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| Penguin statue on the beach made of penguin dressed with Christmas clothes and various locally inspired pins and decorations. |
Moving temporarily to Penguin, Tasmania confirmed that we like small cities. Feeling at home with some of the most friendly people on the planet with a culture all their own has provided us with a powerful sense of being welcomed within only a few days of our arrival.
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| Penguin information signs posted at the beach next to the above Penguin statue. |
Yesterday morning, a long walk through the whimsical main street, a few blocks from our six-week holiday home, left us shocked with a profound sense of belonging. The theme of the penguin was everywhere as our pictures show.
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| Monument to WWI, the Great War in downtown Penguin. |
As we entered the small eccentric shops, buying a few grocery and pharmacy items along the way, we were greeted as if we had been here our whole life. While walking on the sidewalk, each passerby made a kindly comment, “How’s it goin’ mates?, “Ga day to you both.” We couldn’t stop smiling.
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| We stopped in the Penguin Visitors Information Centre to take photos to be shared in another post. Notice the penguin statue and the penguins on the trash bins. |
The influence and population of Fairy Penguins in the area (we’ve yet to see any but surely will soon) are the influence of the name of this special oceanfront town with its own population of around 4000 residents, many who’ve lived here all their lives, including our wonderful and helpful landlord Terry.
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| Terry’s sister Linda owns the Gents Hairdresser where Tom will eventually get a haircut while we’ll visit with Linda. |
Within a 30 minute drive, we can reach many larger communities where there’s ample shopping, dining and entertainment venues within easy reach by driving along the scenic ocean view route.
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| A memorial for Troopers Thomas William Barker and Geoffrey Hugh Brownm who died in South Africa in 1900. |
About Penguin from this site:
“History of Penguin
Penguin first settled in 1861 as a timber town, and proclaimed on 25 October 1875. The area’s dense bushland and easy access to the sea led to Penguin becoming a significant port town, with large quantities of timber shipped across Bass Strait to Victoria, where the 1850s gold rushes were taking place. The town was named by the botanist Ronald Campbell Gunn for the little penguin rookeries that are common along the less populated areas of the coast.
Sulfur Creek Post Office opened on 1 January 1867 and was replaced by the Penguin Creek office in 1868. The latter office was renamed Penguin in 1895.
Penguin was one of the last districts settled along the North West coast of Tasmania, possibly because of an absence of a river, for safe anchorage. Nearly all travel in those days was by boat as bush made the land almost impenetrable. Many of the settlers probably emigrated from Liverpool via landing in Launceston then sailing west along the coast.
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| White sand beach in the center of town. |
Trade began when the wharf was built in 1870, allowing timber and potatoes to be exported. Penguin Silver Mine, along the foreshore slightly to the east of the town opened in 1870 but failed a year later. Neptune Mine, a tad further along, likewise failed. The rail from Ulverstone arrived in 1901, after which trade by sea declined. Passing of the Local Government Act in 1906 saw Tasmania divided into 48 Municipalities. Penguin’s first Council was elected in 1907.”
Penguin’s rich history is evident in every aspect of its pleasing center of town, homes along the coast and inland and, its people, all seemingly happy and grateful to live in this charming coastal town.
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| Zen House Studio which includes Buddhist Arts & Crafts. |
With the intent of a walk along the boulevard, one side of the street each way, we found ourselves engaged in conversation with shop owners and employees being asked where we’re from and why we’ve come to Penguin. Two hours quickly passed as we reveled in each interaction.
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| The pink building is the candy shop where Tom bought the fudge. The yellow building is Penguin Fruit & Veg, an organic produce and health food shop. |
When hearing morsels of our world travel and how long we’d be in Penguin, consistently they smiled, offering a warm, “Good on you!” often followed with…”If you need help with anything at all, please stop by.” Wow! Could we have felt more welcomed?
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| Local bar with outdoor seating. |
We purchased mushrooms at the Fruit and Veg shop, hydrogen peroxide at the pharmacy, double thickened fresh cream, shampoo and conditioner at the IGA market while Tom couldn’t resist a small package of homemade fudge at the candy shop.
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| Fairy Penguin shaped cakes in the bakery on Main. |
Enjoy today’s and tomorrow photos and of course, many more photos we’ll continue to share during our remaining 40 days in this special location. Had we known how much we would have loved it here, we may have chosen to spend the entire three months right here at Penguin.
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| Penguin Fire Department. |
Then again, we need to spread our wings and experience as much as we can as we continue on in our world travels. It’s easy to settle in, embracing a sense of “home” as we meander from location to location.
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| Christmas penguins are for sale in many of the shops. |
With the holiday season upon us, Tom had promised many of our newly made recent cruise friends that we post his “Lyman’s Irish Cream” recipe (compared to Bailey’s Irish Cream).
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| Beach in downtown Penguin. |
It’s easy to make and is excellent for serving as well as bottled gifts. We don’t imbibe, but know many of our readers may enjoy making this easy recipe. Here his recipe:
Tom Lyman’s Irish Cream (Comparable to Bailey’s Irish Cream)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint ½ and ½ or real whipping cream
3 pasteurized eggs (important for safety)
1/8 teaspoon coconut extract
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
1 cup Irish Whiskey or other bourbon or whisky
Blend all ingredients in blender for 2 minutes, then add 1 cup whiskey, measuring into the empty can of sweetened condensed milk in order to remove every last drop of the creamy sweetened condensed milk.
Blend for another 30 seconds. Pour in a glass bottle with tight fitting cork.
Keeps refrigerated for 30 days.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions regarding the preparation of this recipe. We’re happy to assist! Enjoy!
Photo from one year ago today, December 7, 2015:
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| It was one year ago today we moved from Vanua Levu, Fiji to Viti Levu, Fiji the main island in Fiji, flying in a small plane to from the tiny airport. For more details and vacation home photos, please click here. |