On Saturday, the Aurora Australis left Hobart for the last time.
If you’ve been in Hobart for long, you’ll probably have seen this boat anchored at the wharf. It was, until this year, the Australian Antarctic research vessel, and has been in service for the last 30 years.
She made her final voyage to Antarctica earlier this year, and many people were concerned about what would happen to her after that. There were reports that she was going to be sold or even scuttled, and there were calls for the government to buy her and convert her into an Antarctic museum in Hobart.
That didn’t happen. The latest reports are saying she is sailing to Dubai and after that, a possible future in Argentina.
I’ve enjoyed photographing her over the past few years.
The last couple of months leading up to her departure, I’ve made a few trips to the waterfront to capture her for the last time.
On Friday, I went to the waterfront to see her for the last time (with only my 50mm lens). I wasn’t the only person there.
There was a group of workers from the dock, or maybe from the ship itself, having their photo taken in front of it, and several other people stopping to take photos and say goodbye. One lady said she’d heard the ship might be going to be used for cruises to Antarctica, and if that happened, we might well see her again in Hobart.
I hear that there was a huge turnout on Saturday morning to see the Aurora Australis off as she sailed out of Hobart for the last time. A flotilla accompanied her as she departed, and there was a lot of emotion in farewelling her. I wasn’t able to be there, but I was able to catch a final glimpse of her as she sailed down the river.
I saw her for the last time as just a spec on the horizon and wondered what her future would hold. Perhaps she would have been a wonderful museum, but perhaps it’s better for her to continue her life on the sea. It brought to mind that quote “A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for”. I have no idea who said that but I like it. (And it’s not really about ships, is it?)
In the words of my friend, who had found a spot on the river bank to say her goodbyes as the “Orange Roughy” sailed past, “Go well, little ship”.
straightlinesgirl images 
Pingback: 20 for 2020: week 51 | stepping on the cracks
Pingback: 50 in 50: week 7 | straightlinesgirl images