These cute little fellows confirm our suspicions of Tasmanians who come from the iodine lacking mountain regions - so mothers-to-be, don't forget your iodised salt.....
These little Tassie Devils sound like screeching banshees, but are really quite cute (moments after this photo was taken, I lost the top of my finger)
This is the intellectual giant of the marsupials - quite cuddly, but diminished cerebral capacity (the wombat, not me...)
The urine stains were removed after soaking in Napisan
"EXCUSE ME - I had Eucalyptus Marginata for lunch yesterday;
I specifically ordered Eucalyptus Camaldulensis for lunch today...!!"
"Rook, Austrarian Warraby!! Take photo quickry before he reaping off!"
Wallaby basking in the glory of 75,000th Jap tourist for the day taking photos (but he refused the Sushi offered as payment)
Coles Bay viewed from (after strenuous exertion) Mt Amos -
Cape Freycinet
Mt Amos (Cape Freycinet)
Mt Amos (Cape Freycinet)
Above two buildings are in Queenstown - a mining town described in Lonely Planet as a "moonscape". The surrounding hilly countryside is devastated and uncharacterisic of most of Tassie. Mining has largely ceased. Rehabilitation of the surroundings difficult, but some of the old buildings are impressive
Zeehan. Active mining town with a fascinating museum containing large geological display, steam locomotives and mining gear - real blokes stuff - not for the Jane Austen set
View from where we stayed at Strahan (Gordon/Frankland Rivers)
Gordon River (below Frankland River) of Bob Hawke fame 25 years ago
when he ordered the RAAF to fly over Tassie & take spy photos...(sandwiched in between the more important tasks of gambling in his mate Packer's casinos & seducing Blanche Dalpuget while poor old Hazel was succumbing to Alzheimer's)
Although Macquarie Harbour is twice the size of Sydney Harbour, it wasn't
developed as a port in early Tassie due to the very narrow entrance- hence the name Hell's Gates
Young Huon Pine; only another 1500 years to maturity..
Tassie just has to have fungi that are different from the rest of Oz - I tried to persuade Lynne to fry some of these for her breakfast so I could see if they were safe for me to eat, but she refused; apparently matrimonial devotion has its limits
More fungi
For some reason these are referred to as "little boys"??
Don't get it myself....
Sarah Island (maximum security convict prison) -
where incorrigibles who'd stolen TWO loaves of bread were
transported to
transported to
(excuse the split infinitive)
Sarah Island (Macquarie Harbour)
Waterfall (gosh, that's stating the obvious) - Nelson Falls between
Queenstown & Derwent River
Hobart from Mt Wellington (so much microwave activity around here that in the car park instructions are given to motorists on how to handle disabled motor vehicle security systems!)
Hobart has its share of quaint little houses dating from
early settlement days
Cradle Mountain. Almost got to the top before low cloud, loose rocks,
exhaustion, Lynne's hip pain & the Yeti stopped us
Cradle Mountain (Cradle Mtn St Clair Nat Park)
Bay of Fire. Named due to the fiery orange lichen on the rocks
Bay of Fire
View from the place we stayed in at Bay of Fire
"Bugger off mate, this is MY patch"
These two murals were just some that are everywhere in Sheffield- a
town that was dying until someone started painting murals on
walls - & anywhere else suitable. Now it's on the tourist route and worth a look.
In the one above, I'm not quite sure what the wench is offering, but the guy on the left is interested in sampling it....
A couple of examples of exceptional silk embroidery in a museum in Deloraine
showing various aspects of the area's history and growth over the years.
About 300 women were involved (10,000 hours) in the development of these artworks (one can only speculate on the noise levels if they were all in the embroidery room at the same time. The CWA cook books would have been pressed into service for the scone & pikelet recipes to sustain the busy hands...).
Yep, another waterfall near Deloraine (Liffy Falls)
Launceston has kept many of its old buildings - but that's typical
of Tasmania. They are either "heritage" conscious or the economy's
never flush enough to knock them over to build new ones...probably a bit of each!
Near Launceston is Evandale, an entirely heritage listed small
Near Launceston is Evandale, an entirely heritage listed small
town dating from early settlement days. Every building is classified including the post office above (and the staff are required to be 80 years old to work there)
Finally, a few days in Melbourne on the way home. A visit to the National
Gallery of Vic revealed this iconic work of art - one can only be impressed and humbled by the depth of talent revealed by this artist - Tom Roberts, Fred McCubbin, stand aside, you've been usurped by REAL talent. (Apart from this, the main exhibition of John Brack was marvellous)
Also at the Nat Gallery an exhibition of Chinese silk Royal gowns and other garb. In keeping with my cross dressing proclivity, I attempted to don a couple, but the attendant frowned on this
(but he did give me his phone number)
Melbourne might be lacking rain, but the Botanical Gardens are as good as ever
If you've managed to struggle down this far, here's a few from Turkey.
(I'll be putting a few of the scenic ones on the BLOG later)
Does this mean Others (gays etc) have to use a different toilet from the rest of us?
Fortunately for Aussies, the Turks have changed their dietary habits to suit us
(actually it's a menu in a town which caters for "fly in POM package tours". Good old Brits, never let being in a foreign country get in the way of a good nosh)
Didn't actually try the nice experience, but I'm sure it was
Did I try it? Yes. Did it work? Well, if it does, it's taking a damned long time.....
No comment. I just like it. (Sirence, Turkey)
