A drive in Winter and Cockatoos.

 The other day we headed out in the car for a drive, a short one.  We went to Relbia, White Hills, Evandale and home.  Photos from the drive which includes a few Vinyards. We came across many Cockatoos along the way.

The marks on the map is where we went.

The long shadows of the late afternoon

The windmill Australian style and a vineyard.

Another vineyard and a view in the next two photos with horses x 2

The Cockatoos making a lot of noise.  Those trees as we approached were covered with the parrots.

Olympic Games

Update: Ariarne Titmus as some of you may know has won a Gold Medal in the 400 meters at the Paris Olympics, 2024.

A Mural in the city of a Tasmanian Olympic and Champion Swimmer Ariarne Titmus born here in Launceston in 2000.  Ariarne and her parents moved to Queensland in 2015 for better training opportunities.  

Ariarne is an OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) she is the reigning Olympic Champion in the women's 200 meter and 400 meter freestyle, having won both events at the 2020 Summer Olympics, and the world record holder in the long course 200 meter freestyle and 400 meter freestyle events.

We Tasmanian's along with the State of Queensland and all of Australia wish her well for the Paris Olympic Games this year as well as all our Athletes. 

Invention of the Notepad!

Did you know who invented The Notepad?

It was a Tasmanian, J.A Birchall and it took 500 years of human evolution for Mr. Birchall to change the way we look at single sheets of paper.  In 1902 he decided to stick them together to form the first notepad!

J.A Birchall was the once owner of Birchalls bookstore here in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.  

Founded in 1844 by Samuel Tegg, then a few owners until it became Birchalls, then owned by the Tilley family in 1969. 

Birchalls was oldest bookstore in Australia at the time of its closing in 2017. The store sold other items as well, such as hobby things and so on. The store closed due to retirement of the Tilley family who couldn't find a buyer for the store as it was.

In 1902

Birchalls in recent times

The West Coast of Tasmania, Australia

These photos are on the West Coast of Tasmania more to the North of the Island of Tasmania. Map below.  You just stand there an you hear the sea roar.

Arthurs River Bridge

Not far from Marrawah is this beach and the windfarm is at Bluff Point near Woolnorth a cattle farm.

Bluff Point Wind Farm near Woolnorth a cattle farm.  We the public can not go there.

Punchbowl Reserve, Launceston, Tasmania

Punchbowl Reserve not far from home and where we had many family picnics once.  The Reserve has been around for many a year, once looked after by volunteers, now the City Council. There are barbecues, Toilets, seats and tables, ducks, Turbo Chooks (Native Hens) playground, a big area of green grass to play cricket, or run along.  The walking paths are picturesque in the area. 

These photos were taken on one my visits with two of the grandchildren a few years back.

A Tasmania Native Hen.  We call them Turbo Chook because they run fast. 

Up the Highlands

Yes, it snows up in The Highlands of Tasmania in Winter though it only looks like a dusting of snow.  The black swans seem to love the snow. 

The local Hotel, well part of the roof collapsed in the accommodation section.

The Highlands are near enough in the middle of Tasmania, Australia and the town of Miena is about 1,000 meters above sea level.

We used to go up there in winter and take photos but I can't find them and I think they were taken before digital cameras.

These photos are borrowed, hoping you enjoy and for those that are having heatwaves, hope these photos cool you down a little.  Don't know who took these photos as it didn't say.

Where we live it's -4 deg C for several mornings in a row, afternoon temperature between 9 to 12 deg C, many frosts which in turn causes a beautiful sunny day. The forecast is the frosts are finished for awhile and daytime temperature will probably rise to 16 deg C.

John Lewin, Tasmanian Artist

Something different for me to post today.

The first Australian Artist.

When John Lewin stepped off the boat in Sydney, Australia on January 11, 1800, he was about to wield his paintbrush as the first free-settler professional artist in a wild frontier land.  He's already missed his first boat to Australia, the Buffalo, which his wife Anna Maria (also and artist) had boarded 18 months earlier.

So, he took the long journey to Australia alone, and he began his life in a new land amid controversy, when Anna Maria was accused in court of misconduct with the Buffalo's second mate - a charge which she was acquitted of.

Nonetheless, once he was settled, Lewin painted some of the earliest and most valuable paintings of Australia's fauna and flora, exhibiting a relaxed style at odds with the traditional European art, but well suited to the colonies.

John Lewin died in Sydney in 1819 as is buried at Botany Bay.

The Tasmanian Tiger, now extinct.

A Parakeet painted in water colours in 1810

Eastern Ground Parrot 1809. The parrot will fly at dawn and duck only. This parrot is only one of four ground parrots in this world.

Oil Painting done in 1819.

Waratah, water colour done in C 1805