11th October 2009, on the way to Dora Falls.

This was taken on a Pandani Bushwalking Club walk.

The evil eye of Telstra has found me Please forgive the reference to Lord of the rings. No contact yet, but if these posts dissappear without explanation, along with me (I’m laughing). I can imagine this sort of thing IS something that they do very well and with minimal time and fuss.

Actually, I just googled “telstra” and “evil” , 128,000 results. I feel better now; surely they have bigger fish to fry 251,000 for “telstra” and “hell”. And, my favorite but not such a huge result, “Telstra” and “evil empire” 2,180. “Telstra” and “bully” 23,800. “Telstra” and “devil” 74,300. Whoa, the mother lode; “Telstra” and “complaints 260,000. That just got eclipsed, “Telstra” and “unhappy” 604,000.

Oops, I got sidetracked searching “Telstra” and “dickheads” It’s late and I’m deteriorating, but I came across this great post on urban 4wd car owners - there is some profanity. Well, lots of profanity if you read the replies.

Popularity: 19% [?]

27th May 2009, Mt Field National Park

That’s what I think when I take photos of mushrooms like this, that they are little worlds. Worlds that most people walk past without seeing. And I imagine there are smaller worlds again, that I don’t see.

Be warned - there are more mushroom photos for future posts

Popularity: 34% [?]

29th May 2009

I forget the name of this place. It is somewhere between Lake St Clair and Strahan on the Lyell Highway. It was next to a river - it could have been the Franklin.

28th May 2009

The above was taken on a walk to Mt Rufus. We walked through patches of incredible and beautiful moss strewn forest. I wasn’t really able to capture how beautiful it is.

Popularity: 30% [?]

29th May 2009, Lyell Hwy between Queenstown and Derwent Bridge.

Well, I think it is Nelson Falls. I’ve been looking at maps and dates and trying to figure it out.

We spent the day exploring on the drive between Lake St Clair and Strahan.  This place (Nelson Falls?) had a little sign across the walk way saying it was closed due to dangerous conditions. I realise it’s just the relevant authority protecting itself against litigation if something goes wrong.  I was amazed to see people come and then turn back at the sign. I have no idea what the danger was.

Popularity: 30% [?]

28th May 2009, Mt Rufus circuit near Lake St Clair

On the way back from Mt Rufus we passed through several areas of dead upper story eucalypt trees. What was unusual is that there were no similar sized living trees. Upper story trees don’t usually all die at once. For example, this is usually only something you see in a newly formed dam where land has been flooded and all the trees die. There weren’t any other trees even approaching their size.

Popularity: 30% [?]

31st May 2009 Ocean Beach near Strahan.

I decided to take this shot too late. The car had already passed, so I had to use full zoom to catch it. It was a lazy shot and I wasn’t enthusiastic. But, it does show an aspect of beaches and people on the west coast of Tasmania.

We saw more people in vehicles on the beach than we saw on foot. Actually, I don’t remember seeing anyone on foot. We even saw big road bikes.

All this is ok. I imagine lots of pipis and other shell fish get squashed, but none of it compares to the damage of the four wheeler motorbikes. These things are the new environmental disaster for accessible coastline like this. You can see their tracks through the dunes everywhere. And everyone wants to make a new track.

In reality, they should be less damaging, because they are less weight distributed over larger area tyres. I imagine they could run over a pipi without squashing it. If they could just stay on the beach and existing tracks.

Popularity: 38% [?]

We spent some time on the Ocean Beach, from one end to the other. It runs from Macquarie Heads near Strahan to the near side of Trial harbour to the North. We walked to Macquarie Heads and back starting close to Strahan, explored it around the Henty Dunes, and again at Trial Harbour.

The following photos were taken on the 31st May 2009 on the Macquarie heads walk.

Beach Silhouette

The Ocean Beach between Strahan and Macquarie Heads is shallow and fairly flat. There is a huge expanse of sand that water from the waves travels over slowly. In contrast, the beach at Trial Harbour is steep and deep; deep enough for Ships to anchor just off the beach and unload supplies.

The Beach Dance

The Beach Dance must have been performed by everyone who has walked along a beach with shoes on.

Here the water has already receded, leaving Wiebke with wet feet.

Fellow Enthusiast

Usually, if I am out with someone, I can lose myself working on a picture; they get bored. It is a nice surprise to look up after I have finished taking pictures from all angles and trying different settings to see Wiebke preoccupied with her own picture taking.

Popularity: 32% [?]

31st May 2009, Ocean Beach Strahan.

We walked along the beach from Strahan to Hells Gates; about ten kilometres each way.

On a related note, four wheeler motorbikes are popular in this area; we saw signs of them everywhere we went on the west coast. Because of their wide tyres and relatively light weight they wouldn’t do much damage on the beach or the sand dunes, if they stayed on the sand. People have been riding them through the dunes at the back of the beach, destroying the grasses and shrubs. Once the growth is gone erosion sets in. Also, the less grassy, shrubby areas means there is less space for birds and wildlife to shelter. It is a pity that the people riding these things can’t stay on the sand. They are the cause of the most visible recent (last ten years or so) environmental damage in this area.

These sand sculptures were made by the water as it recedes back after a wave.

Popularity: 24% [?]

10th May 2009, close to Geeveston.

It is the eve of our holiday; a last post before we go.

We won’t be near towns for a few days, it will be interesting to see how Wiebke copes with limited food choices

The last time I had breakfast with her, we were having pancakes. I put some elderberry jam on mine, Wiebke put lots on hers.

Then, with the expertise of a brickie, she trowelled on a five cm layer of quark, a strange cheese that tastes like yoghurt.

Then, on top of that, applied a layer of sugar straight from the bag that it came in.

She was laughing self consciously at the amused look on my face and my silence.

The pancake had disappeared underneath all the stuff she’d put on top of it; it’s role seemed to be limited to providing the theme for her breakfast, without actually contributing much to it.

I’ve just read this to her; and she laughingly said, “you haven’t even seen decadence yet, that was just an entrée”.

Popularity: 22% [?]

3rd May 2009, Wiebke’s place.

Dufus makes me laugh. He is a gentle, timid soul, with a pathetic meow. When he walks, he looks as though he has poohed his pants.

Popularity: 18% [?]