My mother arrived on the 1st of November and the last couple weeks left got that much closer. Since I still had 2 exams to go, I sent my mother on a Port Arthur/Richmond tour which she quite enjoyed. Seeing Port Arthur is definitely a must do, for everyone thinking of going to Australia!
The week was crazy with me studying, roommates packing up to go, and making sure my mother was entertained. Eventually the double exam day arrived and I finally finished needing to think about school. Those that were leaving had just about all left and it was going to be me leaving next. One of my Korean roommates kindly offered to take my mother and I to some sights so that she could see some more of Tasmania.
In his ancient car, we drove past roadkill after roadkill to Huon valley and right to where I'd been on my Tasmania Forestry expedition.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Halloween in Tassie
It's been hard for me to keep up updating for a couple reasons. Firstly my computer is just a glossy dead weight for the time being, as the cord has died. Without a computer of my own it's a bit hard to keep up with checking all my messages and having time to write. Aw well, I can't access all my lovely photos or edit them easily. The other reason was that I was quite busy studying for exams, and then my mom arrived while I was still studying so I already had to ignore her but writing a blog seemed a but too rude as well! Anyways much has happened but as I recall I had left off with some Halloween plans.
Over the weekend leading up to Halloween, I was crazy busy organizing all the food items, designing a costume and decking out the home. Since Emily was in her exam until that afternoon, I had very little help and was just a tad stressed with all the things to do. We managed however to pull off a fun evening.
I had bought some spider webs for a section of the living room but other decorations came from black plastic bags. I had one housemate cut out bat shapes for me and threw a bag over the ugly broken rock lump at the bottom of the driveway, turning it into a black ghoul with a bit of masking tape. Fake hands were made from filling plastic gloves with coloured jello.
I was dressed up as a spider, making four extra legs from stockings stuffed with shopping bags and lightly sewn to a black top. Some extra eyes and black pants and my very simple costume looked great. I even dressed up Elliot as a fly using some tinfoil, black garbage bag, a bent hanger and some baking paper.
For food, I had made zombie finger cookies died green, and loved by all the housemates. Some chocolate cupcakes with orange icing and Halloween cookies were other desert treats. Cocktail wieners wrapped in strips of puff pastry became little mummies, boiled eggs with a sliced olives became eyes. Emily died mashed potatoes weird colours making interesting sculptures. A hand made from carrots and almonds reached out of a home made veggie dip. A couple guests brought some food to share and in the end there was more than enough for us all.
As for other costumes, there was a scientist, Emily attempted a crazy voodoo women, one friend dressed as a Chinese cartoon character, and the American dressed as an American tourist. The others were impressed with the costumes and decor, having never attended any Halloween parties or events before.
Over the weekend leading up to Halloween, I was crazy busy organizing all the food items, designing a costume and decking out the home. Since Emily was in her exam until that afternoon, I had very little help and was just a tad stressed with all the things to do. We managed however to pull off a fun evening.
I had bought some spider webs for a section of the living room but other decorations came from black plastic bags. I had one housemate cut out bat shapes for me and threw a bag over the ugly broken rock lump at the bottom of the driveway, turning it into a black ghoul with a bit of masking tape. Fake hands were made from filling plastic gloves with coloured jello.
Jello hand
I was dressed up as a spider, making four extra legs from stockings stuffed with shopping bags and lightly sewn to a black top. Some extra eyes and black pants and my very simple costume looked great. I even dressed up Elliot as a fly using some tinfoil, black garbage bag, a bent hanger and some baking paper.
Elliot the fly
For food, I had made zombie finger cookies died green, and loved by all the housemates. Some chocolate cupcakes with orange icing and Halloween cookies were other desert treats. Cocktail wieners wrapped in strips of puff pastry became little mummies, boiled eggs with a sliced olives became eyes. Emily died mashed potatoes weird colours making interesting sculptures. A hand made from carrots and almonds reached out of a home made veggie dip. A couple guests brought some food to share and in the end there was more than enough for us all.
Emily's potato creation
Potato Snake
Finger cookies and Halloween cupcakes
A creepy veggie dip
As for other costumes, there was a scientist, Emily attempted a crazy voodoo women, one friend dressed as a Chinese cartoon character, and the American dressed as an American tourist. The others were impressed with the costumes and decor, having never attended any Halloween parties or events before.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Exam Doom and Gloom plus Halloween Plans
I just had my first of my three exams today, which means I'm that much closer to going home. I have done quite a bit of studies; however I have still managed to spend time with friends as I enjoy my last days. As well, my computer cord broke...a third time!
After my computer cord first died, I ordered another one from China and while I waited for it, Emily leant me her computer. About 3 weeks after using it, the adapter started to make crackling noises and I could smell wire burning. So back to Emily's computer I went. Then part of her cord died, which had also been a Chinese import. Luckily that half on mine was still useable so we put the 2 cords together and that’s currently what I'm using on her computer. *Sigh* I'm just really lucky that all my notes can be found online and thus I don't actually need my own computer.
Besides the computer troubles, I've been planning for a Halloween Party. Most of my friends and housemates are internationals so no one (even the Australian's) does much for Halloween. However everyone seems keen to celebrate the day, especially as it also marks Emily's last exam. So I have been happily checking out all the best Halloween recipes, thinking and advising on costumes and deciding what we can do mark the exciting date. Coles and Woolworths have had Christmas goodies and decor out since the beginning of the month, but it was only 2 weeks ago that the first of any Halloween decorations could be found. Pumpkins, as in actual jack-o-lantern making pumpkins and not the winter squashes the Aussies are so fond of calling pumpkins are finally for sale. However at nearly $4/kg, and all of them quite large in size, I'm not sure I can afford one. I have 2 exams still to go, both on the 5th of November, but I’m really looking forward to this party as it’s also a chance to say goodbye to many of my new friends.
Today I met a Girl Guide Leader from Tasmania for a coffee and little chat. I was planning on giving her some crests from my area, where I help out back home but she suggested I give them to some girls at a meeting on Thursday. She also gave me a selection of badges from Tasmania she had at home. When I get them sewn onto my camp blanket back home, I’m sure I’ll have many jealous people admiring my Tasmanian Platypus crest!
After my computer cord first died, I ordered another one from China and while I waited for it, Emily leant me her computer. About 3 weeks after using it, the adapter started to make crackling noises and I could smell wire burning. So back to Emily's computer I went. Then part of her cord died, which had also been a Chinese import. Luckily that half on mine was still useable so we put the 2 cords together and that’s currently what I'm using on her computer. *Sigh* I'm just really lucky that all my notes can be found online and thus I don't actually need my own computer.
Besides the computer troubles, I've been planning for a Halloween Party. Most of my friends and housemates are internationals so no one (even the Australian's) does much for Halloween. However everyone seems keen to celebrate the day, especially as it also marks Emily's last exam. So I have been happily checking out all the best Halloween recipes, thinking and advising on costumes and deciding what we can do mark the exciting date. Coles and Woolworths have had Christmas goodies and decor out since the beginning of the month, but it was only 2 weeks ago that the first of any Halloween decorations could be found. Pumpkins, as in actual jack-o-lantern making pumpkins and not the winter squashes the Aussies are so fond of calling pumpkins are finally for sale. However at nearly $4/kg, and all of them quite large in size, I'm not sure I can afford one. I have 2 exams still to go, both on the 5th of November, but I’m really looking forward to this party as it’s also a chance to say goodbye to many of my new friends.
Today I met a Girl Guide Leader from Tasmania for a coffee and little chat. I was planning on giving her some crests from my area, where I help out back home but she suggested I give them to some girls at a meeting on Thursday. She also gave me a selection of badges from Tasmania she had at home. When I get them sewn onto my camp blanket back home, I’m sure I’ll have many jealous people admiring my Tasmanian Platypus crest!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
A Class on Geology
This semester I had one first year class in geology. I can't quite remember why I chose to take it, partially it looked interesting and partially as I was taking a related second year course I thought I might be required to take it.
Anyway most of the material seems to contain examples from Canada or America. Many times we have gone through powerpoints of rock types across Canada, talked about the Burgess Shale Fossils in the Rockies, or looked at a map showing the danger zones in BC, specifically in case of "The Big-One" (ie earthquake) happening near Vancouver. In many cases my friends in the class have asked me if I've been there, live near there or if the pictures remind me of home! Sometimes I do think of home, but I'm surprised by how strongly Canadian geology plays a role in education here. If anything I feel a stronger connection and deeper respect for my lovely country!
I think the leading factor that decides where the material comes from is due to the fact that the textbooks are often printed or written in the US or Canada. However we do tie in some Australian geology to the lessons, which makes the class more unique from if I'd taken it at home.
This past week, we had a trip down to lower Sandy Bay for the practical and I learned some new, and scary things about the place I was living.
To start with we were shown three small peaks across the river which actually were made by volcanoes during the Tertiary. The most recent still has a conical shape while the other two are much more rounded. Tasmania and the rest of Australia are not volcanic now but in the past they have been influenced by volcanic activity, probably due to passing over a hot spot at they shifted north.
Tasmania has also had it's share of land slips and slides, which people tend to forget. The iconic casino/hotel built in 1973, became Australia's first after a positive referendum was held in Tasmania. When the city's engineers were looking for a place to build it, they decided on the flat land found in lower Sandy Bay. The design was approved for 25 stories and work began. Unfortunately for them, they should have done a proper analysis of the land before. They had chosen to build the casino on a section of land that had been flattened when part of Mount Nelson crumbled and slid towards the Derwent river. The center of the casino was also to be built on top of a fault! All of this was common knowledge to the geology department at UTAS, who had done quite a bit of research on this area. But with construction already starting, some new designs to account for the unconsolidated rock beneath were needed and the casino was reduced to 17 stories with the games rooms set up around the tower.
That's not the only time city engineers should have payed more attention to the geology. The lovely Tasman bridge also has a rocky, or should I say rockless past. When it was time to replace the floating bridge that connected the Eastern Shore with downtown Hobart, two options were thrown around. The idea of a suspension bridge would have been a wise one. On either side of the river (rifted open as Tasmania was pulled to stay behind with Antarctica or head north with the rest of Australia) there is excellent bedrock very old in age. This would have been great for the beams of support required by a suspension bridge. However it was decided that a beam bridge would be a better choice. Images of the river bottom in the chosen area were a bit confusing, but it was assumed that it was just sediment rich and rock was somewhere beneath. They started building on the Eastern shore and discovered that the rock beneath was actually not as old as thought. However it was still good bedrock and work continued. Close to the Western shore, they dropped the pylons expecting to hit rock...however they kept on going. They rock had ended and they had reached mud! This stopped construction for a while, but the engineers managed to design a branching end that would keep the western beams stable in the mud. Construction finished allowing the bridge to be opened. However, in the case of a nearby earthquake, all that unconsolidated mud may flow out, collapsing the bridge! Scary stuff!
Thus I've learnt quite a bit about local Tasmanian geology, which makes me wonder what hidden treasures (disasters) we might have waiting for us at home?
Anyway most of the material seems to contain examples from Canada or America. Many times we have gone through powerpoints of rock types across Canada, talked about the Burgess Shale Fossils in the Rockies, or looked at a map showing the danger zones in BC, specifically in case of "The Big-One" (ie earthquake) happening near Vancouver. In many cases my friends in the class have asked me if I've been there, live near there or if the pictures remind me of home! Sometimes I do think of home, but I'm surprised by how strongly Canadian geology plays a role in education here. If anything I feel a stronger connection and deeper respect for my lovely country!
I think the leading factor that decides where the material comes from is due to the fact that the textbooks are often printed or written in the US or Canada. However we do tie in some Australian geology to the lessons, which makes the class more unique from if I'd taken it at home.
This past week, we had a trip down to lower Sandy Bay for the practical and I learned some new, and scary things about the place I was living.
To start with we were shown three small peaks across the river which actually were made by volcanoes during the Tertiary. The most recent still has a conical shape while the other two are much more rounded. Tasmania and the rest of Australia are not volcanic now but in the past they have been influenced by volcanic activity, probably due to passing over a hot spot at they shifted north.
Tasmania has also had it's share of land slips and slides, which people tend to forget. The iconic casino/hotel built in 1973, became Australia's first after a positive referendum was held in Tasmania. When the city's engineers were looking for a place to build it, they decided on the flat land found in lower Sandy Bay. The design was approved for 25 stories and work began. Unfortunately for them, they should have done a proper analysis of the land before. They had chosen to build the casino on a section of land that had been flattened when part of Mount Nelson crumbled and slid towards the Derwent river. The center of the casino was also to be built on top of a fault! All of this was common knowledge to the geology department at UTAS, who had done quite a bit of research on this area. But with construction already starting, some new designs to account for the unconsolidated rock beneath were needed and the casino was reduced to 17 stories with the games rooms set up around the tower.
The Casino is more than just a recognizable tower at night!
That's not the only time city engineers should have payed more attention to the geology. The lovely Tasman bridge also has a rocky, or should I say rockless past. When it was time to replace the floating bridge that connected the Eastern Shore with downtown Hobart, two options were thrown around. The idea of a suspension bridge would have been a wise one. On either side of the river (rifted open as Tasmania was pulled to stay behind with Antarctica or head north with the rest of Australia) there is excellent bedrock very old in age. This would have been great for the beams of support required by a suspension bridge. However it was decided that a beam bridge would be a better choice. Images of the river bottom in the chosen area were a bit confusing, but it was assumed that it was just sediment rich and rock was somewhere beneath. They started building on the Eastern shore and discovered that the rock beneath was actually not as old as thought. However it was still good bedrock and work continued. Close to the Western shore, they dropped the pylons expecting to hit rock...however they kept on going. They rock had ended and they had reached mud! This stopped construction for a while, but the engineers managed to design a branching end that would keep the western beams stable in the mud. Construction finished allowing the bridge to be opened. However, in the case of a nearby earthquake, all that unconsolidated mud may flow out, collapsing the bridge! Scary stuff!
Bridging more than just two sides!
Thus I've learnt quite a bit about local Tasmanian geology, which makes me wonder what hidden treasures (disasters) we might have waiting for us at home?
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Singing in Tasmania
The last days are coming and I've already had my last class! How have these last 9 months passed so quickly?
I haven't been up to too many exciting things but I have had quite a bit of fun while finishing off the last of my assignments.
I attended the UTAS choir group's (TUMS) concert a couple weekends ago. My friend was singing so she asked a couple of us to come which we happily did. There was about 15 of the most regular members giving a performance and probably only 30 of us watching in a small hall in Battery Point near the city. They did sing some good songs and I was happy to recognize some songs such as Bring Him Home from Les Misérables and Seasons of Love from RENT. After the concert we explored a part of Battery Point I hadn't been in and enjoyed the warming weather.
Later during a school day (!) I had a sleepover with a friend living a good 45 minute walk from the university. It was fun to hangout and relax a bit. We made some yummy food for dinner and baked a carrot cake for desert, then sat down to watch two movies. Since one of the movies was Yogi Bear, I had to share the Yogi Bear Song, making a bit of a fool of myself! :) The next day we both had the same class so we left much earlier then I'm used to, taking some extra cake for lunch.
Emily and I also were taken by the urge to buy yummy food items online (from the site I bought from earlier) and thus received a parcel of goodies in the mail. Swedish cookies and crisp breads that aren't found in regular grocery stores are what drew in Emily, but we also ended up with marshmallows for hot cocoa, cheap cookies, packs of inexpensive gum, jams, canned fruit, and other not quite necessary items.
The weather here is finally improving to shorts weather...although I'm saying this on a day where I woke up to it pouring outside! Luckily for me my exams don't start until nearly a week after the first day so I can take it easy with the studying and enjoy the great outdoors!
I haven't been up to too many exciting things but I have had quite a bit of fun while finishing off the last of my assignments.
I attended the UTAS choir group's (TUMS) concert a couple weekends ago. My friend was singing so she asked a couple of us to come which we happily did. There was about 15 of the most regular members giving a performance and probably only 30 of us watching in a small hall in Battery Point near the city. They did sing some good songs and I was happy to recognize some songs such as Bring Him Home from Les Misérables and Seasons of Love from RENT. After the concert we explored a part of Battery Point I hadn't been in and enjoyed the warming weather.
The Choir (my friend has the yellow scarf)
Emily and I also were taken by the urge to buy yummy food items online (from the site I bought from earlier) and thus received a parcel of goodies in the mail. Swedish cookies and crisp breads that aren't found in regular grocery stores are what drew in Emily, but we also ended up with marshmallows for hot cocoa, cheap cookies, packs of inexpensive gum, jams, canned fruit, and other not quite necessary items.
The weather here is finally improving to shorts weather...although I'm saying this on a day where I woke up to it pouring outside! Luckily for me my exams don't start until nearly a week after the first day so I can take it easy with the studying and enjoy the great outdoors!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Celebrity Status
This week Hobart was able to flaunt its beautiful scenery as it hosted The Hunter movie premier. You may not have heard about this movie, as I certainly hadn’t, but it was filmed in Tasmania and centres around trying to find the likely extinct Tasmanian Tiger.
Oh…I haven’t mentioned the Tasmanian Tiger before have I….
Well the Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine was once the largest carnivorous marsupial at its time. However it is believed to have gone extinct after exposure to both humans and dogs wiped it out. Of course not everyone believes this and there are occasional elusive sightings of this creature. The last know Thylacine died in captivity in the Hobart Zoo in 1933. You can see a video of this poor animal on Wikipedia.
Tasmanian Tigers
So as I was saying Hobart hosted this movie premier and had a red carpet walk for the star of the movie Willem Dafoe. He’s the actor recognized for the evil role of the Green Goblin in the Spider-man movies, the voice of Gill in Finding Nemo and countless other movies.
Willem Dafoe
I would have had no idea of this event had my friend Emily not been a huge fan of his. While other cities had Q&As and other meet and greets Hobart was only having this public red carpet walk and then a private showing of the movie so we thought our only chance would be to see him walk the red carpet.
We left with plenty of time, knowing how great Hobart bus service is, and arrived to find a busy movie entrance with photographers and camera-crew packed along the small space in front of the theatre. As most fans and onlookers hadn’t arrived yet we ended up being of interest to some reporters, and may have smiled for some photos and gave our names to the paper.
Lara Giddings, the Tasmanian Premier was one of the first to arrive and hurried into the building. The next few groups of people tripped over the one stair on the way in and thus some fixing to the carpet had to be done. After most others had entered and a crowd of around 200 had gathered finally the big star arrived to the only cheering of the night. He spent about 10 minutes signing autographs for the fans before finally heading in. Emily got his autograph and I took a picture of them too….
Oh! And the reporters took some pictures of us too which appeared online as well as in the Mercury Newspaper the next day. We also were cornered into giving a few interviews which ended up on a couple stations which I have yet to see!
Oh! And the reporters took some pictures of us too which appeared online as well as in the Mercury Newspaper the next day. We also were cornered into giving a few interviews which ended up on a couple stations which I have yet to see!
Yes, that is my hair! This is the online news picture...I swear the other ones were better but this is all you're getting from me!! That's right-admire that hair!!
It was an exciting night and as I believe we both said in the interviews: “great to see for Hobart!”
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Fiesta International
Notice to everyone thinking of attending UTas next year: Be there for Fiesta International 2012!
Drum-roll please!
I was lucky enough to know someone on the committee for this year's Fiesta, otherwise I might have missed out on a great night of entertainment and yummy food! It's a family event put on by the student's union at the university and boy was it busy!
Fiesta International is a night of great entertainment with all sorts of dances, songs and demonstrations. Tickets were $8 for uni students when pre bought and definitely worth the entertainment. I had no idea little old Hobart had so much hidden talent! A Karate demonstration, a mini budah pianist, a Japanese song, Bollywood dancers, Saudi men dancing, and two groups of drummers were just some of the talents!
Karate Demonstration
Chinese Lion Dance
Some Bollywood Moves
A Japanese Song
A Peacock Dance
Inside there were stalls selling all sorts of ethnic foods you otherwise would have trouble finding. Ethiopian, Chilean, Mexican, Japanese and so on. There was also the Saudi Arabian stall where we got a bracelet with our name written in Arabic and had our photos taken in colourfull Saudi dresses.
We held out on our hunger until about halfway through and then were treated to discounts on the food! My friend and I shared a plate from the Ethiopian stall for only $5 with about 5 different items on it-YUM! I've never had Ethiopian food but I really enjoyed the meal.
The night was definitely a success and I'm glad I attended!
The night was definitely a success and I'm glad I attended!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Noosa
After a couple days of spit on the spit* and thunder down-under** the weather improved and we were able to travel all the way up the Sunshine Coast to Noosa!
Noosa is actually just the shire name and the region is home to Noosa Heads and Noosaville which nearly overlap and lie to the east of the Noosa River as it enters the Sea. Noosa is famous for its lovely beach. Hasting Street is also quite popular with its cute boutiques, hotels and restaurants situated along the tree lined street running parallel to the beach. There are many high end hotels in Noosa and apparently it's also the place to catch site of local celebrities taking a vacation...although none were spotted on this trip.
The beach at Noosa Heads
A refreshment stand that will come to you!
We did enjoy a stroll down Hastings, checking out the boutiques and finding quite a few good discounts (maybe time for some Christmas shopping??)!
A look down Hastings Street
After our venture around town we had a picnic lunch overlooking the Noosa River and checked out the park nearby. Then it was on to Tewantin which was just a bit further up the River.
Homes with a view along the Noosa River
View from the park
Noosa Coast Guard
Tewantin is also a small town with a few shops and some beach but really it has nothing on Noosa. It did have some other interesting sites though:
One of 2 odd objects found in the park....the memorial park.
Know what it is??
A German mine recovered and diffused, found along the Sunshine Beach!
This is a 3 in 1 tree....
Part Morton Bay Fig, part Forest Red Gum and part Cupania!
All in all it was a great day with amazing weather and I look forward to my next trip to Queensland and the Sunshine Coast!!
* We took a quick walk along the spit at Mooloolaba but unfortunately the weather wasn't quite cooperating and we ended up getting a bit of a sprinkling of rain.
**Coming back from an outing we could hear the thunder following us home. As Hobart rarely gets lightening storms this was the first time since I've been in Australia that I was able to watch nature put on a show....although I think we tend to get better ones at home!
Just a couple other things to spot along the Sunshine Coast:
This wacky building, the Ettamogah Pub, is found just outside Aussie World and beside many tourist stores. On the way one should check out some Australian Opals sold nearby-very beautiful!
Steve Irwin and his children can be found along the Mooloolaba esplanade.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Maroochy Botanic Garden
One of the places we went while I was on the sunshine coast was to the Regional Bushland Gardens located just outside of Maroochydore. They are quite hidden and require a bit of a drive to get to. You end up driving through an underpass below the highway, up a small road and past a golf course before entering the gardens.
We went specifically to wander among the rock sculptures that are scattered around a section of the garden. However there is a very nice lagoon and some other walks around which would make it a lovely place to go for a picnic.
The Gardens were rather quiet for such a nice day, but perhaps due to their obscure location, this is the reason. They have a very recent building for special functions now so perhaps more nature lovers will be drawn to visit in the future.
The following are some of the pictures of the sculptures I thought were most interesting:
Spirit House-2005 Sandstone and White Marble
This is at the entrance to the Sculpture Gardens. The sandstone in supposed to house the marble spirits of Father, Mother and Child.
Python in Waiting-2005 Black Marble
Do you see the hiding frog? Apparently this sculpture was created right where an old carpet snake, Axminster died... I wonder if the snake spirit still lives on?
Goanna-2005 Black Marble
The artist felt that it was important for the sculptures to relate to the environment on which they are set.
Chronicle-2005 Black and White Marble
This sculpture seeks people to recall the human situation of love, peace, reconciliation, and harmony.
Infinity-2005 White Marble
This is made to express the unity in all things. The reflection was supposed to help in representing the spiritual status which is connected to the physical status. This picture give a nice view of what the gardens looked like.
The Cycle-2005 Sandstone
The Japanese artist hoped to show a connection and symbiosis between all living things and to connect nature with the cultures of Maroochydore and Japan.
Lace Monitor-2005 Ceramic
This is modeled after a Lace Monitor that lives somewhere in the Garden.
A Glossy Black Cockatoo which is a vulnerable species in Australia
A Hairy Nosed Wombat which is an endangered species
And another snake sculpture slithering towards an oblivious frog near a pool of water.
Picking up some pamphlets from the new building, I now can admire the wildflowers of Australia a bit more too! The garden was filled with bottlebrush which brought splashes of red and yellow to the spring garden...which I of course didn't photograph, but the rest are just some other pics from the Garden.
A display of Tree Guardians!
The lagoon
Viewing into the bush and the garden paths beyond
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Spring Break
The last week of August was actually the start of spring break in Tasmania, regardless of the fact that Spring only starts on September 1st in Australia. My plans were to visit my relatives in Queensland again for some fun and relaxation in the much warmer sun.
However before I could relax I had quite a few things to do before leaving early on last Thursday. I decided it was necessary to do a quick move out of where I had been living. I ended up stashing my stuff as Emily's accommodation and bunking with her for about a week. I had been hoping there would be a spare room still available at her place but unfortunately there wasn't and I'll need to find a place as soon as I come back from my vacation away. After a busy week moving and packing I also had a midterm on Wednesday to study for and my bad group project was due Friday but as I wouldn't be there and my group seemed incapable of completing it themselves I would need to finish it before leaving.
It's unfortunate that my group turned out to be completely useless. The member that had previously taken the class almost never turned up except for when we sorted the sample. The other member showed up but needed more direction before doing anything. Even though he had taken the prerequisite classes, he wasn't really able to do much of the assignment and thus I ended up doing 99% of the written work. However to save other dedicated students from being the only contributing group member, I'm sending an email to the professor hoping he'll change his one mark policy in the future.
Anyway I finally arrived in Queensland late on Thursday evening and have had a wonderful week relaxing and unwinding. Some shopping, visiting parks and other towns and soaking up the lovely warm sun on the boardwalk were just some of the ways my break was spent.
The Sunshine Coast is really a great place to unwind and for many, also the place they want to live. I can see myself living there, and obviously so can many others as prices have increased greatly over the last few years. The bus system appear's much better than Hobart's and there are such a wide variety of stores for furnishing to food compared to Tasmania. Maybe in the future Tassie will be just as developed as the mainland, but right now it seems better suited as a lovely vacation away from the ever developing and quick pace of the mainland.
I'm back now after an early flight requiring me to wake at 4am to catch the shuttle bus to the airport. I'll give some more details on Noosa and other places visited later as I'm a bit exhausted still. Hobart weather can't quite compare with Queensland's yet but hopefully the barren trees will start to show some signs of life soon.
On a side note it's the Australian Father's Day today as well so Happy Father's Day to my dad!!
However before I could relax I had quite a few things to do before leaving early on last Thursday. I decided it was necessary to do a quick move out of where I had been living. I ended up stashing my stuff as Emily's accommodation and bunking with her for about a week. I had been hoping there would be a spare room still available at her place but unfortunately there wasn't and I'll need to find a place as soon as I come back from my vacation away. After a busy week moving and packing I also had a midterm on Wednesday to study for and my bad group project was due Friday but as I wouldn't be there and my group seemed incapable of completing it themselves I would need to finish it before leaving.
It's unfortunate that my group turned out to be completely useless. The member that had previously taken the class almost never turned up except for when we sorted the sample. The other member showed up but needed more direction before doing anything. Even though he had taken the prerequisite classes, he wasn't really able to do much of the assignment and thus I ended up doing 99% of the written work. However to save other dedicated students from being the only contributing group member, I'm sending an email to the professor hoping he'll change his one mark policy in the future.
Anyway I finally arrived in Queensland late on Thursday evening and have had a wonderful week relaxing and unwinding. Some shopping, visiting parks and other towns and soaking up the lovely warm sun on the boardwalk were just some of the ways my break was spent.
The Sunshine Coast is really a great place to unwind and for many, also the place they want to live. I can see myself living there, and obviously so can many others as prices have increased greatly over the last few years. The bus system appear's much better than Hobart's and there are such a wide variety of stores for furnishing to food compared to Tasmania. Maybe in the future Tassie will be just as developed as the mainland, but right now it seems better suited as a lovely vacation away from the ever developing and quick pace of the mainland.
Come to the Sunshine Coast and the Pelicans may just put on a show
They climbed out of the water thinking the fishermen might be handing out freebies
Hoping for a bite to eat
Warm evening sun and funky looking trees
I'm back now after an early flight requiring me to wake at 4am to catch the shuttle bus to the airport. I'll give some more details on Noosa and other places visited later as I'm a bit exhausted still. Hobart weather can't quite compare with Queensland's yet but hopefully the barren trees will start to show some signs of life soon.
On a side note it's the Australian Father's Day today as well so Happy Father's Day to my dad!!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Free events
Last week and even this week have been quite busy for a couple reasons...but I'll stick to the pleasanter ones.
Last Monday began the countdown to 100 days left in Australia. Most people would be counting the days that they've spent in Oz before they need to head home....but since I've been here since February it seems like I should start counting back down as I'm beginning (just a little) to miss home.
On Wednesday night I went to a free movie showing run by the Aboriginal department in the university. I received the email due to the History class I took last semester which invited me to come see a movie and get a meal. I invited a friend along and we went to the show. They started the evening with a girl preforming some songs and playing her guitar. She was quite good but unfortunately I've forgotten her name. They then brought in about a dozen pizzas all different types. It was an amazing selection with all sorts of toppings and for a change I didn't see a single pepperoni, cheese or hawaiian pizza like you would at home. So after a surprisingly good pizza dinner they started the movie which was a bit like a documentary on this band called the Black Arm Band and based on the movement of the same name. They would travel all over Australia to small communities and then even to Britain and preformed these songs that reflected their thoughts and feelings on what had happened during times of segregation, assimilation, placing aboriginals in reserves and the "lost generation". The Black Arm Band is this concept that you can't forget about what has happened to the Aboriginals in the past while the White Blindfold idea is more the concept of forgetting about the past and moving on. Anyway the songs in the documentary were quite good and the night was awesome, especially as it was completely free!
This was also the week of science and the same friend I invited to this event invited me to an event put on by the Tasmanian Forestry Department. During the week they were having free bus tours down to the south of the island. I was so distracted during the week I forgot about emailing to request a spot until the last minute and no one was working to email me back. I ended up walking up to the meeting point on the day of the tour hoping their would be a spot. Luckily some people including the tour guide (!) didn't show so I was able to come along and our bus driver, also a Forestry worker, ended up guiding us.
We were taken to Tahune Forest about an hours ride from Hobart....and okay the tour had many elderly people or had other forestry employees or family members present but it was still fun. We walked around a Huon Pine walk and out guide pointed out all sorts of tree and plant species as well as indicated which parts of the forest were regrowth, how to determine how old the forest was and what made it a rainforest etc. We then drove through patches of forest that had been clear-cut, cut in strips, patches or selectively cut. The talk got a little technical but was still interesting and we got a sense of what the forestry's view was on protecting the forest as well as what the best methods for clearing were and how burning actually helped regenerate growth faster than other methods. It was quite educational and I went home knowing a lot more on the views (especially the political ones) that the forestry department had.
Last Monday began the countdown to 100 days left in Australia. Most people would be counting the days that they've spent in Oz before they need to head home....but since I've been here since February it seems like I should start counting back down as I'm beginning (just a little) to miss home.
On Wednesday night I went to a free movie showing run by the Aboriginal department in the university. I received the email due to the History class I took last semester which invited me to come see a movie and get a meal. I invited a friend along and we went to the show. They started the evening with a girl preforming some songs and playing her guitar. She was quite good but unfortunately I've forgotten her name. They then brought in about a dozen pizzas all different types. It was an amazing selection with all sorts of toppings and for a change I didn't see a single pepperoni, cheese or hawaiian pizza like you would at home. So after a surprisingly good pizza dinner they started the movie which was a bit like a documentary on this band called the Black Arm Band and based on the movement of the same name. They would travel all over Australia to small communities and then even to Britain and preformed these songs that reflected their thoughts and feelings on what had happened during times of segregation, assimilation, placing aboriginals in reserves and the "lost generation". The Black Arm Band is this concept that you can't forget about what has happened to the Aboriginals in the past while the White Blindfold idea is more the concept of forgetting about the past and moving on. Anyway the songs in the documentary were quite good and the night was awesome, especially as it was completely free!
Movie Poster for those interested
This was also the week of science and the same friend I invited to this event invited me to an event put on by the Tasmanian Forestry Department. During the week they were having free bus tours down to the south of the island. I was so distracted during the week I forgot about emailing to request a spot until the last minute and no one was working to email me back. I ended up walking up to the meeting point on the day of the tour hoping their would be a spot. Luckily some people including the tour guide (!) didn't show so I was able to come along and our bus driver, also a Forestry worker, ended up guiding us.
We were taken to Tahune Forest about an hours ride from Hobart....and okay the tour had many elderly people or had other forestry employees or family members present but it was still fun. We walked around a Huon Pine walk and out guide pointed out all sorts of tree and plant species as well as indicated which parts of the forest were regrowth, how to determine how old the forest was and what made it a rainforest etc. We then drove through patches of forest that had been clear-cut, cut in strips, patches or selectively cut. The talk got a little technical but was still interesting and we got a sense of what the forestry's view was on protecting the forest as well as what the best methods for clearing were and how burning actually helped regenerate growth faster than other methods. It was quite educational and I went home knowing a lot more on the views (especially the political ones) that the forestry department had.
Protector of the Pines
Who he was
After the forestry part of the tour, our guide/driver took us to see Tasmania's Biggest tree before we jumped back on the bus for the ride home.
click to read
A tall tree!
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