29th May 2009,  between Derwent Bridge and Queenstown.

Tasmania has little pockets of rain forest scattered about. It makes me wonder what the forests used to be like - I don’t think I’ve seen a rain forest here that hasn’t been logged at some time.

There are still a few areas of old growth forest, but they are actually under threat right now, or being logged right now.

After the protests to stop the Franklin dam in the early 1980’s, legislation was passed to lease public lands to interested logging companies for a token amount. By doing so, public lands became private property. This means that logging companies can put up locked gates on formerly public roads through formerly public forests, and commence logging. If anyone does go there to protest, they can be arrested for trespassing at the least.

This is insane to me. People who want to see these magnificent forests aren’t allowed to; businesses who want to cut these (our forests) down, are allowed to. And it gets worse. It is taxpayer’s money that put the roads into these areas that are used mostly by logging companies. And it is an industry that is subsidised by tax payer’s money in lots of other different ways (and here).

The links I’ve supplied are quick and dirty - there is an abundance of information on the net re these issues. It’s old news in Tasmania. It’s also old news in Gippsland, where I used to live.

Popularity: 21% [?]

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% [?]

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% [?]

23rd November, 2008, Kingston Beach.

One of the more imaginative (well, I hope it was imaginative) placards read “Bartlett eats bilbys”. Another funny one was “celebrities against the pulp mill”; this was being held up by two grinning ferals. 

The gathering occurred because nobody here trusted Bartlett’s promise of withdrawing Government support for the pulp mill if Gunns does not commence construction of the mill by November 30. Or any related statements coming from Gunns, otherwise this protest would not have been considered necessary.

During a speech describing some of the evil deeds of Gunns and the present and past Tasmanian governments, one respectable looking old lady yelled out a withering ”wicked”. She didn’t use the word with the new age meaning of “really cool”; it sounded like the worst possible adjective she could give voice to while remaining respectable.

The crowd was made up of all ages, and generally looked well heeled and conformist (new cars, expensive casual wear, pedigree dogs etc). There were a lot of children and pampered pooches.

(c) Andrew Calder

Popularity: 20% [?]