Hobart to become hive of activity as Australia takes on Scotland in the World Cup
UP to 20,000 fans are expected to cheer on their hometown heroes when Australia takes on Scotland at Bellerive Oval today.
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UP to 20,000 fans are expected to cheer on their hometown heroes when Australia takes on Scotland at Bellerive Oval today.
Hobart will be a hive of activity as thousands of cricket lovers converge on the city for the last of three World Cup matches in the state.
Taxis are busy, accommodation is full and pubs, restaurants and cafes are bracing for brisk trade during the weekend.
Despite disappointing crowds of 4048 and 3549 for the first two World Cup games — which did not feature Australia — Bellerive Oval is set to be close to its new capacity of 20,000.
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Tasmanian Hospitality Association general manager Steve Old said if hotels weren’t sold out they were very close to capacity this weekend.
“This weekend shapes as being huge for Hobart’s hospitality businesses,” he said.
Six Hobart hotels contacted by the Mercury said they would be fully booked tonight, with only limited rooms available tomorrow.
All 242 rooms at the Old Woolstore are booked out, the Hotel Grand Chancellor’s 244 rooms are full for tonight with 50 available tomorrow and the RACV/RACT Hobart Apartment Hotel’s 125 rooms are full tonight and 10 of them are available tomorrow.
Wrest Point said its 269 rooms had been fully booked since Thursday.
Seven of the Best Western’s 140 are available tomorrow after no vacancies tonight and Hadley has only eight rooms up for grabs tomorrow and not surprisingly is fully booked tonight.
With streets near Bellerive Oval closed, fans are finding alternative transport to and from the game.
Hobart’s only water taxi has taken bookings a week in advance for today’s game. Navigators is running a ferry service to the game from the Brooke St Pier and Wrest Point using a vessel holding 230 people.
On dry land, taxi drivers and bus operators are advising fans to take into account the increased demand for transport the large crowd is expected to bring. Metro Tasmania once again is running its free boundary service, but CEO Stuart Wiggins warns fans to be prepared.
“Given the large crowds expected we would recommend people allow an additional 30 minutes than they would normally allocate to get to and from Bellerive,” he said.
Tasmanian Taxi Council president Roger Burdon said between 70 and 80 per cent of Hobart’s 300-strong taxi fleet would be in operation today.
“Planning your trip with plenty of time will be a good idea regardless of vehicle choice,” he said.
It is no surprise businesses and venues in Bellerive are expecting a huge day. Before the action begins at 2.30pm today the nearby Fish Bar is expecting to sell hundreds of fish and chips orders and its special fish burger made just for the Cricket World Cup.
“We sold over 200 the morning of Zimbabwe v Ireland, so with Australia we are expecting to sell a lot more,” said head chef Sam Dadson.
St John Ambulance volunteers are looking forward to the event.
“I’m actually on leave so I’m just on for the three games at Bellerive,” said Alison Hardwicke. “It doesn’t happen every day.”
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Originally published as Hobart to become hive of activity as Australia takes on Scotland in the World Cup
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