Blogs from Wynyard, Tasmania, Australia, Oceania

FACES OF TASMANIA...Brushes with Fame and a Kentish or two. When I was 12 I played in the New South Wales Public Schools Tennis Challenge at White City. In the front foyer I see a dark skinned man in white tennis gear sitting on a leather lounge. I ask him if he is Arthur Ashe. He says "yes" so I score his autograph. I turn to the man sitting with him. "Excuse me sir. What is your name?" "Clark Graebner". I think I grunted thanks and moved away as I had not heard of this USA tennis star. I head upstairs to change for my match. Two men walking from the showers with towels around them. Stopping me in my tracks...my young jaw dropping. It's Rod Laver and Lew Hoad. Smiling at me...I have my chance. ... read more

A rare day with no 10am checkout. Chilli beans for breakfast. Watched some coverage of the ongoing flood catastrophe all over the country, negotiated the "pay as you go" showers (3 mins for 40c, 6.5 minutes for $1....hmmm). Gathered some supplies for Spag Bol dinner in Wynyard. Our main mission in this corner of Tassie was to assess whether we would like to live here, and the answer is yes. All good. Today we drove in around Flowerdale. This country is actually even prettier than the stuff we saw yesterday in Irishtown and Scotchtown. We are looking inland although we would love a water view because (a) it is highly unlikely that we will be able to afford waterfront land, even in the very reasonable real estate climate in Tassie, given that one of the strong ... read more