Tasmania -- wombats, dogs, goats

FEBRUARY 23 - APRIL 12

From the port of Melbourne, I took the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to Tasmania. This is a 7-8 hr trip which I took overnight. You can book cabins or a recliner. I did the recliner and it was very comfy! This ferry is like a cruise ship complete with restaurants, bars, shops, theatre, live music, etc! It was nice. Tasmania is an island off the southern coast of mainland Australia. This state is very close to the Antarctic so it can get cold in winters. Tassie is also not very populated and has a very hippie feel.

I landed in Devonport and stayed in the accomodation above an Irish Pub. The next day, I took a bus to Sheffield where I would wwoof with Bronwyn. She is an amazing 78 yr old with a lot of energy! Bronwyn takes care of orphaned/injured native animals. When I was there, she had a baby wombat named Sleepy (2 months old). He was such a sweetie pie! He was such a sook...always seeking attention. Just like a puppy. I got to bottle feed the little guy. Other wwoofers was another Canadian (Hillary from Saskatchewan) and 2 British guys (Ben and Myles). We helped Bronwyn collected huge rocks and build a wall around her gardens so that kids in wheelchairs can access them. Bronwyn does heritage activities with handicapped and non-handicapped kids so that she can integrate all the kids. Bronwyn is also a marriage celebrant and she wants to marry people on her beautiful property at the base of Mt Roland. There are lots of wildlife around her house (which used to be a chapel)....including paddymelons (type of wallaby which is like a small kangaroo). I sewed red velvet pillow cushion covers for sitting using her antique Singer sewing machine! We participated in Steamfest, which is a weekend long festival where everyone shows off their steam engines and antiques. Our stall is about heritage and Bronwyn had an old wagon, butter churner, cheese presser, grain grinder, etc to display. We showed kids how to makes their own billies (tin can with a wire handle for boiling water and carrying things). One night, we went down to a neighbours house (who had other wwoofers) and we drummed all night together. What fun that was!

After Sheffield, I went to Launceston. I saw the Cataract Gorge and did the Boag's Brewery Tour. I saw how beer was made and I got to sample them afterwards with various cheeses! From Launceston, I took the bus to Hobart (southern Tasmania) on March 13 (which was Friday the 13th and I found a nickel on the ground!).

Steve Irwin Sea Shepherd ship was docked at the Hobart harbour for a few days. This is the ship that just returned from the Antarctic where they stopped Japanese whalers from killing whales. They had a free tour of the ship and what they do. This group uses extreme means to stop people from killing animals. It is named after Steve Irwin because it is said that he supported this group's efforts and he had wanted to visit but never had the chance.

In Hobart, I ate Indonesian food for the first time (tofu and veggie curry over white rice with peanuts and bit of peanut sauce). I also went to Salamanca Market which has hundreds of stalls where local people sell their creations (food, art, etc).

I went to wwoof with Jacqueline and David in Margate (near Hobart). They are a lovely couple with 3 gorgeous Golden Retrievers named Piper (the piggy), Bella (the adventurous one), and Brookie (the old softie). I painted and cooked vegetarian stuff (and baked banana breads). Jacqueline bought me a jar of vegemite because I'm the only one who eats it (which I still have). They took me around to nearby towns and sightseeing. Jacqueline makes different types of bound books as a hobby and she taught me how to make my own photo album! I also picked blackberries off the side of the road and pears from the neighbour's trees. I preserved the pears in jars and Jackie showed me how to make blackberry jam. I saw tadpoles in their pond and I also did gardening. I fed the dogs and took them on their walks up the hill. I also bathed them. The best part was the end of the day when I would relax on the couch with the dogs.

After Margate, I went farther south to Wattle Grove (near Cygnet) to wwoof on a goat farm. I learned how to milk a goat (I milked Pia and Natalie) and make various types of cheeses! Everything I had was goat....goat milk, cheese, etc. It became too much. But what an amazing experience! When I wasn't milking or making cheese, I went to watch a movie (Slumdog Millionaire) in Hobart one night. Afterwards, while I was walking on the street (around midnight), a young naked guy was running towards me. Ok, he had on undies so he wasn't totally naked. But he was so embarrassed that as he passed me, he said "I apologize for my nakedness!". How funny!

After the goat farm, I went back to Jackie and David's (and the dogs!). Jackie and I went to lectures on climate change given at the university. It was very interesting...there are some things that I never thought about. My next stops were Melbourne (1 day) then Hong Kong!