xenith | Hobart & Dark Mofo, from June

Friday afternoon I caught the bus down to Hobart. I didn't see a point in getting up first thing in the morning to catch a bus when I didn't have to be there in the evening, and there was a Redline bus going down at lunch time. What I forgot was I don't like going to Hobart on Redline. Coming back is OK but going down I don't like. Anyway, I got down there after 5 pm and went to the Alabama Hotel to meet Joee.

It's a new hotel. "Budget Boutique" is how they describe themselves, and they have pink flamingo lights in the stairwell.

Once we had the hotel thing sorted out (that is, I'd dumped my bags and worked out what I needed in my pockets) we headed out to look for Things. Specifically Things that claimed to be in the Prince of Wales battery, but we also kept a look out for other things, like these lights in the museum.

and these big, black spotlights which would be operating later

and other things of interest.

Dark Mofo is dark.

Big rabbit is big.

Lots of red lights about.

Prince of Wales battery is in Battery Point. Hobart's first gun battery was built near here, but closer to the river and it was that which gave the suburb its name. It was found to be not satisfactory so two more batteries were built up higher (Prince of Wales and Prince Albert). The stone from then has since gone, mostly I believe, to construct the replacements at Bellerive at Sandy Bay, but the connecting tunnels & magazines that connected the three still remain.

The map showed the location we wanted was in the park at the end of the road and I'd see the entrance (it has a big locked gate), but do you think we could find it? It's quite a big park, actually. We want over to read one of those information panels, that talked about the battery,

and saw this on the other side of the hedge. Hmm...

And that was it. See, big unlocked gate.

We went in, looked at the tunnels, looked at light thing and then left. (Photos later, sorry.) One to go and look for big spotlights along the waterfront and one to search out the State Cinema in North Hobart.

Although on the way back, we had our first view of the spotlights! So we found a place where we could get close to the water for a better view.

I couldn't stay long, because I wanted to catch a bus, but it was hard to keep walking when there were lights doing cools things in the sky, so I stopped for one quick photo.

Well, OK, two.

North Hobart has always had a lot of restaurants and food places, but in the last ten years this seems to have increased, and all of them were lit up. I couldn't find the cinema because it wasn't as well lit as the surrounding buildings, and it's changed its front. What used to be blocked out windows with movie posters on them is now clear glass showing off the foyer.

Foyer/bar I guess it actually is, also crowded. The State Cinema has the arty, independent and such films. The sort that generally don't come to Launceston. It also has a bar and generally a better selection of snacks than the chain cinemas.

Also, more comfy chairs. That's an ad on the screen. The movie, Wake in Fright, was one of the Dark Mofo movie screenings (and the only event I paid for). I had wanting to see it and a big screen is always better than a small screen, especially as I never get around to watching movies at home. Movies should be watched with other people. Odd movie. I was waiting for something to happen and then the resolution occurred. But good other than that. Or bad. However you want to look at it.

Waiting outside to catch bus back into city. It might have been quicker (and warmer) to walk. That bookshop, as I said at the time, used to be cafe that had lovely liquor hot chocolates. The shop just before the next street is where the bus stop used to be. That's the stop I used to catch the bus from (and get off at) when I lived nearby.

Back in the city.

And back to the hotel to meet Joee again.

The rooms were nicer than the poor lighting shows (and flash is worse because it reflected off the mirror). Shared bathrooms and no tea/coffee in the rooms or anything like that, but if you just want somewhere to sleep, it's a nice place and a great location (just a few doors along from the mall, and the supermarkets is at the other end of the block). That big window near the bed

opened into this storage or something area.

Once we were restocked (drinks & cold weather clothes), we headed out in search of the Odeon Theatre. It was a free event, so we wanted to get there early to make sure we got seats.

Very red inside. Also, plenty of empty seats still

so we picked the best: at the very front of a raised platform.

Snowtown Live was the music form the movie Snowtown played live on stage in front of unused footage from the film. So the people on the screen were doing things but there was no sound but the music, so it was a bit freaky, but in a fascinating way. It ended sooner than I expected though. I obviously wasn't bored :)

Leaving!

There were all these weird lights in the sky (although camera didn't want to take photos of them, scrrr, scrrrr it went and refused to focus). So we went in search of the source of the lights.