Ocean Shield in her new midnight blue colour against a soupy autumn Hobart Gerry. Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Ocean Shield is a ship of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Ordered by DOF Subsea as the offshore support vessel MSV Skandi Bergen, the ship was laid down by STX OSV. During construction, the vessel was sold to the RAN in March 2012. Renamed Ocean Shield, the ship entered service in June 2012 as a civilian-crewed humanitarian and disaster relief vessel, operating in support of the RAN's amphibious warfare vessels.[1] In 2016, after the Canberra-class landing helicopter dock ships (LHDs) enter service, Ocean Shield will be transferred to the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service to replace sister ship Ocean Protector. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADV_Ocean_Shield
Tasmania's pristine wilderness features many beautiful waterfalls. Crystal clear streams and lush ferns create peaceful sanctuary's. Strickland Falls is in the Mt Wellington National Park 15 minutes from Hobart.
Joseph CONRAD (Jozef Teodor Konrad KORZENIOWSKI 1857 - 1924) was a Polish-born writer and Mariner who became one of the greatest novelists in the English Language. Among his best known were "LORD JIM", "NOSTROMO" and "THE SHADOW LINE", actually written around the barque "OTAGO" which he commanded in 1888 (and pictured here - I think there are two wrecks at this site - this one looks around 45m to me). Conrad was a man of extraordinary talents as he knew no English until the age of 20 and grew up in a family which had no nautical tradition. The 367 tonne 44.8m long "OTAGO" was built in Glasgow in 1869 and after sailing the high seas under various commands, including Conrad, was cut down and brought from Sydney to Hobart about 1900 where she became a coal hulk on the Derwent for more than 20 years. In 1931 she was sold at auction to a Mr. H. Dodge and taken to this site where she was later broken up, some sections being sold as scrap iron to Japan.
