Australia Day celebrations…Many photos to share…Serendipitous meeting of a talented and creative alpaca farmer…

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Tom standing next to the Australian flag at the entrance to the Australia Day festivities in the town of Franklin, Tasmania.

Australia Day as explained in yesterday’s post is celebrated with a similar enthusiasm and fervor we’d experienced on the 4th of July in the US in our old lives.  Upcoming in our visit to the US, we’ll celebrate this next 4th of July in Minnesota for the first time in five years.

It was sprinkling off and on but it didn’t keep us from checking out the activities.

As we’ve traveled throughout the world we’ve found many countries honor such a day(s) of independence and freedom or as a result of release from some form of tyrannical rule or another.

Aussies, undoubtedly, take this day very seriously in their hearts.  However, typical with their warm demeanor and outgoing nature many of the festivities are often lighthearted and humorous.

A long ago skill is utilized by Grace Hunter, a local alpaca farmer who changes the fluffy alpaca fleece into a fine yarn she uses to make many items.  We were thrilled to spend time chatting with Grace over our mutual love of alpacas and our admiration of her products.

We couldn’t resist watching Australia Day news while I prepared yesterday’s post. There were serious and inspirational talks by leaders and politicians along with recognition for “Australians of the Year” including several special individuals who are recognized each year for their accomplishments in many areas. 


We couldn’t stop smiling over these adorable “gothic” dolls, all handmade by alpaca farm owner, Grace Hunter.

This annual event of the recognition of Australians has been a part of this annual celebration over the past 35 years.  It particularly appealed to us.  In our own country a few individuals may be recognized who receive a small number of awards with little hoopla presented to the masses. 

In the US, a few biased magazines designate their favorite “person of the year,” who may or may not be of major significance to the general population.  We’d love to see such a valuable adjunct to the US’s annual 4th of July celebration.


Tom held this adorable alpaca fleece monkey Grace designed and made, as is the case for all of her items.
Australians embrace these annual awards with the highest of regard as they’ve become an integral part of Australia Day.  This year’s first place winner, Emeritus Professor Alan Mackay-Sim was recognized, among other recipients, for his discoveries in stem cell research as described below from this site:

“Australian of the Year 2017


Emeritus Professor Alan Mackay-Sim

Biomedical scientist treating spinal cord injuries…

An inspirational scientist and international leader in stem cell research, Professor Alan Mackay-Sim has given hope to thousands of Australians with spinal cord injuries.

A global authority on the human sense of smell and the biology of nasal cells, Alan led the world’s first clinical trial using these cells in spinal cord injury. In 2014, Alan’s research helped play a central role in the world’s first successful restoration of mobility in a quadriplegic man.

As the director of the National Centre for Adult Stem Cell Research for a decade, Alan’s research has championed the use of stem cells to understand the biological bases of brain disorders and diseases such as schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia.

Alan’s pioneering work has led to collaborations with teams of health professionals who are translating his research into clinical practice. He has laid the foundation for the next generation of researchers and demonstrated the value of inquiry, persistence and empathy.”

An alpaca fleece short cape with a poncho to the left.

After watching the news and uploading the post, we headed out to the small town of Franklin, a pleasant 15 minute drive from our vacation home.  We had no idea what to expect but were determined to partake of the festivities on Australia’s special day, rain or shine.

In many countries in which we’ve traveled, cultural differences are more pronounced than they appear in Australia.  As we traveled to many areas of the vast continent, its become clear to us the wide array of cultural difference we’ve experienced. 

Here again, Grace‘s skills came into play in making this alpaca fleece sweater. 

We’ll discuss our limited perspective of cultural differences after spending seven and a half months in Australia (and so far, spending 19 months in this general area of the South Pacific) in more detail in tomorrow’s post as we continue to share more Australia Day photos.

Upon arriving at the venue, and after finding a convenient spot in a grassy designated carpark (Aussie speak. Its called a parking lot in the US), we walked a distance to the entry to the park being used for the dozens of displays and booths highlighting various businesses throughout the area.

Grace utilized the extra soft fleece from a special breed of alpaca on her farm with hair too fine too weave.  She made every part of all of these shown items.  Very talented.

There was a variety of vendors with handmade crafts including soaps, skincare products, embroidery, jewelry and unique household furnishings.  Of course, there were numerous food booths with mouth watering treats, all of which we avoided; fried mushrooms, fried fish, cakes, pies, pastries and breads. 

Our taste buds were sent into a frenzy as we passed each food booth.  Tom, has been cutting back on food in preparation for the next cruise upcoming in 34 days.  And of course, I diligently maintain my way of eating with nary a taste of anything not included.

Closer view of the Grace‘s adorable designed and handmade gothic dolls. 

As we wandered through the stalls stopping to take photos and chat with vendors, we were delighted when we encountered alpaca farmer, Grace Hunter, with whom we engaged in lively conversation. 

Ironically, we’ve been posting “one year ago photos” at the end of each day’s post which have all been about alpacas since the middle of January, 2016 when we arrived in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Free bouncy houses for kids.

Grace couldn’t have been more engaging.  (Click her name for her email address if interested in any of her products).  We couldn’t stop talking about the sweet nuances of the gentle animals, the birth of cria and her ability to use the shorn “fleece” to make a variety of artfully designed and handmade items, some of which we’ve shown here today.

Grace, it was a pleasure meeting you and seeing your dedication to your alpacas and the beautiful way you use their fleece to make so many adorable and enchanting products. 

Games and activities for kids.

The magic of alpacas along with sheep and other such animals, is the fact that don’t have to be slaughtered to benefit from their seasonal offerings of their fluffy fur. 

The charming animals can live long and enjoyable lives, happily humming at their leisure with owners such as Grace and the wonderful couple, Trish and Neal, with whom we shared that glorious alpaca experience one year ago. Click here for Trish and Neal’s fabulous holiday home on their farm.

I was particularly attracted to the chocolate flavored soap for sale at a stand, made by a local vendor.  There’s little room in our lives for such frivolities. 

After the event, we drove down a few country road until more rain and clouds rolled in, a common occurrence on this island of Tasmania. Back at “home” before dinner time, we were reeling over our meaningful experience on Australia Day and look forward to each and every day as meaningful over these next three months while we remain on this continent.

Happy healthy day to all!

_________________________________________


Photo from one year ago today, January 27, 2016:

The first “cria” (alpaca) birth we witnessed on the farm in New Zealand, one year ago.  Its imperative the little alpaca stand within 20 to 30 minutes after birth to fire neurons in the brain.  If they don’t stand, they need a little help from humans as was the case with this baby.  Click here for more photos.

Happy Australia Day to our Australian/Tasmanian friends and readers…Saving more of $$$$…

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Our friend Terry (and past landlord in Penguin) sent us this beautiful photo of another seal on Sisters Beach, Tasmania where he and his wife Fran are spending time at their cabin. Thanks, Terry!  This is quite a gem!

Today is Australia Day, a national day of celebration. This morning while researching online for information Australia Day to share with our readers, I stumbled across this interesting article as shown below at this link (edited to fit our page):

“Australia Day 2017: What does the average Aussie really look like?

Matt Wade
        
by Matt Wade                                        

Numbers can paint a vivid picture of how a nation has changed.  A century ago the average Aussie was a 24-year-old male farmer. Fifty years ago, it was a 29-year-old male office clerk. But today, it’s a 38-year-old female sales assistant.

Australia reaches population milestone

Earlier this year, statistics confirmed what we already knew, Australia’s population is rapidly growing; but you might be surprised to learn which city will be our biggest by 2050.

Let’s call our typical Aussie Rebecca – that was the most popular name for girls born in 1979 (it was Michael for boys). She is married and lives with her husband and two children, a boy and a girl aged nine and six, in a stand-alone house with three bedrooms in a suburb of one of Australia’s capital cities. They have a pet.

Rebecca completed year 12, has a Certificate in Business and Management and is employed as a sales assistant – the nation’s most common occupation for women and men these days. She does 32 hours of paid work each week (the average is 41 hours for men) and another five hours or more unpaid work around the house. The household’s annual disposable income is $88,500 (after tax). Rebecca takes five days of sick/carers leave each year and 16 days of annual leave.

Demographer Mark McCrindle estimates that Rebecca’s family has lived in the house for five years and is paying off a mortgage. They have $427,847 equity in the property, which is the bulk of the family’s wealth. They have another $65,880 worth of household possessions such as furniture and equipment.

Rebecca was born in Australia – despite our cultural diversity the average Australian was born here, as were both of their parents. But it’s a very different story in some parts of our big cities. In Sydney’s Haymarket for instance, 88 per cent of the population were born overseas.
Rebecca’s household has two cars which each travel an average of 14,000 kilometers (8699 miles) a year. Over the past 40 years the share of households with two or more motor vehicles has doubled, from 26 per cent to around 54 per cent. Like 69 percent of all commuters, Rebecca drives to work.

Despite the growing proportion of Australians with no religion, or a non-Christian religious affiliation, Rebecca is a Catholic and speaks only English at home. She has “English, Australian, Irish, or Scottish ancestry” according to the Bureau of Statistics. Rebecca is 164cm tall (5’4″) and weighs 68kg  (150 pounds). The average man is 178cm (5’8″) and weighs 85kg (187)pounds. She exercises three times a week and gets 7.2 hours of sleep per night.

Rebecca can expect to live until 85.3 years – about four years more than her male counterparts. Mr. McCrindle said demographic averages shed light on Australia’s collective “personality”.

“These statistics show we are working hard, we are saving hard and we are juggling multiple roles,” he said.

“It points to a pretty conscientious, busy nation that is just getting on with it.”

View from the highway as we head back from Huonville.

This above article defines life for the average Australian, although the lives of many may vary substantially based on income and lifestyle. In the next few days Australia’s population will reach 24,000,000.

The significance of Australia Day, is described as follows from this site:

“On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what’s great about Australia and being Australian. It’s the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation. It’s the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future.
 
Australia Day, 26 January, is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander, Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788 (you can read a comprehensive history of the evolution of Australia Day here).

Though 26 January marks this specific event, today Australia Day celebrations reflect contemporary Australia: our diverse society and landscape, our remarkable achievements and our bright future. It also is an opportunity to reflect on our nation’s history, and to consider how we can make Australia an even better place in the future.

On Australia Day, half of the nation’s population of 24 million attend either an organized community event, or get together with family and friends with the intention of celebrating our national day. Many more, spend the public holiday relaxing with family and friends.

Yet Australia Day is much more than barbeques and fireworks. It is more than another public holiday. It is more than the pride and excitement of new citizens who call themselves Australian for the first time on 26 January after being conferred citizenship.

At its core, Australia Day is a day driven by communities, and the celebrations held in each town, suburb or city – unified by the celebration of what’s great about Australia and being Australian – are the foundation of its ongoing success.”

The Huon River is very wide in this area.

We’re honored and excited to be here in Australia on this special day in history. Today, we’re off to the celebrations in the town of Franklin, returning tomorrow with photos. 

As to the mention in today’s heading regarding our “Saving more $$$$” we’re pleased that Tom’s diligence in checking daily for price reductions on our already booked cruises have benefited us to such a degree.

Over this past month, the cruise from Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina we’ve saved a total of AU 2,641, US $2,000.  We’d booked the cruise while aboard ship which provides an added opportunity for perks and yet, still allows our rep at Vacations to Go to receive full credit for the transaction.

The dock on the property here in Castle Bay Forbes on the Huon River.

To reap the benefits of these price drops, which in this case was a total of three price reductions, we contact Brooklyn/Shanon, our rep at Vacations to Go who immediately gets to work to confirm the price drop with the cruise line (Celebrity in this case) and then issue new documents at the lowest price which are promptly sent to us via email. 

During this particular price drop we were able to maintain the perks we received at the time of booking which included free Wi-Fi, paid gratuities and AU 396, US $300 cabin credit. We’re thrilled to say the least.

Our vacation/holiday home on the Huon River, as shown from the river side. We live on the top floor with a second bedroom and en suite bath in our lower level while the owners, Anne and Rob, live on the lower level.

The skies are cloudy now, but we expect it to clear by the time we head out for Franklin. However, rain or shine, we won’t miss this special event.

Have a sunny day wherever you may be both in your heart and in your skies!

Photo from one year ago today, January 26, 2016:

Although a little tough to see with the long lashes, Mont Blanc had blue eyes.  (We fell in love with him, but sadly, he eventually died).He was the “cria’ that had escaped the paddock leaving us in a quandary with the owners at work. For the rest of this story as to how he was returned to his mother, 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.

Loss of a valued digital item…Heading out to sightseeing venue and shopping…Road trip photos…

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We crossed the Bridgewater Lift Bridge on the drive from Penguin to the Huon Valley.

Its Monday morning in this part of the world. Tom is watching a US NFL playoff football game. At 10:00 am the cleaner arrives, a service which wasn’t included in the rent but we opted to pay on our own. Who wants to clear the floor and glass doors? Not us!

It’s hard to believe this was a week ago, we left Penguin to start the five-hour drive to the Huon Valley.

Prices for such a service is considerably less than in the US from what I recall which is probably much higher these days. The cleaner will stay two hours for the price of AU 50, US$37.82. 

Far from the ocean and near the center of the state, the terrain has changed drastically from lush green to a dry desert appearance.

We clean and dry the sheets in order to avoid folding.  Marguerite can put them back on the bed. Oh, yes, there’s a dryer here. That’s a first for us in the past 18 months. The washer is located in our unit. The dryer is in the garage. Easy.

At several points we drove through mountainous roads.

We’ll head out after she arrives as soon as the first of the two football games end at around 10:00 am. Once we return several hours later, Tom will watch the second game on his app, NFL Game Pass, since it will long be over on TV. It surprised us that the US games are on TV in Tasmania. Then again, Aussies love their “footy” and perhaps evens ours.

At no point did we encounter any traffic except for a construction zone and when we arrived in Hobart with 45 minutes left on the road.

After spending a hefty sum spent on groceries last week, AU 514.52, US $389.13, we have little to purchase this week. The grocery list only contains about 15 items. 

I had to take all of our photos while the car was moving due to a lack of shoulder which is always challenging.

Speaking of grocery lists, which I always keep an app on my phone, much to my disappointment my phone died a few days ago. For the first time in years, I’ve had to handwrite the grocery list. My handwriting is awful making it a laborious process to write the list and later decipher it while in the grocery store.

As we neared Hobart, once again we could see the ocean.

Tom’s phone also died several months ago, which we replaced receiving a new unlocked Windows Blu, dual SIM, we’d ordered from Amazon several months ago to arrive in a box of supplies we’d had shipped to us in Bali.

When my phone died after I’d tried every possible fix, I too placed an order from Amazon. The phone will arrive to our mailing service within a day and will be added to a variety of other items we’ve been accumulating to be shipped to us here in Tasmania. 

We made it to the Hobart city limits.

Without my phone its been a bit frustrating since I, like many others these days, spend idle time looking at my phone, reading news and books, playing games and checking Facebook and email.  Although we don’t have a phone contract we’re able to use the Wi-Fi in the house or our hotspot to be online. 

Speaking of WiFi in the house… It’s much better. Anne spent quite a bit of time working with Telstra and the new booster she’d purchased to enhance our signal. It’s not perfect, but its greatly improved, enabling us to do everything we need to do without using the pricey data for the SIM card. 

There must have been a “trike show” occurring in Hobart. Australians are quite the vehicle fans.

If we download a video or file, we have to place the laptop in the bedroom where the signal is stronger. Downloads are slow but overall its working and we’re now content.

I’m rushing today to be done with this post by 10:00 am or thereabouts (once the game ends) when we’ll head out the door to a local popular tourist attraction that’s on our way to Huonville.  Watch for photos tomorrow!

Ocean view as we made our way to Highway A6 which leads to Huon Valley.

Once in Huonville we’ll check out the meat market, drop off the dead phone at a recycle facility, visit the health food store and head to Woolies for the few grocery items.

The sun is peeking out, the clouds are wafting away and today looks like it will be another gorgeous day. We’ll make a point of cherishing every moment and sharing it all here with YOU!

Have a fabulous day of your own!

Photo from one year ago today, January 23, 2016:

One year ago, shortly after birth, this baby alpaca was nursing. This is so sweet!  For more detail, please click here.

What do cherries and helicopters have in common?…Photos close to home…

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While we were preparing dinner, we heard a noise from a helicopter. 

A few nights ago, as we were preparing dinner, we heard the roar of a helicopter in the vicinity. Immediately outside, we were shocked by how close we were. 

We watched in wonder as the helicopter turned, making several swipes of the massive net.

At first, we assumed it had been dispatched to a nearby medical emergency when getting to a hospital in Hobart in a 45 minute drive from this area. 

Anne explains that the helicopter’s roaring blades, dry out the net to prevent cherries from spoiling after the rain. Who knew?

Were we surprised when we observed its intent, to dry the cherry trees located beneath a massive series of nets protecting a grove of cherry trees across the street from our vacation home.

Finally, with its task finished, the helicopter was on its way, possibly to other similar cherry trees or other fruit farms.

From this news story, it was evident this is a costly solution for farmers hoping to dry their cherry crop after heavy rains, before they’re destroyed from too much moisture as described below this photo, in part from a story published a few years ago.

A black duck on the dock.

“Helicopters are busy today in the Huon Valley helping orchardists save the remaining cherry crops after a severe rain event.

Farmers in southern Tasmania assess damage to fruit crops as a result of heavy rains and estimate that up to 70 per cent of the remaining cherry crops could be affected. Parts of the Huon Valley received more than 70 ml in the deluge on Tuesday night, which hit cherry growing areas at the wrong time. (Continued below).

This lily couldn’t be more exquisite.

Howard Hansen of Hansen Orchards was supposed to start picking fruit this week, but said the rain damaged most of his crop. This morning a helicopter was used to get water off the cherries, and down the road at Lucaston Park it was a similar story.

Matthew Griggs called in a helicopter at first light to hover above the cherry trees and keep them dry.

Park bench on the grounds for lounging while enjoying views of the Huon River.

“We still have around 80 tonnes to pick and many of the cherries left on the trees have split because of the rain,” Mr. Griggs said.

Mr Hansen said the rain was good for the upcoming apple harvest, but would not make up for the damage to the cherries.” (The remainder of the story is here).   (Continued below).

Beautiful Huon River views.

We contacted Anne to confirm our suspicions and indeed we were right, the helicopter had been hired by the cherry farm owner to make many passes over the grove after heavy rains. This must be a pricey solution, but it certainly makes sense.

Seagull on a post at the end of the dock at the property.

How little we know about farming! And yet, we’re both fascinated by farms for both their crops and livestock as we’ve shown in many of our posts. Most recently, we were in awe of a pig farm in Penguin, Tasmania. Please see this link for details on the Mount Gnomon Farm.

Tom checks out the dock.

As we travel through country after country during our worldwide journey, in this case the state of Tasmania, Australia, we feel fortunate to have an opportunity to learn about farming. How did we spend nearly a lifetime consuming produce and animal products with so little knowledge of many of the major aspects of farming?

Huge daisies growing on the grounds.

Today, with Anne’s assistance and Telstra, the provider, we’re addressing some of the Wi-Fi issues we’re experiencing. Hopefully soon, we’ll have a resolution.

Have a great day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 22, 2016:

This modern kitchen had everything we needed in New Plymouth, New Zealand when we lived on the alpaca farm. For more interior 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.

A world of wonder in the backyard…Who knew?…Fabulous meals in Tasmania…

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My dinner last night, a chicken stir fry made with vegetables (not including the carrots and raw nuts) from our landlord’s garden right outside our door, ours for the picking. (Tom’s meal is shown below).

Yesterday morning, once the rain had stopped and the sun had risen, we took a walk through the substantial grounds of this beautiful estate. As was the case when we rented the vacation home in Trinity Beach (near Cairns), Queensland, Australia beginning in June 2015, this rental is a large house with a full sized apartment.

Ornamental object in the garden of Anne and Tom.  Anne and Rob spend considerable time each day caring for their extensive garden.

As in Trinity Beach, the single apartment is comparable to a house. It’s not a “basement” unit, but has full sized windows throughout. In addition, this “apartment” in the valley of Huon has a lower level with a second room. The owners live in another “wing.”

With high prices for many rentals in Australia, this type of accommodation, works for us when it’s more within our budget than an individual house.

We were impressed with the immense garden.

In Penguin, we had a private house to ourselves, but this lovely property provides ample privacy and comfort befitting our needs and wants. The only issue is the “shared” WiFi, which presents a problem for our needs, which was the case of Trinity Beach and most recently in Bali when two villas, next door to one another also shared a WiFi connection.

An antique apple press in their garden used for making apple cider.  Apples are commonly grown in Tasmania and a popular fruit for locals and visitors alike.

There are other benefits to this type of housing situation and yesterday morning as we wandered through the enormous grounds, we discovered a most exciting perk we had no idea existed. Anne and Rob’s huge garden which they both laboriously tend to each and every day.

Our basket of veg began with these zucchini known as courgette in this part of the world. As we wandered about the garden Rob added a variety of greens, cabbage, and broccolini, all of which I used in making my dinner.

Rob encouraged us to stop by anytime and pick whatever we’d like. In the next few weeks, the harvest will become even more abundant during these summer months. Of course, we won’t take advantage of this kind offer. 

Celery, one of our favorite crunchy vegetables for salads.

After all, Tom only cares for a few vegetables beside salad ingredients, mainly green beans  and carrots. Occasionally, we’ll visit the garden to stock up on a few items for me. The remainder, we’ll purchase from  farm stands or organic grocers. 

Soon, we’ll purchase avocados and use a bunch of this cilantro from the garden to make guacamole.

Not only did we take the photos we’ve included here today, but many more from their exquisite flower garden which we’ll soon post. Anne put together a small bunch of gorgeous roses which I placed in a vase on the dining room table as shown in this photo below.

Roses Anne picked for our dining table. 

Back indoors after it had again begun to rain, I considered what we were planning for dinner and how I could use these freshest of vegetables for last night’s dinner.

Radishes.

Tom prefers beef more frequently than I. As a result, when he’s having beef or pork, I’ll have chicken or seafood. I never mind making two different meals since I usually plan to incorporate many of the same ingredients in each. 

Also, since Tom can eat more carbohydrates than I, adjustments are easily made to accommodate each of our tastes and needs. In all, I don’t usually spend more than 30 minutes a day preparing our varying meals.

Tonight’s dinner will include this cabbage for salad.

Also, we still only eat one meal a day. Tom may have cheese, olives and sliced ham as a snack if he’s hungry. However, with my low carb intake I’m rarely hungry. If I feel like something to eat, I’ll have a small snack.

Sure, I know many of our readers prefer not to read about cooking and food. We get this. When we’ve mentioned this, we receive many email messages from readers who do enjoy food photos and discussion. 

Figs, not quite ripe for picking.

For those of you uninterested in the nuances of our dietary adventures, please bear with us. Tomorrow, we’ll be on to other topics. 

As for the plate of food shown as my meal, the recipe simply consisted of chicken breast meat cooked in coconut oil, butter and fresh garlic and then removed from the pan while I cooked the vegetables. 

A perfect apple.

In the same pan, I stir fried the fresh greens and other vegetables (any type) with a little more coconut oil, butter and fresh garlic, seasoning them with organic wheat free soy sauce, sesame oil, Himalayan salt, fresh ground pepper, and whatever spices we had on hand. 

A lemon yet to ripen.

I’d precooked the carrots (frozen carrots may be used, if preferred) adding them to the final toss when adding the chicken back into the pot. When done, I topped the dish with organic raw nuts.

  Both of our meals were delicious and satisfying.

Tom’s dinner consisted of a taco salad (grass fed mince in at the bottom).  He’ll eat all of these salad vegetables, but few others.

Soon, we’re off for a visit to Hobart. Although we breezed through the beautiful ocean city upon our arrival a few days ago (and on a cruise one year ago), we decided to return for a better look especially since it’s a sunny day, albeit a bit cool. Tomorrow, we’ll share our new photos.

May your day be fulfilling and meaningful.

Photo from one year ago today, January 19, 2016:
Last year we were walking in the rain in Sydney when I took this photo of Tom which is now my favorite. On this date, we disembarked that cruise which ended in Auckland, New Zealand, making our way by rental car to New Plymouth where we blissfully lived for three months.  Included in the post is the final expenses for that particular cruise. For more details, please click here.

Photos of our new home in the Huon Valley, Tasmania…Delightful!

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View of the Huon River from the veranda of our new vacation home. Nice!
It was so cool last night we huddled under two blankets, comfy with the screened windows opened, content to be settled. This time we didn’t bother to bring our luggage upstairs to the main floor, instead of leaving the bags open on the bed in the lower level of the second bedroom, allowing us to run up and down the stairs, for the few items we’ll use over these next 41 days.
Cozy dining area.

As always, it takes a few days to feel settled as we discover where everything is located, how to use locks, appliances, the TV “source” or “input” buttons for  use of the HDMI cord and for the best signal from the Wi-Fi. 

After chatting online with Australia’s primary internet service provider yesterday we’ve figured out the best data plan for our SIM card and hotspot which we’ll use as an adjunct to the house’s slow Wi-Fi connection. I’ll use the hotspot while Tom uses and house signal. Unfortunately, neither works well if we share one of the signals simultaneously.

The living room/lounge area suits our needs. Plus, the sofa is comfortable!

After we uploaded yesterday’s post, we headed to the town of Huonville (see map below), a15 minute drive, to  arrive at the local grocery store, Woolie’s (as Woolworth’s is called in Australia) complete our food shopping. 

The galley kitchen works well for us.  The range is toward the far left, as shown in the next photo below.  Tom’s happy there’s a dishwasher!

Tom usually stays in the car reading a book on his phone while I shop. He gauges how long I’ll be and comes into the market to help to load the items on the conveyor belt. 

In Australia, shoppers must bring their grocery bags or will be charged varying amounts for recyclable bags.  We’ve kept the yellow insulated Costco bag, the Africa cloth bag we purchased in Kenya over three years ago and a smaller insulated bag the owners in Maui left for us as a gift. These same bags have served our shopping needs throughout our travels.

Tom, the perfect French press guy, makes ideal coffee every time. Guess we won’t be using the toaster.

Since arriving two days ago, we’ve spent AU $515, US $389 for groceries but it appears we’ll have enough food to last for more than a week. This may seem to be a substantial amount but included in these items were paper products, bottled water, enough grass-fed meat for over a week, spices, organic produce, and more.

Typically, when we arrive at a new location, our first grocery bill is in this range. However, in the subsequent weeks, the expenditure is considerably less, usually well under AU $265, US $200. 

This spacious master bedroom is located on the main level with a roomy en suite bathroom.

The drive from the house to Huonville was pleasant with the gorgeous scenery along the way, photos of which we’ll share in tomorrow’s post. We can’t wait to go to Hobart tomorrow to take more pictures of this fantastic part of the world.

The laundry room has a washer located next to the master bathroom. There’s a dryer in the garage. We haven’t had a dryer since Trinity Beach, Australia, in June 2015. So, of course, for almost ten months during this period, our laundry was done for us. 

As its turns out, we are located in the town of Geeveston. Here’s a bit of info about this small town with a population of about 1500, from this site:

Geeveston is a small Australian town south of Tasmania on the Huon River, 62 km southwest of Hobart, making it Australia’s most southerly administrative center.

The town takes its name from William Geeves, an English settler who Lady Jane Franklin gave a land grant in the area then known as Lightwood Bottom (after a type of timber prevalent in the area).

The settlement Geeves set up was renamed Geeves Town in 1861, and the name eventually became Geeveston. Geeveston is for local government purposes included in the area of the Huon Valley Council and is part of the division of Franklin for both Australian House of Representatives and Tasmanian House of Assembly electoral purposes. (Continued below).

The master bath fulfills our needs with plenty of fluffy towels, robes, and amenities.

Geeveston is on the Huon Highway and is the gateway to the Hartz Mountains National Park. It is the center of Tasmania’s apple and fruit-growing industry and has also been highly reliant on the timber industry since the late 19th century.

A pulp mill was opened in the town in 1962, and was Geeveston’s largest employer until the plant closed in 1982, devastating the area economically. The Forest & Heritage Centre, a tourist center that details the timber industry’s history in the area, is located in Geeveston.

Although Geeveston is quite a small town, we’re very close to several other small towns:

Image result for map of huon valley tasmania
Zoom in to see Geeveston, located south of Port Huon, shown on this map.
We don’t feel isolated by any means with all of the surrounding riverfront towns, as shown on this map. For example, we can be in the center of Hobart, located in the north of us, on this map in less than 45 minutes.
We’re rather content here. No doubt this is a different experience than Penguin but, isn’t that why we travel anyway?  The opportunity to experience the experiences the vast differences in areas throughout the world proves to be the driving force in our nomadic lifestyle.
The pool is covered, which is easily removed by a cranking device. If it warms up, we’ll use it. More photos of the backyard will follow once it stops raining.
We’ll be back with lots more as we continue to explore this scenic area. Have a lovely day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 18, 2016:

Our ship, the Celebrity Solstice, which we’ll board again in Sydney on March 1, looked huge while docked at the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand. For more details, please click here.

We made it to the Huon Valley…What a place of beauty…What do we look for upon arrival at a new location?

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The scenery in Hobart is breathtaking. We’ll be returning to Hobart in a few days and will share more photos.

Each time we arrive at a new location, we do so with the utmost excitement coupled with a twinge of apprehension. With many factors important to us to attain a reasonable degree of comfort and livability, we often scamper about checking out the most important aspects.

As we drove on Highway 1 in Tasmania to Hobart (then on A6 to the Huon Valley), we were intrigued by the change in the scenery, which was more desert-like than lush greenery.

Some of our expectations may seem petty or even ridiculous, but we’ve easily determined what matters to us after all this time of traveling the world. So, of course, we’ve investigated the likelihood of those expectations before booking the property.

Windmill in another small town.

Regardless of how much research and inquiry we may exercise, there are always surprises, both good and not so good. So what are the items that enhance the depths of our experiences while living on someone else’s property? 

  • View: For us, the most influential aspect of any vacation home is its location and view. On the few occasions where we didn’t have a good view, we were sorely disappointed. 
  • Wi-Fi: This is tricky.  Most vacation home listings state there is Wi-Fi. However, in about 35% of the cases, the signal is inadequate for our purposes. In these cases, we have no choice but to purchase a hotspot device with a SIM card with lots of data, often at high costs.
  • Refrigerator size:  This may not be important for those who’ll stay a short period.  Often staying for as long as three months and cooking most of our meals, this becomes of the utmost importance.
  • The comfort of the bed and bedding.
  • Shower: Showers in vacation properties may be tiny and without shelves for shampoo, soaps, and a razor. 
  • Kitchen gadgets, pots, pans, sharp knives, decent dinnerware, large mixing bowl, and baking pans (if none, we purchase disposable tinfoil pans). Space in cupboards for grocery items (rarely adequate).
  • TV: Is there a TV, and is it new enough to accommodate our HDMI cord? We can manage without a TV, and if the property is nice enough, we’ll forgo it. 
  • Comfortable seating in lounge/living room for posting and leisure periods.
  • Coffee maker or French press and electric teapot.
  • Adequate and easily accessible electrical outlets: We have lots of equipment that requires charging.
  • Screens on at least a few windows: Seldom a reality in many parts of the world.
The scenery changed dramatically as we drove toward the middle of Tasmania, further from the sea.

Although this seems to be a lengthy list, it became inherent in determining the degree of comfort and ease of living that we’d prefer available to us as we travel the world.

Tom stood in front of this giant tree trunk in Campbell Town.

Any one of us could easily make such a list of desired criteria when staying in a hotel for a few nights, let alone a home for weeks or months. Most properties we’ve rented have met most of our expectations. Some have had only a few of our preferred criteria, but somehow, we’ve adapted and still had an excellent experience.

River bridge in Campbell Town.

As for this new location in the Huon Valley in Tasmania, the only concern is the lack of a good Wi-Fi signal. We’re figuring this out with our Australian (Telstra) hotspot and SIM card that we already had in our possession. 

White ducks in the river in Campbell Town.

As soon as we attempted to get online, we discovered it is a necessary adjunct to our connectivity since we can’t access a strong enough signal on the house’s WiFi. Unfortunately, we’ll have to add more data to the SIM card, which can be costly, but at this point, there’s no alternative.

There’s local/state significance in each of the chainsaw carvings.  See the photo with the information.

Otherwise, for our needs, this property is ideal. Yes, as preferred, we’re in a very remote area although it’s only 35 minutes to Hobart, which we’ll visit often. Also, after checking out the nearby towns yesterday, we discovered a fabulous butcher in nearby Geeveston that carries grass-fed beef and lamb and free-range organic chickens.

This document explains the history and the carvings.

The views and local scenery are outstanding. In time, we’ll be sharing many photos of our immediate views and views of the surrounding areas, including some distant locations. 

Each sculpture displayed a sign with information.

Last night, I quickly put together a dinner of pork chops for Tom, lamb chops for me, veg, and salad, and we were content. Tom watched a playoff football game while I prepared the easy dinner. 

Tom suggested a photo displaying all three of these chainsaw sculptures.

Our lovely property owner, Anne, stopped by to ensure we had everything we needed and supplied us with a giant mixing bowl, the only item we were missing.

The Foxhunters Return building in Campbell Town.

The drive from Penguin to Huonville was delightful with perfect weather, gorgeous scenery, low traffic, and decent roads. Unfortunately, we ran into some road construction that slowed us down by 45 minutes, but we weren’t in a hurry. We even had time to stop at a few interesting spots for photos.

The unusual building we encountered on the drive.

We arrived at the house by 3:30 pm and had decided to wait to drive to Woolie’s in Huonville until today for the remainder of the groceries. So as soon as we’ve uploaded today’s post, we’ll head out to shop and check out more of this outstanding area in the Huon Valley.

We’ll be back tomorrow with many more photos and, of course, stories to tell.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, January 17, 2016:

Although we don’t have dress-up clothes for formals nights aboard the ship, we do our best with what we have.  This proved to be an extraordinary night for us.  Please click here for details.

Remaining all new photos of Penguin…Today, on our way to Huonville…Final expenses for Penguin, Tasmania…

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The high iron content in the rocks created this colorful scene.

We’re anxious to get on the road today. So, as a result, today’s post will be to the point. Also, Terry has more guests moving in later today, so the sooner we’re gone, the sooner he’ll be able to prep for their arrival.

The surf has been impressive on many days. Surfing is popular in Tasmania.

We rushed about the house, gathering last-minute items, attempting to leave the house as tidy as possible. I’d packed my clothing on Saturday, leaving out a few items for Sunday and today’s road trip.

Since we don’t have to have our luggage weighed, it was the easiest packing ever, taking only 10 minutes to put the clothing in my one suitcase. This morning I packed our third bag with supplies, shoes, and toiletries which takes a little longer than the clothing bags, especially when we don’t want any liquids to spill.

Check out this surf!

It takes time to put the following expenses together from the various sheets in our Excel spreadsheet to ensure the final numbers we post here match the numbers on the entries in the various spreadsheets. 

Views in Binalong Bay in Tasmania.

We keep miscellaneous expenses on a separate sheet in the workbook and the food, which numbers are transferred to the main sheet at the end of a stay in a vacation home, with separate line items for cruises. It’s hard to explain without seeing it, but it’s working well for us.

In this particular case, we can bring leftover food items with us, so we packed our remaining oversized tinfoil pans with items for the cupboard in the next house with a few perishable items (cheese, butter, etc.). Packed in a cooler bag packed with ice.

Wildflowers growing along the beach.

Below are the total expenses for the six-week period we spent in Penguin, Tasmania. This includes airfare from Sydney (where our 33-night cruise ended). Also, the expense for the rental car includes fuel for the trip from Hobart to Penguin and that which we used while here. 

Neatly planted fruit trees.

The cost for the rental car was considerably more than we’ve paid in many other locations, greatly impacting the total figures. Also, groceries were higher than usual, especially when we’d purchased expensive cheese we had shipped to us from a Tasmanian dairy farm. 

Over the holidays, we purchased some pricier foods as special treats, including filet Mignon, jumbo prawns, and scallops, all throwing off the usual lower costs. However, we didn’t eat out much due to the difficulty in ordering meals befitting my dietary restrictions, which has always been a little tougher to accomplish in Australia. 

Not only are there gorgeous white sand beaches in Tasmania, but there are also many rocky shorelines.

The “tips and miscellaneous” category included some clothing we purchased, toiletries, and various products from the pharmacy.  As shown, there was no cost for the excellent WiFi Terry provided with the availability of 200 gigs of data usage per month. 

In total, we’re not disappointed by these totals. But, of course, Australia is more expensive than some other parts of the world. Still, it’s a tradeoff with the quality of the experiences, wildlife, scenery, and, most of all, its people, some of the warmest and friendliest on the planet.

Expense US Dollar Australian
Dollar
Vacation Rental  $   3,143.80  $  4,228.38
re   $      241.68  $     325.06
Hotel (St. Helens)  $      133.33  $     180.00
Taxi  $      100.72  $     135.47
Rental Car  $   2,642.77  $  3,554.50
Wi-Fi  $           0  $          0
Groceries  $   1,470.65  $   1,978.01
Dining Out  $         84.21  $      113.26
Tours  $         34.17  $        45.96
Tips & Miscellaneous  $       523.45  $      704.03
Total  $   8,374.78  $ 11,264.67
Average
Monthly Cost		  $   5,789.38  $   7,786.66
Avg. Daily
Cost – 44 days		  $      190.36  $       256.02

Usually, when we’re leaving a location, we’ll post favorite photos.  However, based on this short period in Penguin, we’ll save those for our final post when we leave Tasmania, which will include the Huon Valley favorites as well.

The statue we passed on the drive from Hobart to Penguin.

Instead, today, we’re posting photos we’d yet to share from our original road trip from Hobart to Penguin and more photos we’d taken while in Penguin. There were too many photos to share as we posted each day with the continual flow of new stories and adventures we encountered in this wonderful area.

White sand beaches are commonly found in Tasmania.

Will we return to Penguin someday? No doubt, we’d love to. But, as always, the reality remains that we still have a lot of worlds to see. So it’s a stretch that we’re returning to Marloth Park next year, coupled with the serious intent of traveling to other African countries to observe more exciting wildlife and scenery.

A special thanks to Terry for his conscientious attention to every detail to ensure a phenomenal experience we’ll always treasure.  We’ve “friended” one another on Facebook and look forward to staying in touch for many years to come, as we have with most of our past landlords/property owners.

This cove view was taken in Burnie, Tasmania.

If you’re looking for a fabulous place to stay in Penguin Tasmania, please click here to reach Terry. We have no doubt he’ll be happy to provide you with the same amazing experience.

Entering the city limits of Penguin.

Goodbye, Penguin. Hello Huon Valley! We’ll be back tomorrow from our new home located on the banks of the Huon River!

Thanks to all of our new and long-time readers for sharing this special six weeks with us.

The charm of this town celebrating its fairy penguins is whimsical.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 16, 2016:

The men’s Nautica store on the ship had nothing that appealed to Tom, although he liked this brand name in our old lives.  For more cruise photos, please click here.