MONA, Cascade Gardens, Mt Wellington

 Very busy day today, we woke up to beautiful sunshine trying to beat off the 7 degree cold weather, I think the sun won for most of the day till we climbed Mt Wellington and we went into Arctic mode.

Started the day with a visit to MONA art gallery complex.  Calling it complex is like a Freudian slip, mainly because I don't understand art and when it's explained to me, it sounds very complex.  

We drove out to the complex, it's a mix of vineyard, winery, restaurants, outside art installations at a gallery.  We went into the gallery at ground level through a mirrored entry and went 3 levels down underground.  The gallery has been dug out of the sandstone and in many places is dark, loud, with  disturbing lighting and difficult to understand 'Art'.  In fact it was a fascinating place to visit, if only for the structure/architecture, but the art makes it even more interesting and even though most of it went way over my head, I appreciated the effort and the interesting displays.  I would recommend anyone visiting Tasmania to book in a visit to MONA.  Just the history is interesting, it is owned and built by a reclusive multimillionaire who made his money playing poker and loves the arts.  He is also responsible for the festival Dark MOFO which we went to last night.  Look it up, you won't be disappointed!!!

Next up we went to the Cascade Brewery and even though we didn't/couldn't do the tour, we had a walk around their historic gardens (The brewery has been brewing beer since 1824) and after an enjoyable walk we decided to have an early lunch before braving the summit of Mt Wellington.  A relaxing lunch in the gardens looking over the original buildings then set off up the mountain.

Thirty minutes' drive; the temperature went from 12 degrees to 2 degrees with a wind shield factor that was unable to be measured (by me...).  What a view and what a place.  Huge boulders with arctic vegetation.  We put on every piece of clothing we had in the car and still turned to ice.  Back in the car and headed for home.  A quiet tea tonight with a couple of beers, a white wine or two then the obligatory glass of red to get the blog done and dusted!!!

Slippery slide in the art world

MONA picnic area

Up against a concrete wall

With another

View towards Hobart from the top

Never ending vortex

Never to be seen again

Semi-trailer with a concrete truck

The load on the semi

All together at the entrance to MONA

Looking lost

The words are made of water drops which drop down and disappear, it's quite mesmerizing

The continual polishing machine (Named by the creator as 'Atlas") described thus .....

I'll never understand art!!!

Lots of tunnels in the sandstone

More art I don't understand

All those white spots are eyes...very weird

More tunnels

Detail in the sandstone

A fat Ferrari 

Denise looking for a price tag??

Views from MONA

Cascade Brewery

A walk through the old gardens

The reflecting pool

Had lunch with this view - Mt Wellington in the background

And here we are, freezing cold and getting blown to pieces

Yours truly - annoying the tourists and making the girls wait in the car

Maureen gets a look in

All together

Cold day on the mountain