Day 12 Hobart, Tasmania

It was a very welcome sight to see Hobart this morning and finally to be able to set foot once again on Terra Firma.  Hobart doesn't let us down though, with windy and cold weather that is quite normal for this time of the year.  

The tour we decided on for Hobart today is "MONA in Style".  MONA is the Museum of Old and New Art that we didn't get around to visiting when we were touring Tassie a couple of years ago. To do this tour "in style" meant boarding the MONA big cat, painted in camouflage colours, and taking our seats in the "Posh Pit".  This is a private area where we are served Mimosas with a selection of savoury bites.  The boat ride takes around 20 minutes along the Derwent River to reach our destination.

MONA, built into the sandstone cliffs, is impressive to say the least and I believe it cost many hundreds of millions to turn the old museum into this wonderful modern state of art.  As we depart the catamaran we are faced with 99 steps to the entrance OR an easier path through the "tunnel".  We have not walked much at all these past couple of days so we chose the steps.  

We are then ushered through the doors at MONA and it is suggested to us that we start at the bottom on B3 and work our way back to B2, B1 and finally back to the ground floor.  It is a real maze down here and I am grateful that there is a free app, "The O" to download to help is find our way around.

It's hard to describe the art at MONA. It is bold, provocative and often confronting.  There are no prescribed paths or lengthy wall labels, instead you are encouraged to explore at your own pace and interpret the art in your own way.  It has had its controversy with the closing of the "Ladies Lounge" earlier this year, that was said to be discriminatory against a man. MONA is more than just a museum, MONA is an experience and is certainly one of Tasmania's most unforgettable cultural highlights. Here is a selection of just a small selection of the art.

You are encouraged to sit/lay on the wavy cushions and enjoy the ceiling display

These words are written in water tumbling from the ceiling.

In the outside area there are many more artistic pieces of work. This one is titled "bum hole"

And the next photo is how Philip and I would like to see ourselves…...

And this photograph has nothing at all to do with MONA.  It's just an interesting hairdo…….

We were allocated just under three hours to explore and that is enough for us but we would not have seen a third of what is inside.  You need days not hours.  We once again board the MONA boat for our quick trip back to the city harbour.  This time, in the Posh Pit, we are offered sweet treats and more champagne before we disembark and join the bus back to the ship.

It has been an interesting day.