words from the internet are formed in the pulses of falling water.
Website of creator of bit.fall

Some modern art didn’t make sense to me (as usual) and some ancient art was, perhaps, not as interesting as when seen in situ (e.g., Eygptian funerary objects).

Central corridor at base of MONA
Central corridor at base of MONA showing how the museum was literally carved out of the headland
Landscapes made of bread
Landscapes made of bread; very clever
Landscapes made of bread
More landscapes made of bread
Optical illusion; mirrored base reflects ceiling skylight
Optical illusion; a mirrored base reflects the ceiling skylight
Feminist protest posters
Feminist protest posters
A wall of vaginas
A wall of vaginas
18th C(?) navigation spheres
18th C(?) navigation spheres; the inner surface of the leaves that fold up show a celestial map
An obese sports car
An obese sports car
Burke and Wills - Cooee Camp Tea ad
Burke and Wills – Cooee Camp Tea ad
Wrong on so many levels that it’s magnificent

Had lunch in the VOID bar inside MONA. The bar’s theme was strangely appealing: “Cocktails, pizza, emptiness”.

Outside again, waiting for the ferry back to Hobart city, I discovered some of the other attractions at MONA, including live music playing to the picnicking guests

Panorama of the view from MONA down the Derwent River
Panorama of the view from MONA down the Derwent River
Outdoor picnic area at MONA
Outdoor picnic area at MONA
Entertainment for lunchtime diners
Entertainment for lunchtime diners

Camper vanning

Got a cab in Salamanca Place (near MONA Ferry wharf), collected my gear from the hotel, and rode out to collect the camper van.

Once I checked into Barillo Caravan Park, I did some shopping in the local shopping centre, Eastlands.

My travelling home for the next 7 nights
My travelling home for the next 7 nights
Evidence that van was large enough
Evidence that van was large enough for me to stand up (head shown for scale)
Camper van interior
Camper van interior

Back on site, I watched the “How To” video for the van and set stuff up.

I decided to set up the top berth so I didn’t have to take it down each day. The berths are only double-bed sized, so a bit cramped.

Eating dinner after setting up the van
Eating dinner after setting up the van
The double-bed upper berth set up
The double-bed upper berth set up

I slept in thermals under the provided doona and sheets. Perfectly comfortable – if a bit cramped – even though it got quite cold overnight and even rained.

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