Project X part II

After listening to ravens roosting in the darkening southern forests with Hrafn: Conversations with Odin (season now extended into October), the next installment of Project X has arrived in the Huon Valley. The Aftermath Dislocation Principle is an artwork in the form of a 40-foot shipping container with eye holes cut into it, providing a glimpse of a town landscape in miniature. I won't describe it further, just get on down to Geeveston any time between now and November and peer inside. While you are there, why not take a look around the town and eat at one of the lovely establishments like the Old Bank of Geeveston, Baker & Co patisserie or The Bears Went Over the Mountain. Or stop in our wonderful village of Franklin on the way home, at Cinnamon and Cherry (now re-opened Friday to Sunday for the warmer months), Aqua Grill or Frank's Cider Bar and Cafe. Seriously, it's been a tougher winter period than usual this year for many local businesses since the bushfires in the region and you'll be made very welcome if you come down and stay!

Ravens

"So what are you up to on the weekend?" my work colleague asked me on Friday afternoon.

"Well, on Sunday afternoon we're going to drive about an hour south of us to Hastings Caves, where we'll get on a bus to take us deep into the southern forests at dusk, to listen to the sound of ravens coming in to roost for the night, then get back on the bus and come home again."

I realise how odd that sounds, unless you've been to anything that's part of the Dark Mofo festival before perhaps. This particular event is called Hrafn: Conversations with Odin, a sound installation by renowned sound artist Chris Watson whose works have been heard around the world and who has previously worked with Sir David Attenborough.

The installation is part of the $2 million Project X, designed to bring visitors to the Huon Valley to aid in recovery after the devastating bushfires early this year. The fires damaged much of the Tahune Airwalk, one of the region's main tourist attractions, and it's not expected to reopen until late 2019. The project has copped criticism, as it was always going to. But good things always do, and same old, same old isn't going to bring people here, when everyone loves the new and different. Hrafn is on from Thursday to Sunday next week as well, read more and get your tickets here.

Dinner at one of the Huon Valley's restaurants and cafes is part of the Hrafn experience. Last night we enjoyed a delicious meal of beef curry (David) and seafood chowder (me) sitting by the wood fire at The Bears Went Over The Mountain (or The Bears for short). We actually hadn't been in there since a stop for Devonshire tea during a holiday in Tasmania more than 10 years ago. It's been renovated to a larger, light and bright space with yummy scones and plenty more on offer. The Bears is licensed with a nice range of Tasmanian ciders, wines and soft drinks. Now we know, we'll go back for sure.

Sculpture Trail at Birchs Bay Art Farm

An art farm? Now that's a good idea. Art Farm Birchs Bay is on a property growing native pepperberries and a variety of flowers. It is also home to 12 permanent sculptures dotted around the hillside above Birchs Bay. Until mid-July, there's an exhibition of 17 additional works along the trail, which takes around 45 minutes to walk. There were many clever, beautiful and fun pieces. My photos really don't do it justice, so check out their gallery for more. There's a cafe on site if you need refreshments.

We took advantage of yesterday's perfect, sunny winter weather to visit the art farm. On the way we visited the Woodbridge Market (including a coffee across the road at the general store) and a stop at the Margate Train on the way home, where we ate Turkish Gozleme in the sun and picked up some Tassie pilsener from the Devils Brewery cellar door. What a lovely start to a long weekend.

Diversification

Many people in Tasmania do lots of different things to make a quid. Take local Huon Valley ceramic artist and farmer of saffron, olives and lavender Lisa Britzman for example. Her business Campo de Flori (field of flowers) had an open weekend for Christmas so we took the opportunity to visit her cute Glen Huon studio yesterday. I wanted to add a few of her ceramic Christmas decorations to the tree David made from sticks this year. Aren't they beautiful? I was left amazed at what she and partner David have achieved on their land. Diversified income streams are a necessity for many and a dream for some, especially in rural areas where full time jobs are few and revenue from one line of business not enough to live on. It's great to see this talented lady making a go of it.

MONA FOMA 2013

 

We've made the trip to Hobart almost every evening for the past week to go to the Museum of Old and New Art's annual Festival of Music and Art (MONA FOMA or MOFO as it's known). It's the first time we've been and I have to say it was great entertainment and well worth the lack of sleep. From fantastic acts we wouldn't normally get to see  that even started on time, right down to providing good food and drinks and enough space, seating (including the famous pink beanbags) and toilets... the MONA guys really know how to do events, with a bonus sense of humour. The highlights for me were:

• Hearing my number one all time favourite song This Must Be The Place performed by David Byrne and St. Vincent
• British author Neil Gaiman reading poems and stories (and singing the odd song or two) accompanied by a string quartet and guitar by the composer Jherek Bischoff  in Hobart's beautiful Theatre Royal
• The quirky and fun Chicks on Speed 

We saw Tasmanian 80s-style synth band All Fires, Aussie blokes Graveyard Train, an 'icon of the golden era of Ethiopian music', Mahmoud Ahmed and a couple of things my ears could have done without. All round great fun. And we're going back tonight for the MONA benefit gig for the Red Cross Tasmanian bush fire appeal, which will feature some of the same performers plus two of my favourites, the Hoodoo Gurus and Kate Miller-Heidke. Brilliant.

Lady Franklin Gallery

There's been a bit of publicity in Tasmania recently about a fight to 'save Ancanthe'. This unusual building styled after a Greek temple was commissioned by Lady Jane Franklin, wife of then Governor Sir John Franklin and after whom our little town is named. It opened in 1843 and originally housed Tasmania's first museum. Lady Jane also left 400 acres in trust as a botanical park. The building has been leased to the Art Society of Tasmania since 1948.

I drove past it on the way to a walk on some Mount Wellington tracks and saw on the sign that it would be open later that afternoon, so I stopped to peek inside on the way back. When I visited, there was one exhibition in place and another being constructed by a Art Society volunteers. It is in a very picturesque setting, nestled in peaceful Lenah Valley underneath Mount Wellington. However the site has been threatened by a planned housing subdivision behind the gallery and negotiations are ongoing. For more information, visit the Saving Ancanthe action group's Facebook page.