We were told to turn our clocks back one hour during the night. Because some of our electronics automatically change with time zones, others do not. We awoke not sure what time it was. We discovered that 5:30 was a bit early. So we fussed around in our room for a while and then and went to the Lido deck when it opened at 7:00 for breakfast. Lots of coffee was in order. ​

My geography is sketchy in this part of the world, so I learned that Tasmania is in Australia. When we docked in Hobart, it meant that everyone on board had to get off the ship and go through passport control. The officers had lots of tables set up in the terminal for us making it quick to get through the lines. We could not, however, get back onto the ship until everyone was checked. This gave us a chance to wander around the dock and downtown areas of Hobart. The weather was nice so this was not an issue. We went into a very large pharmacy so that I could get some decongestants. I still could not find Tylenol or Aleve. ​

We got back on the ship for lunch and then met our shore excursion at 1:30. HAL's Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary tour bussed through the picturesque countryside and dropped us at the large animal sanctuary situated on a slight hill. The first things that we noticed were dozens of Forester kangaroos congregating in a large open area. They were there to be petted and fed by all of the visitors. I was surprised at how tame non-aggressive they were. Ann did her duty by feeding and petting some of them. ​

Wandering around the park, we saw some ugly, fierce-looking Tasmanian Devils which were kept in enclosed areas. They were not to be petted or fed. We also saw quolls, wombats, echidnas and koalas. ​

This is a wonderful way to get an introduction to the native wildlife of Tasmania. ​

After leaving the sanctuary, we drove to Richmond, the original penal colony in Tasmania. It is now a tourist destination with its numerous old and heritage-listed buildings and parks and the oldest bridge in Australia still in use. We walked around the small town stopping at a shop for some licorice ice cream. Yummy. ​

We got back to the ship in time for our 5:30 dinner. The Bensons were missing from dinner. Ellen was not feeling well. Because of our early start of the day, we skipped tonight's entertainment and went to bed early.

Hobart Harbor

Ann Feeding a Kangaroo

Wombats

Koala

Old Bridge in Richmond

Richmond Building