LEST WE FORGET

 This brief post is not about sacrifice made by soldiers in any armed conflict. Rather, it is about the conflict between science and climate scepticism. It is about a government manipulated by mining company heavyweights, media moguls and shock jocks. Primarily, I wanted to share a great article in today's Age newspaper to remind people aboutthe ground we lost when Abbott became PM. I wonder how much farther along we might be if the Liberal/National Party Coalition weren't so beholden to big coal and the likes of shock jock Alan Jones.

Although we may think the dark days of the Abbott government and its war on logic and denial of climate change is well behind us, it is important to remember that some of the main players in Abbott's regime are still in power and holding back real progress in addressing climate change. The most notable of these is Greg Hunt, who was Environment Minister in the Abbott government, and is now in charge of health. I reckon this cartoon pretty much sums him up:

The first action Abbott and company took in government - within 24 hours and before parliament had even sat - was to demolish the Climate Commission that had been set up by Julia Gillard's Labor Government. This was very soon followed by the introduction of bills that shut down everything from the emissions trading scheme, the CEFC and the Climate Change Authority. Senior public servants who were seen as invested in supporting climate change were sacked. 

I commend this article to you; it is brilliantly written and gives a very clear picture of how draconian Abbott and his henchmen were, and what we lost: 

"You bastards sacked me!"

Is it likely that Scott Morrison and his government will do anything real in dealing with climate change and moving us towards having a more green economy which mitigates against climate change? Anyone who remembers him standing up in Federal Parliament clutching his lump of coal would probably have an opinion on that. I reckon this cartoon pretty much sums up "ScoMo":

But, who knows? If nothing else, Morrison cares about staying in power. If he is able ascertain that the majority of Australians do care about giving their children and grandchildren a future then he might just be able to undo some of the bad that Abbott did. Then again, pigs might fly.

Mt Brown and Crescent Beach

A Magical Southern Tasmania Winter's Day

With travel restrictions eased we thought it was about time we had a visit to the Tasman Peninsula. We hadn't been to Crescent Bay and Mt Brown for quite a while so opted to head down that way and have a look at the upgrades to the track.

The forecast suggested there should be no rain until sometime in the late afternoon so we were somewhat surprised and disappointed driving through Forestier Peninsula to see wet road and a fine mist in the air. Thinking we were likely to get a little wet whatever time we started we decided to detour to Cubed Coffee at Pirates Bay Lookout. Here's what it looked like in the direction we were headed ...

A little grey but we were heartened that no precipitation was actually falling on us as we waited for refreshments. Excellent coffee and better chocolate chip cookies than you're likely to buy anywhere else in Tasmania.

The sky gradually lightened as we continued southward. By the time we arrived at Remarkable Cave where the track starts it looked a little more promising. Before we headed to the start of the walk proper I took this photo of Cape Pillar in case the clouds closed in and obscured the views later ...

As well as track upgrading there is a new sign ...

We were soon impressed with the quality of the track work and an occasional special touch added to our delight ...

... and here a wonderful use of large slabs of rock span a boggy drainage ...

Just a short way into the walk the colouring along the track and the coast behind warranted a photo stop ...

And did you notice the trace of blue in the sky at the top of the picture? Things are definitely looking up.

Something I especially like about living on our temperate island is that there is always something in flower at lower altitudes. The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos like that as well as they can always nibble on the banksia marginata along the coastline ...

The next notable sight along the way is the Maingon Blowhole which is about 150 metres from the coast at the end of a long narrow slot. Because there was no swell to speak of today the blowhole wasn't working but maybe you can imagine the spray coming up out of this chasm when it is ...

Along with the great upgrading to the track generally there has been a significant amount of re-routing. This is one place where that has happened, with the track running over a substantial new bridge that is a little closer to the shore, which is where I took this photo. I think the spray would be quite substantial right at this spot when the swell is pumping.

This hike is a real beauty, traversing coastal heath as it does and has been much improved with the significant re-routing taking walkers more consistently close to the water's edge. The fabulous surface  ...

... appears to be have made it a popular runners route now with a number of them coming back from the end as we were making our way out.

Here is another splash of heath colour ...

As the route nears Mt Brown it bends slightly left towards Crescent Bay and passes this little coastal crag which has been named "The Paradiso" by the climbing community ...

There are a number of excellent sport climbs on this crag, the longer of them stretching up to 35 metres in height. The serious action is off the end of Mt Brown, with routes up to 200 metres long and abseiling in is the only option. Tasmania in general has become quite popular with climbers from around the world and the Tasman Peninsula is something of a hotspot. This video shows a visiting couple out for an adventure.

Just after we passed The Paradiso the sun started to break through. Looking over my shoulder I saw Cape Raoul gleaming and tried to get a closer look. The iPhone wasn't quite up to the task for maximum definition but I thought it was worth including anyway ...

Cape Raoul in sun

Both Cape Raoul and Cape Pillar were used for extensive target practise by the Australian Navy in less enlightened times. How impressive would this cliff line be if it hadn't had the crap blown out if it?

It was a short walk to the fork detour to Mt Brown ...

... and as we ascended great views started to emerge down to Crescent Bay ...

... and towards Tasman Island ...

Unlike the main track to Crescent Bay the route up Mount Brown is unimproved, traversing dolerite slabs and tracking its way through low scrub. It is marked by small rock cairns and there is a larger cairn a few hundred metres before the top of the hill ...

... but a trig station marks the actual summit ...

Retracing our our steps to the main track and turned left down the the bay and its wonderful beach where a couple of kayaks rested on the sand ...

The paddlers were in having a skinny-dip which may have inspired Di as she decided to do the same a little further along the beach. With my cast still on I didn't feel like wandering around with a soaking wet arm for the rest of the day so I strolled down the beach a little further where I stopped for this irresistible shot ...

Coming back along the beach I saw the image I really came for ...

Decades ago in a different life  I brought students to this beach and they had loads of fun climbing up this dune and another behind me and running and tumbling back down again.

From here it was just a matter of retracing our steps back to the start of the track. I'm already looking forward to repeating the journey when I've got my cast off so I can get into the briny for a swim in my birthday suit! 😉

It's almost exactly 100 kms from Hobart to the start of the walk. Here is a look at where the track itself goes if you walk to the top of Mt Brown and then down to Crescent Bay before returning to the parking lot at Remarkable Cave ...

This is just one of a handful of brilliant day walks down on the Tasman Peninsula and probably the easiest one of the lot, especially if you eschew the ascent of Mt Brown and just go to Crescent Beach.
Get out amongst it!

PS: Although most days I'd rather be riding my bike somewhere, this was one of those days out with my darling that I wouldn't change for anything.

Meyne Wyatt Tells It Like It Is

The Black Lives Matter protests worldwide have sparked a re-examination here in Australia of race relations, with the microscope well and truly on black deaths in custody. Since the Royal Commission in 1991, at least 437 Aborigines have died in custody.

Last night on Q&A - which is on the ABC - our national treasure. Q&A is the premier media vehicle in this country for examining important issues. Last night it explored race relations in Australia.

The program finished with a powerful monologue from actor Meyne Wyatt. It is compelling viewing:

A Message about Coronavirus: language warning!

Stay the F*** at home!

Please don't watch the video below if you are offended by the "f" word. However, if you'd like to hear a cheeky poem from a Tasmanian turned into an upbeat self-isolated musical collaboration, this will provide some light entertainment for the otherwise very sobering situation in which the world finds itself:

Luckily we are still allowed to exercise outside here in southern Tasmania, which means I am able to get out on my bike - both alone and with my nearest and dearest. Here's a photo from yesterday's ride:

Enjoying a break at Cambridge Park

Stay safe everyone!

Cleaning Up the Tomato Patch

Out with the old, in with the new

Lots of different varieties in a small patch of garden

As autumn advances we are transitioning our crops in the ground. I decided it was time to pull up the tomatoes in the front yard so I could prepare the scene for our garlic patch. We had quite a few different types of tomatoes planted this year thanks to the lady around the corner in Allison Street who sells an incredible variety of seedlings each Spring. The growing season wasn't great this year but we got our plants in early thanks to an unusually warm October, so our crop was actually fairly reasonable.
Although there were still quite a few tomatoes that hadn't started ripening I didn't want to leave some of the plants in the ground as they would get in the way of cleaning up the whole area in one go. After collecting the fruit that was still hanging in there I thought that they looked quite attractive so took this photo. As I am typing, Dianne is chopping the green ones up to use in Green Tomato Relish. Of the others, some are ready to eat now and the rest will ripen up on the kitchen bench.

Out the back, I have got another section of ground ready for potatoes to go in when I can get the seed potatoes in a couple of weeks. We've got lots of greens coming along nicely and will put in some other winter crops once I've got a bit more weeding and cleaning up done. We have a couple more aubergines ripening and we still hold out hope that a few more fruit will set.

I hope you are all looking after yourselves in the "Time of CoronaVirus", eating well and maintaining your mental, social and physical health. Being out in the garden is sure one nice way to do just that.

Update:

And here's the result of 1.1 kgs of green tomatoes ... 3 jars of relish!

Di's homemade green tomato relish

PS: We do actually have two more thriving tomato plants out the back, which were stuck in the ground much later than normal. The seedlings came from our friend Anne Parrott; the variety is "Bulls Balls"! Here's a photo of them in situ:

Bulls Balls?

There aren't a huge number of tomatoes on these two plants but the ones that got going early are ... HUGE! About a dozen and a half are hidden away amongst the foliage fairly low down, with some smaller ones having emerged higher up just recently. If we get a good late warm spell they might just get to be huge too! Oftentimes we can harvest tomatoes right up until late May or even early June. We're supposed to have a warmer than normal autumn, which will be welcome after a fairly ordinary summer. And it looks like we will have a nice little late harvest of sandwich-sized tomatoes to go on with.

ULYSSES is for SALE!

"I cannot rest from travel

I will drink life to the lees"

- from Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Ultimate Camper #1081 is Looking for a New Owner

At a secret location in the Flinders Ranges

After much soul searching, it is with some sadness that we are offering our beloved camper trailer for sale. We've had lots of great adventures but have come to the conclusion that it's time for us to move on, so it's a chance for someone else to enjoy some off and on road adventures with this great camper.

We picked up our camper from the factory in Moruya on the 29 of June, 2011. It has been lovingly looked after since, and upgraded with various extras during our time together. It's fully kitted out with everything one needs to hit the road in comfort from the get-go, whether you want to just drive to the nearest caravan park or put the machine to its full purpose of off-roading in the most remote reaches of our Wide Brown Land. We hope that the photos and list of inclusions below will paint a relatively clear picture of what's on offer. 

Features and extras

• 17” steel wheels, tracking matched to that of a 150 series Prado
• 3 Mickey Thompson ATZ 265/70/17 tyres (spare has never been used)
• built in hot water shower system
• storage for two jerry cans; a water container and a fuel container
• Redarc BCD1225 battery management system
• dual dry cell SSB AGM 105 amp hour batteries
• Engel ST90F 80 litre 2-Way Compressor Fridge/Freezer (replacement for original dud Dometic)
• Swing-up jockey wheel
• LED reverse light
• TREG hitch
• 2 gas bottles (9 kg main bottle plus 2 kg backup)
• receiver for iSi off-road bike rack (https://www.isi-carriers.com/4x4x2/4x4x2_bike-carrier.html) bike rack could be included if buyer is keen
• main awning
• mini awning (extended to provide cover over the window beside the bed)
• full annex
• front awning
• under bumper skirt
• enviro matting
• 62 watt military style folding solar panel
• bedding, including doona, doona cover, fitted sheets, mattress protectors
• bed lamps
• one perspex window cover for placement either over the galley or the end of the bed
• EMP bed underlay
• Nose cone LED light
• electric water pump
• Insect door screen
• indoor/outdoor carpeting in nose cone
• Storm Cover from Coverworld for winter storage (new price $632)
• Solar Panel from Aussie Batteries and Solar: portable, folding, 3 panel 195 watt plus 8 metre extension cable (6mm twin core) $620
• 2nd extension lead @ 9 metres (6 mm twin core)
• lots of extras like water hose, various chocks, outdoor table with matching chairs, heavy duty power cord, soft folding arm chairs, camping cookware and other bits and pieces, including (but not all-inclusive) Weber portable barbecue, stovetop coffee machine, pots and pans, plates and bowls,cutlery, etc
• also have towing mirrors which could be added to the package if buyer wants them

Exterior Photos

Basic setup showing solar panel

Quick setup on Tasmania's Central Plateau showing military style solar panel

Basic setup at Great Lake in Tasmania: no solar panel, bucket out for sink drainage

Disembarking from ferry in FNQ, showing side mirrors on tow vehicle

Setup at Lake Natimuk showing full awning and Enviro Matting

Basic setup showing modified mini awning with extension

Camped at Freycinet National Park with full annex deployed

Electrics locker

Gas locker

Interior Photos

Lounge and bed

Engel fridge

Cooktop

Bench and drawers (with coffee machine! 😬)

Redarc BMS display unit

Pausing to smell the roses in the New England country of northern NSW

Selling Price $39 500

NB: The Prado (2009 150 Series, registration date February 2010) was bought and extensively modified for towing a camper off road, including a 50 mm lift kit. As we no longer intend to use if for its primary purpose, it is also for sale. We'd love to sell the both as a package. Anyone want to make an offer for the set? 

The camper trailer is located in Hobart, however we are willing to consider delivery to Victoria or southern New South Wales

Enquiries by email: dougandi@netspace.net.au