“Open House”- Tasport Tower

14 Wednesday Nov 2018

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“Open House” is an annual event in Hobart, where the public have free access to buildings that we don’t usually get to see.

Last weekend, we joined a tour of Tasmanian Ports Control Tower. It is 36 metres tall and has a unique 360 degree view of Hobart city, waterfront , Tasman Bridge and the Derwent River.
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It was designed to oversee the entire port and manage the arrival and departure of all ships. It is still used as the main observation point for all under-bridge crossings and is the office/staff room for the sea pilots.

From the tower, we could appreciate the scale of local timber awaiting export.
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“5000 Poppies”

04 Sunday Nov 2018

Posted by in creativity, remembering / musing

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As we approach Remembrance Day and commemorations to mark one hundred years since the end of the First World War, there is a beautiful tribute at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
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“What began as a small personal tribute by two Australian women to honour their fathers who fought in World War II, became an international tribute of respect and remembrance to those who have served in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations, their families and their communities.”

“Lynn Berry and Margaret Knight set out to crochet a humble 120 poppies to “plant” at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne Australia for Remembrance Day in 2013 in honour of their fathers who fought in WWII.”

“The idea sparked a massive community outpouring with tens of thousands of contributors, from Australia, New Zealand and beyond, making hundreds of thousands of beautiful handcrafted poppies.”

March 2015 – Melbourne Flower and Garden Show.
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Anzac Day 2015 – Melbourne’s Federation Square for the city’s centenary of Anzac commemorations.
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May 2016 – RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London
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July 2016 – Fromelles France
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Remembrance Day 2017 – Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne
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Remembrance Day 2018 – Canberra Airport
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I am honoured to have crocheted just a few poppies for this project, these artworks, these tributes.
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All photos and quotes from 5000 Poppies.

Tasmania Surf Safari – 50th anniversary

03 Saturday Nov 2018

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Today, Surf Safari celebrated 50 years of continuous surf craft racing in Tasmania – making it the longest running surf craft event in Australia.

Surf boards, kayaks, outriggers and surf boats, raced over courses from 2km to 28km with competitors of all age groups. After a stormy night the weather improved slightly but conditions were tough for the longer races, out on the open water.
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This year, it was held on our local beach so I wondered along, took some photos, enjoyed a coffee and a famous Aussie “sausage sizzle” 🙂

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Maria Island

26 Friday Oct 2018

Posted by in days out, one with nature

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Maria Island is a delight. An island of history, of beauty, an island with no vehicles, no shops. A place to relax and connect with nature.

The island is a thirty minute ferry off the east coast of Tasmania. The Painted Cliffs are stunning coloured sandstone sculptured by the sea and wind.
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The Fossil Cliffs are limestone rocks containing numerous and varied fossils.
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There are white beaches, open spaces, bush tracks.
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The historic settlement of Darlington has been a convict probation station, a camp for whalers and sealers, a Victorian resort. The island has housed a cement works along with farming and fishing.

 

It is now a National Park and wildlife sanctuary. As well as wombats, there are wallabies and numerous bird species.
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Wombats on Maria Island

25 Thursday Oct 2018

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We’ve spent the day on Maria Island. An island off the east cost of Tasmania.

I’ll write about it later but I wanted to share these photos of wombats. Wild wombats on the island that are very healthy and very tolerant of walkers with cameras. In total we saw 21 wombats, on grass, in a barn, crossing the footpath, one with a youngster.

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“Since the late 1960s Maria Island has become a kind of Noah’s Ark, as a number of threatened species have been introduced here in a bid to protect their kind. The very things that made the island a convict settlement, now make it an ideal refuge for plant and animal species that are elsewhere under threat.”

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The Lady Nelson

19 Friday Oct 2018

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Hobart has its own tall ship. A replica of “Lady Nelson”. It’s always a joy to see her at the waterfront. A contrast to the huge cruise ships that visit our city.IMG_E8168IMG_8170

The original “Lady Nelson” ship was built in Deptford, UK in 1799. She sailed to Sydney on her maiden voyage in 1800.

From there, she made multiple voyages to Norfolk Island and was the first ship to bring Europeans to Tasmania in 1803. She explored the east coast of Australia and was a valued link for the new settlements. She also sailed to New Zealand.

http://www.ladynelson.org.au
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