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!
Sounds like pretty good events that you attended. Nice to have free events that are fun as well.
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