COUNTING DOWN TO HOBART’S TALL SHIP SPECTACULAR

22/8/2013

It’s one month until Hobart’s magnificent harbour will again fill with the sights and sounds of yesteryear as we celebrate Tall Ships Hobart 2013. This is the first time in over 15 years that Sullivans Cove will again resemble how the port looked in the days when sailing ships provided Tasmania’s only connection with the wider world.

Tall Ships Hobart 2013 will see Tasmania play host to tall ships from around the world in September this year. Tasmania has hosted similar tall-ship events in 1988 and 1998, both of which were well-attended and most memorable.

This year, an impressive fleet of international ships are heading ‘down under’ to join Australian tall ships, primarily to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy’s first fleet entrance into Sydney Harbour.

A flotilla of these tall ships will gather in Hobart for five days, transforming Hobart’s beautiful harbour into a spectacle reminiscent of yesteryear. Then they will sail in convoy to Sydney to participate in an International Fleet Review as part of the RAN’s celebrations.

Shore-based activities including displays and food in Princes Wharf No 1, fireworks, a parade and nautically themed entertainment on Parliament House Lawns are being organised to complement the presence of these magnificent ships during their visit to Hobart.

The Australian Wooden Boat Festival Inc., the organisation responsible for the renowned bi-annual Australian Wooden Boat Festival, is coordinating these complementary activities.

For visitors and locals alike, Tall Ships Hobart 2013 presents possibly the best opportunity anywhere in the world to see these magnificent ships ‘up close’.

Hobart’s beautiful harbour, set in the heart of the city, allows all of these great ships to be moored ‘alongside’ where they are easily accessible by taking a gentle stroll along a kilometre of picturesque and historical wharves.
This is a pleasant walk at anytime, but when surrounded by a forest of tall-ship masts, it will be breath-takingly spectacular.

The visiting ships arrive on Friday 20 September and will be open to the public from Saturday 21 to Tuesday 24 September. An educational program is being developed to make this a hands-on learning experience for parties of school children who will have scheduled visits on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 September 2013.