Australia, Day 8

The last day in Tasmania, I did some sightseeing and wandering the streets of Hobart.  I learned that Errol Flynn was born here and learned to row at the same spot that folks had a rowing race on this somewhat wet day. 

View over Hobart, Battery Point

Rowing for Errol Flynn

I found a couple of other sections of the Uni of Tas -- the Music Conservatory and the Medical part, sitting right next to the local TAFE.  TAFE stands for Technical and Further Education (https://www.tafensw.edu.au/), and it happens after high school.  Connected with on-the-job training, TAFE is the country's educational system that ensures that anyone who is not going to university still gets the opportunity to learn some of the further skills like communication but also theoretical background of particular job families.  Alabama's Department of Education is right now looking at this system to see what may be useful for their 2020 plan.

Uni of Tas, medical

The next longer visit was with the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (http://www.tmag.tas.gov.au/) that gives a great overview over the history of Tasmania.  A lot of the focus is on the settlement by the British and the violent extinction of the aborigines.  Some of the local art work of the 19th century is quite interesting, and I also learned about the most dangerous animal in Tasmania -- no, not the Tasmanian Devil or the Tasmanian Tiger, but about the Jack Jumper (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_jumper_ant), the ant that can kill you.Luckily, I only encountered it in the museum, in a safe setting.  The museum also had some rare old recordings of aboriginal song, which is certainly quite different from anything I have heard elsewhere.

use of ipad in museum exhibit

After some more local exploring, including the local Wursthaus and Bake House (with a great curry scallop pie), we headed back to Sydney.

Uni of tas, Maritime and Antarctic Studies, Amundsen

shells on the beach