On the fourth, we were up at 9 for check-out at 10, and headed via shuttle to the Britz campervan rentals. After a fairly painless transaction and rather helpful video on the campervan and where to find all the little knick-knacks and doo-dads that they hide on board, we headed in to Hobart, the Tasmanian capital.
Hobart reminded me of a combination of small, inland, Croatian towns and the mountain towns of Washington or BC. There were great views of the Tasman peninsula from the many hilltops, and sweet little houses all around. The business district was fairly blah, but the area near the waterfront was full of historic character. Hobart is right on the sea, and has a very cool marina where fishing boats dock, and you can chat with the local fishermen. Apparently, if you are early enough, you can buy the fish directly. Paul and I were never going to get up that early.
It was a cool day, and the rain spit on our heads several times, but we enjoyed walking around and taking in the city. We started with breakfast at the Retro Cafe ($30! for toast and eggs!!) then walked through Salamanca place, a set of old fishing warehouses that have been converted to the arts district.
Next we headed up to Battery Point, a historic neighborhood on a hill (of course) with cottages from the 1800's.
It used to include the red light district, and was frequented not only by sailors, but the the recently released convicts. We stopped briefly at a quaint roundabout - it was surrounded by non-gabled cottage houses with pretty gardens. Paul took pictures while I made use of the swing hanging from the tree in the middle of the roundabout. 
Next stop - Parliament house. It was dull, so we crossed the street to the pretty St. David's park. This used to be an old cemetery, but is now a park where yuppies in tight spandex roll across the lawns doing aerobics and pilates. But we did like the flowers, the pagoda that you couldn't walk up, and walking through the old memorial tombs.
Next stop on our walking tour was the Tasman Museum of Art and History. It was free. This somewhat made up for the 5 times that we had to refill the parking meter in Hobart. The museum was worth every non-penny. Excellent exhibit on aboriginals in Tasmania, and the history of their land loss, the war with the colonizers, and the concentration camps run in the 1800s. There were also excellent exhibits on local rocks, animals, and the antarctic. So much cool trivia!
Walking next along the waterfront, we saw the bronze statues of animals and explorers commemorating the first expeditions to the south Pole, the anti-whaling ship "Steve Irwin" and a Mystery Machine, a la 1980's iconic show Scooby Doo. We made our way back to the van, then drove through the city on the way to Mount Wellington. The mountain towers over the city from the northwest, with Hobart facing the ocean to the south. The city looked like any city away from the water front, except for the very cute school children in their pinafore uniforms with straw flat-topped hats that made the girls look like Anne of Green Gables. The drive up the mountain offered wonderful views of the city and surrounding islands. We drove through tall pines and eucalyptus trees with pretty pink flowers strewn throughout.
Half way up it started to rain, and we got rainbows, but almost at the top it started to hail. On top we ran to the observatory, trying to get out of the cold but, with the wind blowing the rain almost vertically, got soaked to the bone. We met with 3 motor-bikers on top - brave souls. The views were great, though, and there were two rainbows!
After getting through the rush-hour traffic, we headed to our campground at 7-mile beach. It was a beautiful beach in a quaint seaside town that looked more like cottage country than a place of permanent residence. The campground was very clean, and very close to the ocean, but we were packed in to the campground like sardines. Fortunately, it was quiet and everyone seemed to go to bed at dusk. We walked down the road to dinner at a place that looked like a bar, but had the best fish and chips ever. So good with a Victorian Cabernet. 
We stolled on the beach - 7 miles all to ourselves and the birds. The dusk cast beautiful shadows, and watched a seagull playing in the waves. He may have been looking for food, but I like to think that he was enjoying the rush of the surf on his legs. Our first night of sleeping in the campervan was a bit rough. It was cold, and the bed was hard - not much sleep to be had for either of us.
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