This is going to be the first post of a few from a wee stroll I went on the other day, which turned into quite the long walk indeed. I’ve been living in Hobart for several months now and there’s still so many places in the city and surrounds I’ve yet to see. I decided to tick another few areas off the list by checking out the regatta grounds and then continuing onwards towards the Tasman Bridge……and then I just kept going.
The Royal Hobart Regatta takes place at the regatta grounds in February each year and is well attended by the public as well as the Royal Australian Navy who put on numerous displays for the event. It first began in 1838 by the then Governor of Tasmania, Sir John Franklin. Franklin provided free food and beer for all of the spectators, and the tradition of free entry continues to this day (I guess the free food and beer part has stopped haha). The Monday was declared as a public holiday by the governor, and is now the oldest public holiday still continuing in Australia. I look forward to attending the festivities when they next come around.
The regatta grounds themselves lie empty for the most part throughout the year but for someone who enjoys urban exploration it’s a pretty cool site to check out. There’s the old disused train line which is slowly being overtaken by nature and adds an eerie atmosphere to the place. The main grandstand is a lovely old structure with plenty of plaques and memorials dedicated to the heroes of old. You can wander down to the shoreline where you’ll often see people sunning themselves on the grassy banks or fishing from one of the pontoons jutting out onto the river.
It lies right next to the Hobart Cenotaph which is a memorial to those Tasmanians lost during the wars and is part of the vast Queen’s Domain which also acts as a memorial area for fallen soldiers and is well worth walking through to get a sense of who the people were who fought and died for their country.
In the next part of this journey I’ll keep exploring along the Derwent until I get to the Tasman bridge which dominates the skyline and the river on this side of the city. 
Czeching Out Tasmania 