Making Eye Statements: Australia Blog #2 - 18 February 2019: Tasmania's Huon Valley and Glaziers Bay

Irrelevant Australian Fact #2:

In 1832, 300 female convicts mooned the governor of Tasmania. It was said that in a “rare moment of collusion with the Convict women, the ladies in the Governor’s party could not control their laughter.”

We have arrived back in our Australian/Tasmanian home – Glaziers Bay in the Huon Valley. We are staying in our cabin here for five weeks. It is the same cabin we stayed in for a week last year. The Huon Valley is tranquil, lush, expansive, mercurial – all these things and more.

In our first week in the cabin, we have experienced hot and cold Australian temperatures, prompting us to use both the air conditioner and the heat pump, depending on the weather. There have been frequent showers and some heavy downpours. All rain is welcome here, to alleviate both the drought and to help control the bushfires. The fires are under control in this area, but the rain helps with what the Tasmanian Fires Service calls “the mopping up”. It is not unusual to have sunshine, fog, rain, and wind all within an hour. As they say here, “If you don’t like the weather, wait ten minutes!”

It has been productive time for both Bill and me. Bill is working his magic with quilts, colour, and fabric. I’m revelling in both the photography – 1600 + photos so far – and in the opportunity to write. I am convinced that the Huon Valley works magic on artists of all stripes. It’s something in the air – or the local hard cider or the local gin!

We are only about 45 minutes’ drive from Hobart, so it’s easy to ‘slip into town’ for a touch of urban life. Most of the time, however, we stay in the Huon Valley. The closest village is Cygnet, about six km away, where we do a lot of our grocery shopping. Our refrigerator is small, so we buy only one or two days’ worth of food at a time. The rhythm of life is very pleasant and relaxed. I especially like waking in the morning and seeing the entire Huon Valley stretched out below me. After I’ve listened to the CBC news and ABC news with an earbud on my iPhone, I’m ready to start the day!

Our dear friend Susan has arrived from British Columbia for three weeks. She’s staying at various AirBnBs in Tasmania. We’re looking forward to spending time with her and sharing this very special part of the planet with her.

I’m planning to include photos of Hobart and the famous Salamanca Market in next week’s blog post. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these photos of our adopted neighbourhood.