Update on stranded pilot whales in New Zealand…A bit of “this and that”…Balance of Home Hill Winery photos…

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The work and effort to create these perfect rows of grapes are astounding.

The mass stranding of over 600 whales is the largest in New Zealand’s history, as shown from this source:

“More than 600 pilot whales have washed ashore New Zealand’s South Island over the past two days. Officials and volunteers are working to return the ones still alive back to sea, but many have already died or were euthanized because of their injuries.

On the morning of February 10th, more than 400 pilot whales were discovered on a crescent of land on New Zealand’s South Island called Farewell Spit, according to a Department of Conservation news release. Unfortunately, close to 300 of them had already died.

Volunteers with whale rescue organization Project Jonah and DoC officials managed to send 100 or so whales back to sea on February 11th, only to have 20 wash ashore again. The remaining 80 joined another nearby pod and appeared to be safe. However, that second pod then stranded itself on Farewell Spit that evening. The New Zealand Department of Conservation sent out a call for more volunteers, warning that it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to rescue all of the beached whales.”
The beauty of the neat rows of grapes in the vineyard is a breathtaking sight.

Hopefully, over the next few days, more whales will be saved as volunteers continue to work around the clock to assist in helping more back out to sea. 

Over the past almost month since we arrived in the Huon Valley, the weather hasn’t been ideal. In total, there have been about five sunny and warm days, all of which got us out to explore. Unfortunately, the remainder has been rainy, cool, windy, and cloudy, none of which is ideal for photo taking.

Here’s today’s forecast, similar to over these past several days:

“Forecast issued at 5:40 am EDT on Monday 13 February 2017.

Forecast for the rest of Monday
Summary

Max 16C

Shower or two. Wind easing.

Chance of any rain: 50%
South East area

Cloudy. High (80%) chance of showers in the far south, medium (60%) chance elsewhere. Winds west to southwesterly 35 to 55 km/h decreasing to 20 to 30 km/h in the late evening. Daytime maximum temperatures between 11 and 17.

Fire Danger – High

Sun protection recommended from 9:50 am to 5:20 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 9 [Very High].”

Alpacas grazing at the Home Hill Winery in the Huon Valley, Tasmania.

For those only familiar with Fahrenheit, this 16C translates to 60F, which at the highest for the day made for a considerably cool morning with the winds and overcast sky. 

This may sound warm to our family and friends in ultracold Minnesota and other parts of the country, but for us, having experienced mostly above 80F, 27C for the past four years, it’s very cool to us.

Those chubby cheeks must be filled with grazed grass.

Yesterday, staying in on a rainy day, we couldn’t seem to warm up. So both of us bundled up in socks, long pants, and flannel shirts layered over tee shirts. Unfortunately, my feet never warmed up, and I ended up wrapping them in a blanket.

There is a space heater kept in the bedroom, but we try to acclimate to the temperatures and possible without the use of heat or air-con. Also, we both make every effort to save on power when possible. 

This adorable alpaca approached the fence to check us out.

In most cases, landlords have provided us with discounted rental prices for our long-term stays and the added promotion of their listing through our site. As a result, we pay special attention to keeping the costs of owner-paid utilities under control. 

We’ve yet agreed to pay for utilities for any vacation homes. We feel these costs should be included in the rental. On the few occasions we were asked to pay the costs for utilities at the time of booking, we’ve always “negotiated” the cost of electricity/water/cable TV/Wi-Fi be included in the rent. 

Beautiful rows of grapes.

Last night, when we began watching season four of Game of Thrones, we wrapped ourselves in extra blankets to stay warm. We’d signed up for a one-month free trial of HBO (through Amazon), during which we’ll have watched the entire six seasons of Game of Thrones and season one of The Young Pope. 

By the time the trial ends, we’ll have seen all the episodes, and we’ll cancel the subscription, rejoining sometime in the future after we visit the US during which we won’t have time to watch shows while visiting with family and friends during the combined nine-week stay in both Minnesota and Nevada.

Bottles of wine ready for customers to take home.

Tomorrow, regardless of the weather, we’re heading out for more photos and grocery shopping. With over two weeks remaining until we fly to Sydney for the upcoming cruise, we’re beginning to wind down using the foods we have on hand.

Have a lovely day, stay warm, stay happy.

Photo from one year ago today, February 13, 2016:

On a drive in the New Zealand countryside, we stumbled upon this Billy Goat tied to a tree. He seems interested when we stopped for the photo. For more photos, please click here.

Road trip to more exquisite scenery…Tasmania never disappoints…Brain chemistry…

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Guess this little farm grows peas and makes teddy bears. This is so Tasmanian, a bit of humor in everything they do!

If we were to rewrite our goals of long term world travel it may go like this: “Ambitious home-free and stuff-free retired couple traveling the world to explore the simple life in the countryside, nature, wildlife, traditions, culture and people.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean that we haven’t reveled in visiting some of the most beautiful big cities in the world. On the contrary, we’ve loved the diversity of our experiences thus far across the globe.

Here is a dam near the town of Geeveston.

Even a few less favorite locations have taught us to embrace alternate lifestyles, varying religious beliefs and cultural traditions far removed from the original reality from whence we came.

Isn’t traveling all about putting ourselves in locations that illicit an emotional or spiritual response whether its the profound experience of walking along the beach on the Indian Ocean or traversing through the souks in the Medina in Marrakech? 

Once we arrived in Dover, we were able to see the Tasman Sea once again.

After all this time its easy for us to clearly determine what really “trips our trigger,” (no pun intended). I often tell Tom how it feels as if I’ve been injected with  a drug providing profound sensation of “peacefulness and happiness” when we see wildlife, beautiful scenery or cultural events.

“They” say (whoever “they” are) that endorphins are released effecting our brain chemistry when we visualize something that appeals to us. That’s not to say that a sugar-coated jelly doughnut won’t also illicit a similar response from me, or a plain cake doughnut for Tom (his favorite). It’s all relative. We love what we love.

I was driving through the tiny town of Dover with a population of approximately 1000.

That’s not intended to diminish the value of any visual stimuli.  It’s simply how we humans are wired. If seeing wildlife and scenery triggered the release of saliva and gastric juices, we’d be slobbering messes. 

Although Tom is less inclined to express his responses to such triggers (its a guy thing) I practically fall out of the car trying to get out of the low slung passenger seat in the little rental car to stand to take a photo or two.

What a perfect day it was for a road trip!

Yesterday, although we didn’t have an opportunity to see much wildlife except for a few choice sightings as shown in photos over these next several days, we were catapulted into another realm when we embarked on yet another road trip in exquisite Tasmania.

A few readers have written to us privately saying they’re considering a visit to Tasmania after our many posts since December 3, 2016 when we arrived in this veritable paradise (by our standards).

However, we must caution travelers that if big city life, significant nightlife, and the hum of activity are most appealing, Tasmania may not be the place for you. 

View of the Huon River while driving south.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, Hobart is loaded with tourist attractions, lively entertainment and shopping. But, it may be less vibrant than some big cities when citizens enjoy evenings at their homes cooking outdoors with family and friends. 

There is a plethora of water sport activities, tours to islands and hiking to please the most serious of adventurers;  helicopter rides, zip-lining, bungee jumping and white water rafting. But, we find these types of activities are available in most countries in one form or another. 

River running through the town.

The slower pace and lack of hustle and bustle in Tasmania may be ideal for the traveler seeking a respite from the stresses of daily life in a big metropolitan area. But, if quiet repose is not on your radar for at least part of each day, this may not be the best vacation/holiday spot for everyone. Then again, each potential location appeals to travelers for a variety of reasons.

W cannot partake in sport-like activities with my delicate spinal condition and have naturally gravitated toward the things I can do, as we’ve shared in our posts, day after day. We certainly haven’t been lacking in exceptional experiences, have we?

White sand beach in Dover, Tasmania.

Tom, my devoted and loyal companion and love, who’d easily partake in more adventurous activities has found an appreciation for nature and wildlife that parallels my own. He, too, can spot a creature or scene from afar that may easily inspire a stop on the road to capture his discovery.

Today and over the next several days, we’ll be posting photos of the road trip to the most southerly settlement in Australia, closest to Antarctica. Wow! We certainly appreciate the scenery and countryside in Tasmania.

May your day present you with the pure sense of joy from your surroundings whatever they may be!

Photo from one year ago today, February 8, 2017:

This alpaca, Amber Rose, who’d recently given birth, often looked at me through the kitchen window while I was preparing meals, at times pressing her nose on the glass. So funny!  For more photos of life on an alpaca farm, please click here.

Pretty, funny, yummy and cute…Do we always have exceptional views?

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Cute. Last evening I took this photo through the glass of the window in our living room when we happened to see this rabbit on the shore of the Huon River.

Our reading for today’s post certainly connotes the theme of most of our desired photos; pretty, funny, yummy, and cute. But, on occasion, we get lucky and acquire a shot of a scene or situation even we consider acceptable.

Both of us are always on the lookout for photo ops not only when we’re out exploring but also on days when we’re staying in, frequently looking out the window for possibilities. 

Cute, boys and their cars!  Tom and a 1962 Ford Galaxy 500.

Unfortunately, the setup of this otherwise ideal vacation home isn’t perfect for photo taking when indoors. Views of the Huon River in front of us are somewhat impeded by the glass of the windows, which don’t open adequately for photo taking.

The main floor of this upper-level unit (in a two-unit house) has a door to a small veranda, but most of the river views are blocked by trees and vegetation.  However, we can capture a stunning scene through the glass of the windows, which don’t open adequately for a glass-free shot.

Funny. Extra-large calf nursing from almost same-sized mom.

As a result, the above photo of the rabbit was taken last evening around 7:00 pm through the glass of the windows. I didn’t expect it to be as clear as it was due to the distance and the watermarks on the glass after many rainy days.  

Tom always calls it “safari luck” when I get a good shot, while I tend to fluff my feathers a bit over, finally learning to get it right after all these years. But, with a less-than-professional camera and my amateurish skills, I suppose that on occasion, I’m lucky under the right circumstances.

Yummy apples.

While researching vacation homes, we don’t necessarily list an easily accessible, view-rich veranda criterion. However, when we discover it’s available, it’s a definite bonus.

As most of our long-term readers have observed, in most cases, we have some view in itself, an important criterion which we’ve learned from experience. Only in a few cases over these past 51 months have we lived in properties without a view.

Pretty scene.

In only four of our past vacation homes were we dealing with a lack of an astounding view, including Kenya (a basic backyard view), Morocco (living in the souk with no exterior view except the difficult-to-access rooftop), the second house in Fiji (a backyard pool view only) and Phuket, Thailand (a backyard pool view only).

As we continue, we find ourselves fine-tuning our criteria, but cost and availability are often factors determining the prospect of achieving such a finite expectation.

Yummy-looking baked goods.

When booking hotels for only one or two nights, we’re seldom willing to pay extra for a view. Although in many hotels, we’ve been fortunate to have stunning city views, bodies of water, or mountain views. Without a doubt, views have the potential to make or break the quality of the experience.

In Morocco, living in a riad (a two-story house with an open-air center courtyard), we didn’t have a single-window looking outdoors. So instead, we’d look up to the sky, as shown in this photo below:

Looking up at the sky, day and night, is a rare treat, from inside the riad, defined as a traditional Moroccan house with an interior garden or courtyard. (This huge house was for the two of us only). For more photos of this property, please click here.

Don’t get me wrong, the house in Morocco was amazing. However, the lack of a view had a definite impact on the quality of our experience. After a while, one can feel a little trapped especially, as was the case in that particular location, it was impossible to rent a car with no parking available in the souks. 

In any case, it was a good experience from which we gleaned a lot of knowledge, adding to our repertoire of interesting (to us) times in our world travels. We’ve accepted that location is not always perfect for the nuances that work best for our needs.

Pretty scene of the Huon River near our vacation homes in Castle Forbes Bay.

As for this location, the property, the views, the landlords, and the people in the area, we couldn’t ask for more. Comparable to Penguin, some of the most friendly people on the planet live here.

Already, after only a little over two weeks since we arrived in the Huon Valley, we’ve been sending emails back and forth to people we’ve met along the way. Of course, meeting locals requires a diligent effort to get out to locations that attract locals to ensure face-to-face encounters. We’re always seeking such opportunities, as evidenced by our photos.

Pretty roses growing in the yard.

Today, rain or shine, we’re heading out to another of those events where locals may be found mulling around, photos of which we hope to share over the next several days.

Rain or shine, snow, sleet, or hail, have a safe day!

Photo from one year ago today, February 1, 2016:

Cloudy, rainy view of Mount Taranaki in New Plymouth, New Zealand. For more details, please click here.

Mother Nature’s bountiful offerings never fail to amaze us…It may not be what you think…

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An exquisite pink rose on the grounds of the vacation home.

In a world filled with war, strife, terrorism, turbulence and heartbreaking news, we’ve found it important to take plenty of time away from often what’s transpiring worldwide to revel in Mother Nature’s endless offerings surrounding us.

More perfectly shaped  pink roses.

One may imagine that living in Australia results in a continual viewing of kangaroos, wallabies and koala bears but it’s just not the case. Although we’ve spent many months in Australia, mostly the only kangaroos we’ve seen, sadly, has been road kill.

A single dahlia.

Eighteen months ago, while living in Trinity Beach (near Cairns), we frequently visited a open vacant field inhabited by many kangaroos and wallabies. Please see this link for more photos. On a few other occasions we’ve visited rehab facilities where we were able to interact with them.

Our second kangaroo sighting at a nearby field in Trinity Beach, Australia in 2015. The first, we’d seen, dashed through a rainforest, unable to take a photo in time.

Arriving in Tasmania on December 3rd, we finally had an opportunity to meet the notorious Tasmanian Devils when we visited Wing’s Wildlife Park and rehab center in Gunns Plains, outside of Penguin on January 6th. Please see this link for more of our photos one of which is shown below.

This Tasmania Devil posed for our photo while at Wild Wings Wildlife Farm in Gunns Plains, Tasmania, the first we’d seen.

It’s funny how we all have perceptions of what we’ll see and experience in various countries throughout the world. Typically, it’s very different than we imagined. We must admit that we’d expected to see indigenous wildlife running around in the remote areas in which we’ve lived in Australia over this extended period.

These flowers grow from the fluffy looking blooms shown here and in the photo below.  Thanks to reader Annie is Florida, this flower is a Clematis.  Thanks, Annie!

Also, surprising at times, is the similar vegetation we’ve seen from country to country. There are flowers growing in Tasmania that were also growing in Hawaii, Kenya, Europe, the US and more, all which countries have entirely unique climates.

Now in Tasmania for a total of 53 days, we’re reveling in being situated directly on the Huon River where each day we observe a wide array of birds pecking at the green grass on the grounds of this lovely property. No kangaroos. No wallabies. No Tasmanian Devils. No koalas hanging onto a tree.

This will eventually become the above flower as shown.  Isn’t nature amazing?

Tasmanian Devils are only seen as road kill during daylight hours based on their nocturnal feeding preferences as indicated here:

“A nocturnal scavenger and sometime hunter, the Tasmanian devil can travel long distances while looking for food. It will eat whatever is available, usually carrion (dead animals), sometimes eating spoiled or rotting meat. It will also eat fur and bones, which it crushes in its powerful jaws.”

Based on its habits, it’s no wonder we often see them as road kill when most of the narrow highways aren’t well lit at night making it difficult for cars and trucks to stop in time to avoid hitting them and other wildlife.

These pods will soon bloom to become the flower shown (near the center).

Tomorrow is Australia Day which we’ll explain further in tomorrow’s post. Once we’ve uploaded that post, we’ll be heading the town of Franklin where a huge annual celebration is planned.

Of course, we’ll be back with many photos from the event in two days. Please check back!

Have a lovely day! 

Photo from one year ago today, January 24, 2016:

This pregnant alpaca with an adorable unusual white marking on her face on the day prior to giving birth. We were living in New Plymouth, New Zealand, one year ago. For more photos, please click here.

Trip to Hobart on a perfect day in Tasmania…Noctunal awakening…Clarification on our “one year ago posts”…

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A perfect yellow rose from the flower garden in the yard.

During the night I awoke at 2:00 am, wide eyed and bushy tailed. Finally, by 4:00 am I drifted off, awakening at 6:30. As a whole, I slept about five hours. As a result, I lounged in bed this morning unable to fall back to sleep, instead reading the news on my phone. 

The main street in Huonville as we drove along our way to Hobart, approximately 45 minutes from our holiday home.

In the past year I’d read several articles stating that it’s in our human DNA to awaken during the night such as explained at this website as follows:

In the past year I have read several articles stating that it is in our human DNA to wake up during the night as explained on this website as follows: “Humans slept in two four-hour blocks, which were separated by a period of wakefulness in the middle of the night lasting an hour or more. During this time some might stay in bed, pray, think about their dreams, or talk with their spouses. Others might get up and do tasks or even visit neighbors before going back to sleep.”

While we were driving down the road to Hunonville, the scenery was exquisite.

It is heartening to know that waking up at night is neither unusual nor harmful at the end of the day. The trick is to get enough sleep to function well in the daytime. 

There is no shoulder on the road from our vacation home to Huonville. As a result, we’ve had to take photos while moving, always a tricky proposition.

Last night I didn’t get enough sleep, leaving me to lounge in bed this morning longer than I’d prefer. Subsequently, I didn’t sit down to begin today’s post until two hours after my usual starting time. 

Huon River.

Preferring to upload the day’s post prior to noon (our time) I’ve decided to postpone the time consuming story I prepared and upload tomorrow regarding yesterday’s visit to a worthwhile historical visit in Hobart where we spent most the afternoon.

Huon River through the trees.

After the enjoyable trip to Hobart we’re determined to return once a week, weather providing, to explore more of its wonders. It’s quite a city, unlike any other we’ve visited in the past. 

Cloudy and overcast views of a few boats moored on the Huon River.

As a matter of fact, Tasmania is unlike any location, we’ve visited in our 51 months of travel. It will be hard to leave in five weeks, but then, we have so much to look forward to in the future.

More sailboats moored on the river.

A point we wanted to discuss today, is the “year ago post” at the bottom of the page of each day’s post. Most of our posts reference a particular activity on which we’ve embarked as a result of an experience of a prior day. Thus, when we display the “year ago photo,” it was actually taken the prior day.

The Huon River is very wide in certain areas.

As an example, today’s “year ago photo” as shown below was taken on January 19, 2016, not on January 20th which it is today on this side of the International Dateline. This further adds to the confusion for our readers in the North America, Europe and South America where today’s date is January 19th, not the 20th as it is here.

Calla Lily grows in Anne and Rob’s flower garden.

To sum this up, the “year ago photos” are generally taken the prior day or during the prior few days. We attempt to stay as current as possible in all of our posts. If you have any questions regarding the time frame (or any other topic) for any of our posts, please feel free to contact us.

This flock of pelicans and other birds appear to be standing atop of the water when they’re actually standing in shallow water.

Today, it’s raining again and we’ll stay indoors simply enjoying this lovely property, our gorgeous surroundings and each other’s companionship. It’s a good day!

May you have a good day as well.

Photo from one year ago today, January 20, 2016:

Although far and few between, we stopped at a few scenic overlooks in the rain on the drive from Auckland to New Plymouth, New Zealand, where we stayed for three months on an alpaca farm. For more details of our arrive and a few kinks we had to adjust to, please click here.

Final photos from Mount Gnomon Farm…Four days and counting…

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A pond located on Mount Gnomon Farm.

Yesterday, we had a most interesting tour of a Penguin resident’s home which we’re excited to share in tomorrow’s post. You won’t believe our photos of one of the most unusual collections we’ve ever seen. Please check back!

A variety of flowers are grown throughout the farm.

Today will be a laid-back day to include a walk down Main Road to the local market for roasted chicken, washing and hanging a few loads of laundry, and preparing the final expenses for our six weeks in Penguin, sadly ending in a mere four days.

Mount Gnomon Farm is surrounded by lush green hills.

There’s no doubt in our minds that our stay in Penguin has been abundant in experience and fulfilling in so many ways some of which is shown in today’s photos from our recent visit to Mount Gnomon Farm. Tom has said that of all the places we’ve lived, Penguin would be the first he’d consider if we ever decided to settle for an extended period.

A spot to relax and enjoy the views.

That’s not to say we’re considering “settling down.” We’re not.  Early on in our travels, we promised ourselves and each other to keep an open mind for possibilities when we either can’t continue to travel due to health concerns or, in the unthinkable prospect of us tiring of living this life.

The entrance to the restaurant where seasonal dining is open to the public. Click here for dates and details.

Tiring of living this life? How could we when we’re “living a dream,” a dream neither of us ever knew we had until it actually began and it became a reality? Now, as we look back we realize why neither of us had ever imagined such a life in our retirement years.

 A pond on the farm.

Prior to commencing on my way of eating five and a half years ago, the chronic pain I suffered from a horrible spinal condition prevented us from traveling much at all. As a result, when we considered retirement options, it never included world travel. 

One had to look carefully to find this pig in the mud.

During those many years, it was a challenge for me to fly on a plane for a few hours, let alone for the day-long (or longer) flights, layovers, and excessive periods of time we’ve spent in airports over these past four-plus years.

A duck tucked away in her nest.

For us, my recovery was nothing short of a miracle.  Only three months after drastically changing my diet in 2011, I was pain-free, albeit shocked that what I’d previously considered a healthy diet was leaving me in a constant state of pain. 

Note the recently birthed piglets white bands like their mom. There are several breeds of pigs at the farm.

Don’t get me wrong…eliminating most of the foods I loved along with my then passion for cooking, wasn’t an easy undertaking. The concept of never again having a breakfast including a toasted whole wheat bagel with jelly, a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal with raisins along a small plate of fresh fruit was beyond my realm of reality. 

We arrived at Mount Gnomon Farm on a perfect day as piglets were born such as these, only in the past hour.

Five and a half years later, I haven’t as much as taking a spoonful of any of the above while I continue to reap the benefits of a sugar-free, grain-free, starch-free, and chemical-free way of eating. 

Various breeds of grass-fed cattle lounged comfortably on a sunny day.

Now, it’s easy when I consider what we have (and I mean “we”) in place of those types of food, in place of my former passion for cooking… a life rich in experience, adventure, and mobility. Sure, from time to time, we fall prey to setbacks, such as the injury to my spine in June in the pool in Bali which took five months to heal. No diet will make one exempt from the pain of an injury.

Cattle and sheep are rotated to other paddocks as the grass regenerates.

However, it did heal and I’ve returned to my former state of zero back pain. And, on occasion, like most of the over 60-year-old population, we have illnesses, aches and pains, toothaches, and other medical maladies that may or may not require medical care. 

Regardless of how hard one may try to maintain a degree of good health with appropriate food, plenty of movement and exercise, restful sleep, and a positive and enriching state of mind with as little stress as possible, we still may have periods of time when we aren’t at our best. 

The sheep were so friendly they approached the fence to be petted.

In a few days, we continue on to the next leg in our journey. Our goal is to never feel a sense of urgency to see more of the world.  Instead, we choose to travel at a pace that provides us with the optimum of joy, purpose, and pleasure while sharing it with special people we meet along the way, in special places along our path.

Thanks to all of our friends/readers who “travel” this journey with us. You mean the world to us!

Photo from one year ago today, January 12, 2016:

It was cold one year ago when our shop sailed through Milford Sound in New Zealand, prompting us to wear long-sleeve safari shirts with jeans, the warmest we’d dressed since  Vancouver in September 2014. It was a cloudy, hazy day but the scenery was beautiful. For more photos, please click here.

A visit to a pig farm and seasonal gourmet restaurant in the Penguin countryside…Pigs in the mud video…Mount Gnomon Farm…

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Pigs doing their thing at Mount Gnomon Farm…in the mud!
I’ve often used the expression, “Happy as a pig in the mud.” Now I grasp the full significance of this expression!

We’d contacted Guy Robinson, owner of Mount Gnomon Farm, in December, hoping to have an opportunity to visit his farm during our six weeks in Penguin. We’d yet to visit a pig farm, and with our curiosity about pigs, this seemed like a perfect day’s outing.

Mount Gnomon Farm is located less than a 15-minute drive from the center of Penguin.

Communicating back and forth on Facebook chat over the holidays, Guy suggested we come by after the first year when things settled down during their busy holiday season.

During certain periods of the year, Mount Gnomon Restaurant serves gourmet meals. Check their website here for dates and special events. In addition, a highly skilled chef will often stay at the farm to cook for special events and during the holiday season.

Not only is the farm’s restaurant opened on weekends and for special events over the holiday season, but often, throughout the year, it’s opened for special events, music festivals, and the opportunity for the public to purchase bacon, pork, lamb, beef, and produce. Please check their Facebook page for events by searching: Mount Gnomon Farm.

Volunteers, often animal studies students, come from all over the world to assist at the farm through various international work/visa programs. The temporary caravans are available in a pinch when there is an overflow volunteer on site. The owner, Guy Robertson, works hard to ensure the flow of volunteers and the overall management of the farm.

The magic of this special agricultural environment was evident in the time we spent speaking to Guy and later on during a lengthy tour with his volunteers. His goal is to create a sustainable, environmentally friendly, and thought-provoking farm for the public’s enjoyment, including children who can learn so much from the nuances of farm life.

This sow was in labor in a small shed of which there are many for the birthing process. Seeing these piglets only minutes after birth was quite an experience.

With many plans and dreams for the future, Guy’s compassion and interest for his animals, volunteers, paid workers, and visitors is evident in everything he does. 

Born only minutes earlier, it was interesting to see this piglet looking at us. We were among the first humans he/she may have seen.

Coming off a hectic holiday season and a recent trip out of town, it was obvious Guy needed some quiet time to relax and unwind. So his considerate and fast learning volunteers took over after we chatted with Guy when Sam and Danielle, both students, took us on the tour of the farm.

He/she still had remnants of afterbirth on his/her little face.

With plenty of flies, bees, and dust surrounding us, added to the pungent smells one encounters at a farm, we felt right at home. In our almost 51 months of world travel, we’ve had plenty of opportunities to interact with animals in their habitat when in the wild, in our own backyard, or such facilities as a farm.

More piglet born in the past few hours.

We managed just fine, feeling more at ease in this type of environment than we do in a shopping mall. I often joke that both of us must have “agricultural genes” in our respective DNA, inspiring our interest in barnyard animals and farming.

This huge male was watching over the activities in the mud hole.

Tom’s mother and father grew up on farms that perhaps have influenced him. And for me and the rest of us, surely many of our ancestors lived on and worked on farms for their own sustenance if not with the intent of earning a living.

Not only are there pigs at Mount Gnomon but also sheep and cattle.

Mount Gnomon Farm sells a portion of their products to some restaurants, with the remainder being sold to customers who either call to place orders or visit the farm during their “open” dates throughout the year. 

To place an order or inquire:

Phone:  0448 067 779

Email – info@mountgnomonfarm.com.au (please note sometimes it takes us a few days to respond to emails)

Snail mail – PO Box 320, Penguin, Tasmania, 7316

Farm address – 886 Ironcliffe Rd, Penguin, Tasmania, 7316

A mom and her growing young lounging in the shade on a warm sunny day.

As we wandered through the often muddy clay soil through the farm, we had the opportunity to see the birthing sheds with laboring sows under cover from the heat of the sun. 

Even a small mud hole gathers a crowd.

Under their own volition, the sows enter the sheds when delivery is imminent. The hay bed and enclosed space provide the perfect environment for giving birth. 

These cattle are friendly, allowing us to enter the paddock.

To be able to witness this firsthand gave us the same sense of joy and wonder we’d experienced only a year ago while living on the alpaca farm in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Please click here for details. (If you scroll through our archives for February 2016, numerous posts on alpacas give birth).

These scenes made us “squeal” with delight, especially when we heard the pigs squealing over their individual right to occupy the mud hole. Check our video above to see and hear!

As we walked through the farm, we observed sheep, pigs, and cattle in any of the 15 paddocks with various chickens and ducks wandering about near the houses, barns, and sheds at various points on the almost 100-acre farm.

More cattle checking us out.

From Guy’s website:
“I am a passionate Tasmanian farmer who wants to share a love of farming, food, music, and our region with you. We want to reconnect families with their food and local producers.

In 2009, I bought 35 hectares of beautiful red dirt behind the seaside village of Penguin in northwest Tasmania.  (Continued below).

A lot of pigs.  There can be as many as 400 pigs at any given time at Mount Gnomon Farm.

It was just going to be a hobby farm, but somehow, it became a pretty serious free-range pig farm over a couple of years. Finally, the cows and sheep arrived, and now a restaurant and butchery are sitting in our front paddock overlooking 1,000 cider trees.

We’re on the menu of some of Australia’s and Tassie’s best restaurants. We visit farmers’ markets across Tasmania, selling our fresh pork, beef, lamb, and hand-crafted small. If you go to a food, art, or music festival, you’ll see us there serving flavorsome, meaty dishes. (Continued below).

Sam, a student volunteer, working at the farm, and another student Danielle, provided us with quite a tour. Thanks to both of them for their assistance!

We run the farm with the help of a fabulous team of locals and international volunteers. We hope you really enjoy your Mount Gnomon Farm experience – whether it’s eating our food at a festival or spending time at the farm.”

Raspberries growing in the extensive garden. Many other crops. are grown in fields.

When the tour ended, we began the dusty long walk back to the car. Our shoes were covered in dust, manure, and mud. When we returned to our vacation home, we shook and cleaned them off with paper towels and threw both pairs in the washer, leaving them to dry outdoors.

The farm has an enormous garden with produce and flowers in abundance.

Visiting Mount Gnomon Farm will surely remain in our repertoire of worthwhile and memorable experiences for many years to come.  Over the next few days, we’ll be posting additional scenery photos from the farm we wouldn’t want our readers to miss.

Thanks to Guy Robinson and his staff for the fabulous tour!

May you have a day filled with wonderful adventures!

Photo from one year ago today, January 11, 2016:

This is my entrée for four nights aboard the ship, seafood on a bed of cooked cabbage and vegetables. The chef is always willing to accommodate my way of eating. For more details, please click here.

Six days and counting…Photos galore!…

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Regardless of the roads we take to explore the area; we’ve never been disappointed. This scene reminded us of what one may find in a painting.

Leaving Penguin in six days will be relatively easy in many ways.  We won’t have to be concerned about leftover nonperishable foods.  We can take what remains with us.

Beautiful farmland.

We won’t have to weigh our luggage or pack as neatly as usual when flying or boarding a cruise. We’ll save those concerns for March 1st (50 days from today) when we’ll fly to Sydney to board yet another cruise.

A pond nestles among the rolling hills.

The five-hour drive to the Huon Valley will hopefully be as pleasurable as driving through the countryside when we arrived in Hobart on December 3rd, taking two leisurely days to make our way to Penguin. But, this time, we’ll do it in one day.

Organized and neat plantings on a farm.

Hobart is actually a less than four-hour drive from Penguin, as Terry explained yesterday. However, the new vacation home is another 45 minutes beyond the capital city. We’ll certainly take plenty of photos along the way, sharing them for many days to come.

A view down a ravine.

We still have hundreds of photos we’ve yet to post, with hundreds more on the horizon over these next 50 days, including a few outings we have planned for the remainder of this week.

River flowing along the rocky riverbank.

As mentioned above, leaving Penguin will be easy based on organizing and packing requirements. However, there another aspect that’s causing us a degree of apprehension. We’ve loved it here. It will be hard to leave.

The bright blue sea of Tasmania never fails to impress.

There’s no doubt that our new friend and landlord Terry has tremendously added to our experience in Penguin. This house (click here for the listing) has been ideal for us with its well-equipped kitchen, comfortable dining room, living room, three bedrooms, and neatly trimmed grounds.

Three Sisters Reserve on the road to Ulverstone.

We prefer a three-bedroom house when possible, although if necessary we’re fine with one bedroom. But, having a bedroom for sleeping and two additional bedrooms allowing us to keep our luggage lying open on the bed(s) with everything available is quite a nice perk. This prevents us from having to unpack entirely and also to repack with great ease.

There are 8222 islands within the maritime border of Australia.

Then, of course, the views have been breathtaking. So as I sit here now in the living room on the comfy leather sofa, I need only look out the front windows for an exquisite view of the sea.

Frequently used train tracks run along the beach for many miles/kilometers.

Each day over the past week, as the temperatures have warmed, sitting on the front veranda for a healthy dose of Vitamin D has been a thoroughly delightful experience in itself. 

With the narrow road and sidewalk in front of the property, between us and the beach, a fairly steady stream of walkers and runners pass by, never failing to wave, say hello, or belt out a hearty “gaday!”

A park bench donated by the Ulysses Club with their motto, “Grow Old Disgracefully!”

Then, there’s been Terry, our personal tour guide, social director, and public relations rep, who’s gone over-the-top to ensure we’ve had an exceptional experience.

Low tide at a rocky beach.

Although not required by us, Terry stops by every few days to either work around the yard or stop to see how we’re doing. He’s very respectful of our privacy and is so with all his tenants. But, early on, he picked up on the fact that we’ve loved his visits. He’s quite an amazing guy! 

A peek through the trees to low tide.

It’s through his kind and conscientious efforts that we’ve seen as much as we have, met as many people as he directed our way, and learned as much about Penguin and its surrounding areas in these short six weeks, soon coming to an end.

Today, we’re off on an interesting tour of a countryside facility we’ll be excited to share in tomorrow’s post with more to come over the next several days.

Be well. Be happy. Please check back tomorrow.

Photo from one year ago today, January 10, 2016:

View from the ship of a monument in Hobart where we’ll be heading in six days. For more photos from the ship one year ago, please click here.

Birds of Tasmania…Seal on the beach …Adorable seal story from Devonport, Tasmania…

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Yesterday, friend and landlord Terry took this photo of a seal lounging on Sisters Beach.
Great shot of the seal checking you out Terry!

Yesterday afternoon, Terry emailed these two seal photos he’d taken on a visit to Sister’s Beach, a distance from Penguin. I misunderstood him and thought he’d seen the seal at Three Sisters Reserve, a short distance from our vacation home.

A baby emu.
Adult emus.

Later in the day, we jumped in the car to drive to the area I thought he’d seen the seal, hardly expecting to see it. We assumed that most likely as the tide had gone out, so had the seal. By the time we arrived, it was high tide and our hopes were dashed. No seal.  Today, I discovered that it was Sisters Beach, not Three Sisters.  We’d gone to the wrong beach.

The cockatoo, commonly seen in the wild.  In Trinity Beach in 2015, we saw them everywhere in large flocks.

Instead, we still revel in Terry’s photos presenting them for our animal lovers out there in cyberspace. Speaking of our readers, two things transpired on our site yesterday; one, for the first time ever, Australia topped the list of countries over the usual number one spot being held by the US over other worldwide readers; two, we almost topped our highest 24 hour readership.

This colorful pheasant refused to turn its head for the photo.  Finally, I gave up trying.

Thanks to all of our Australian readers for visiting us here! We so appreciate your participation! We aren’t able to determine where in Australia they’re reading, only that they enter through somewhere in the continent, including Tasmania and other islands. Your enthusiasm means the world to us!

Black swan.

As for today’s bird photos, we apologize for the less-than-perfect shots. It was a sunny day and I had trouble focusing in the bright sun with our limited equipment. Also, the majority of the birds were enclosed in fine mesh fencing making it extremely difficult to get the kind of shots we’d have preferred.

These birds appeared similar to the Helmeted Guinea Fowls were similar to those in our yard in South Africa.

While researching seals on the beach in Tasmania, I stumbled across this adorable seal story in a Tasmanian media source published this past July. For the full story, please click here.

For the story:

‘Sammy’ the seal found in Devonport cemetery toilet block relocated closer to the ocean

By Laura Beavis
Updated
Sammy the seal in a cage Photo: Sammy was locked in the toilet block before relocation. (Supplied: Devonport Council)  (Not our photo).
“A 120-kilogram seal has been released close to the ocean after being caught napping in a cemetery toilet on Tasmania’s northwest coast.

The male Australian fur seal was found asleep in a cubicle in the female toilets at the Mersey Vale Lawn Cemetery in Devonport on Tuesday.

The council’s Karina Moore said she initially thought it was a joke when a council works crew emailed her about the seal they dubbed “Sammy”.

She said the unusual animal encounter had attracted a lot of attention on the council’s Facebook page.

“It’s been one of those positive stories that we’ve had a lot of fun with, but we know that that animal’s been really safe and looked after by everybody,” she said.

Wildlife biologist Rachel Alderman said Parks and Wildlife officers sedated the seal in the toilet block while they prepared to move it.

“The officers were able to shut the door to the cubicle and keep it contained, which reduced potential issues for the seal and people, so you couldn’t have asked for a better result, really,” she said, “We try to intervene as little as possible, but obviously, in this case, the seal posed a potential risk to itself to get back to the water. It was possibly going to have to cross a road or encounter all sorts of other objects, and also human safety is a concern as well.”

She said the seal probably swam up nearby Horsehead Creek, and it was not unusual for seals to make their way into cities and towns in Tasmania.
“They’re a really abundant species all around Tasmania, particularly in the Bass Strait, and we’ve had them turn up in Cataract Gorge, paddocks, people’s backyards, and now we can add a toilet block in a cemetery to the list.”

The seal was released at a nearby beach.”

Australian Magpie
Today, in order to be out of the way, we’re heading to Ulverstone to purchase a few items while the house is being cleaned. This morning, Tom began watching two more US NFL playoff football games which started at 5:05 am.
Wish we could have taken a better photo of this colorful bird.
One week from today, we’ll be on our way to the Huon Valley for the second half of our three-month stay on the beautiful island of Tasmania. This first half has been glorious and we expect the second half to be equally enjoyable.
Have a beautiful day! It’s sunny and gorgeous here once again today!

Photo from one year ago today, January 9, 2016:

We attended the nightly show with Jane and Rob, our new Aussie friends, whom we’d met aboard Celebrity Solstice. The prior day the ship had docked in Tasmania. For more details, please click here.

More amazing Tasmanian wildlife…US football on Tasmanian TV today!…Meerkats and more…

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Meerkat are marsupials of the mongoose family. For more information on meerkat, see the quote below.

Although the Vikings lost too many games to participate in the NFL Playoffs, Tom is still interested in watching the games to see how the teams will be determined for the upcoming Super Bowl on February 5th, February 6th, in this part of the world.

This was the best shot we could get of the koala who was sound asleep, as usual. These laid back marsupials move slowly and sleep most of the day.

Based on the fact that the playoffs are on TV here at Penguin, we’re anticipating the Super Bowl will be shown in Hobart and its surrounding areas where we’ll soon be moving. In fact, we leave Penguin a week from now.

Koala’s nose pressed against the tree as he slept.

As we begin to wind down for our next location in the Huon Valley, we’ve started using all of our perishable foods and gathering items throughout the house. This particular move will be easy since we don’t have to concern ourselves with baggage weight. 

This photo taken in July, 2015 took our breathe away.  This is a mother Koala with her joey in the pouch (which is the name for all marsupial offspring). A koala joey is the size of a jelly bean with no hair, no ears and is blind at birth. Joeys crawl into the mother’s pocket immediately after birth, staying there until about six months.  To see the post from this date, please click here.

Next Sunday, we can pack. I will prepare the final expenses for the six weeks we will have spent at Penguin to be downloaded next Monday before we depart. In looking at the preliminary expenditures, it seems we spent a little more on Penguin than we did on other islands.  

Meerkats stand on their hind legs to be on the lookout for predators and a possible meal.

Meerkats (from this site)

“These gregarious animals are often seen in groups, and several families may live together in a large community. Squirrel-sized meerkats are mongooses famed for their upright posture. They often stand on their rear legs and gaze alertly over the southern African plains where they live. Mothers can even nurse their young while standing.

Meerkats (also called suricates) work together in numbers. A few will typically serve as lookouts, watching the skies for birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles, that can snatch them from the ground. A sharp, shrill call is the signal for all to take cover.

While a few individuals guard the group, the rest busy themselves foraging for the foods that make up their varied diet. Meerkats will eat insects, lizards, birds, and fruit. When hunting small game, they work together and communicate with purring sounds. Meerkats are good hunters and are sometimes tamed for use as rodent-catchers.”
Few perceive living in Australia as “cheap” especially compared to the low cost we incurred living in both Fiji and Bali for a total of eight months over these past twelve months.

Aside from an upcoming three and a half months we’ll be living in Costa Rica beginning on August 1st,  at this point we don’t have specific plans to stay in the same property for longer than two to three months. 

I missed the shot of this goat atop this fence. Moments after she jumped off, she let us take a photo.

Although we’ve loved Penguin, we’ve particularly found six weeks to be a good period of time to stay in most places, as in Phuket, Thailand in 2016. That’s not to say we’d have been disappointed to stay in Penguin a full three months. We’ve loved every single day and will be sad to leave.

When we noticed this Billy goat, we waited a few moments for a better pose.

But, a world journey is just that, a world journey, and our goal is to stay on the move. Of course, there’s the financial considerations.  Staying put three months or more ultimately reduces the overall costs. 

Baby goat posing for a photo.

With all the cruises we’ve embarked upon with much higher “daily rates,” from time to time, it makes sense to stay put long enough to average out the costs. In a mere 12 months, we’ll be taking the cruise to Antarctica, the most expensive of all of our cruises in the past and booked into the future.

Today, with football games on TV, it appears we’ll be staying put.  Its a beautiful sunny day. Maybe when the games end, I’ll be able to talk Tom into a walk to the gorgeous park down the beach.

At last the above Billy goat complied, moving closer to us for a better photo. 

Lately, on sunny days, I’ve been sitting outside on the front veranda for 20 minutes of Vitamin D which I’ve missed since we left Bali on October 30th. The sun and warmth feels fabulous after a number of cloudy, cool and rainy days since we arrived in Tasmania on December 3rd.

For those of you in the “frozen tundra” we wish you safety and well being. For those in blissfully warm climates, we wish you sunshine!

Photo from one year ago today, January 8, 2016:

The ship docked at the Port of Melbourne, one year ago today. For more details, please click here.