The train that never was

During our trip to Tasmania's wild west coast just before Christmas, we had booked a full day trip on the West Coast Wilderness Railway from Strahan to Queenstown and return. Unfortunately, just 15 minutes into the journey the loco broke down and we were returned to the main station with a full refund. The staff were all really good about it. And at least we have completed half of the journey before. We'll go back one day no doubt.

So that left us with a lot of free time that day. I sat on the front verandah of the terrace cottage we were staying in with views over Macquarie Harbour and read most of Tasmanian author Heather Rose's terrific book Bruny.  Before dinner, we went to see the longest running play in Australia (25 years and still going strong), The Ship That Never Was. It didn't sound like quite my thing and we were in two minds about going, but with unexpected free time we decided to go. I'm glad we did. The cast tell the story of a group of convicts who stole a ship being built at the Sarah Island penal settlement and sailed to South America - but in a fun, entertaining and participatory kind of way. Heave-ho.

Tasmanian Writers Festival

I'm so glad I booked tickets to some sessions at this year's Tasmanian Writers and Readers Festival. On the Friday evening, I caught Ashley Hay in conversation with Tasmanian writer Danielle Wood. I'm currently halfway through her book A Hundred Small Lessons and I really enjoyed her previous book The Railwayman's Wife. It was great to catch up on her life and writing. Many years ago we were in the same creative writing class at college in Bathurst in NSW. That small class included a few other notable writers like Charlotte Wood, and I guess others who are 'just readers' like me.

I read Caroline Baum's memoir Only earlier this year after hearing her interviewed on the 'So you want to be a writer' podcast. It was a wonderful book. On the Saturday morning of the festival she was interviewed by Stella Prize winning Tasmanian author Heather Rose. I found myself recalling parts of her book, nodding along, laughing, learning a lot and the hour passed just too quickly. Following advice from Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait who host the Australian Writers' Centre podcast I mentioned earlier (one of my favourites) I also just hung about at the festival a bit, went to some networking drinks and chatted to some interesting folks over coffee in the breaks.

One small gripe - when it came to the 10 minutes allocated for Q&A with the author at the end of each session, most of the 'questions' weren't (questions that is). Instead, they went something like this: "I've just finished my memoir and my daughter..." (cue personal life story lasting several minutes). No question in sight. To her great credit, Caroline Baum managed to respond to all of them with an insight about her own writing as if an actual question had been asked. This drives me crazy at conferences too. Please respect everyone's time and ask a succinct question so that we can hear more from the person we came to hear, not you! Gripe over.

What fungus is that?

In my last post, you can see just a few of the amazing fungi to be seen in Tasmania, particularly in autumn. Then there are many others we have seen at home, such as the bizarre white jelly lettuce that grows on felled trees and logs. Well, now I can identify them, thanks to this terrific book I picked up at Fullers Bookshop in Hobart today.

The man who sold it to me mentioned that there are not many copies left and he's not sure that it will be reprinted, so if you are interested in knowing what all these amazing growing things are, get in quick. You might also like to join the Tasmanian Fungi group on Facebook.

P.S. The white jelly lettuce is tremella fuciformus. A Chinese friend tells me it is nice in soup.

Hiking in the Huon

I finally managed to pick up a copy of this lovely little book called Family Bushwalks in Tasmania's Huon Valley. I knew of it because it contains a description of a walk that can be done from our place to the Old Mill, which I stumbled across on a web site while researching our move to Franklin. The book was published 20-odd years ago now and contains a good list of walks in the area as well as basic information about bushwalking in Tasmania, photos, drawings and poems as well.

Despite several attempts, we didn't actually manage to find the Old Mill hidden up in the forestry area until a friend showed us. This was because the "New Road" described in the book was no longer in the same place - forestry roads tend to shift, appear and disappear over the years. However, this morning while out for a run in the semi-dark (daylight saving ends this weekend), I discovered that there is once again a road or forestry spur leading to the Old Mill! The overgrown, wet path lined with man ferns and young myrtle beech trees has been cleared and fresh gravel laid. I feel kind of sad, as it was a pretty section of the walk, but if the nasty gorse patch and the spot strewn with beer cans are gone, it might be a good thing.

The great south west

Yesterday we took a flight with Par Avion to Melaleuca in Tasmania's south west world heritage wilderness area, as part of my Mum's 'big-O' birthday weekend in Tasmania. As you'll see from the photos below, the weather was perfect. There were only six of us on the half day trip, which included a boat ride out onto Bathurst Harbour. The tea coloured waters produce beautiful reflections. A couple of years back I read the books about Deny King and Win and Clyde Clayton who lived in the area last century, so I was keen to see what it really looked like. The views of endless mountain ranges and spectacular peaks were even better than I had expected. I would love to go back in winter to see snow on them. David saw a couple of sun fish in the ocean off the south coast and caught a glimpse of our house from the air on the return journey. Just fabulous, highly recommend this trip.

Moving to the country

Recently I wondered when the seed of country living was planted in my brain. When did I decide that I wanted to live in a rural area, with plenty of space, fresh air, wildlife and silence?

I can trace much of it to going to college in Bathurst, a country town about three hours drive west of Sydney. Most students rented old Federation houses that are probably worth a fortune now. We spent weekends playing pool at the Perthville pub. Oh and in the library of course! I loved the space and the relaxed pace and the friendly, interesting people I met. The whole experience as a student in a country town was brilliant and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Before going to uni I also lived in a country town of around 5,000 people in Germany for just over a year, but I don't think that was the source of it. Back then I was still a dressed-in-black city chick through and through. I liked seeing bands and drinking beer in dingy pubs. Going out dancing. Cafes. Just walking along city pavements and window shopping. I still like all those things. But if it means crowds, queues and traffic I'm not keen on doing them often. Once or twice a year will do. By my early thirties I was a tragic Country Style magazine subscriber and David and I went on many driving holidays in country NSW and Victoria with one eye on potential new places to live.

I blame the rest of it on Enid Blyton. I loved many of her books as a child but The Children of Cherry Tree Farm series and Shadow the Sheepdog were among my favourites. Possibly just beaten by the Faraway Tree books, but well ahead of the Famous Five and Malory Towers. Recently my mum confessed that she read Shadow the Sheepdog before giving it to me for Christmas and shed a tear or two, and I don't blame her at all, on both fronts. It's a lovely book. Johnny and his pup adore each other and have all sorts of adventures and misadventures.

The Children of Cherry Tree Farm escaped dreary London (where they were all pale and sickly) to stay with their aunt and uncle in the country for the holidays. They fed lambs, got chased by a bull, drank fresh creamy milk and went to market in the pony-trap. A strange old woodsman called Tammylan befriended them and taught them about the plants and animals.They saw squirrels, weasels, badgers, hedgehogs, deer, moles and foxes in the woods. Then, their dream came true: their parents decided to move to a farm of their own, and they became The Children of Willow Tree Farm. They churned butter, fed buttermilk to the piglets, gathered sheaves of corn, fed the hens and collected the eggs. I dreamed of doing the same.

Instead of those quaint-sounding British animals, here we have pademelons, possums, bettongs, wombats, quolls and echindas. There are screeching black cockatoos, tiny fairy wrens and soaring wedge-tailed eagles. We are definitely not farmers, but we're having little adventures of our own and love our new life. Just like those kids on Willow Tree Farm.

Tassie books

Over the past couple of years I've been slowly reading my way through a small pile of books about Tasmania or written by Tasmanian authors, in the hope of understanding my new home better. I've only just scratched the surface really, but the latest I've read are:

• A Story of Seven Summers - a new book by Hilary Burden. I love this type of book - you know, those city-girl-swaps-high-heels-for-gumboots-and-dirt tales. I read recently that it is referred to as "chook lit". No wonder I like it. I saw it advertised in Country Style magazine and picked it up at the launch of the Gourmet Farmer Deli Book at Fullers Bookshop in Hobart. Fitting, really. I was especially interested I guess because we very nearly bought a house in Lalla not far from where Hilary bought her 'Nun's House' in Tasmania, and right next to the 'Pear Walk' described in her book, before ending up in the Huon Valley more than two years ago.
• King of the Wilderness by Christobel Mattingley, a book about Deny King who lived much of his life in Tasmania's remote south west. I was most interested in his early life in the Huon and Weld areas not far from where we live. The area also featured in the book Win and Clyde by Janet Fenton (Deny King's daughter) about Deny's sister and brother-in-law. A friend in our social walking group has told me of meeting Deny King and his tale is consistent with those in the book.

One of my favourites so far has been In Tasmania by Nicholas Shakespeare. I love how he tells pieces of Tasmanian history through his own journey to discover his past in Tasmania. Plus the two elderly sisters he meets living in Tasmania's north west are such brilliant, memorable characters. I learnt quite a lot about Tasmania's history through it. And more about the Hobart psyche in In Search of Hobart by Peter Timms. The Sound of One Hand Clapping by Richard Flanagan is not the most cheery book, it must be said, but a good read regardless. Aside from the novels and history books, I've enjoyed Matthew Evans' cookbooks, especially Winter on the Farm (have cooked many things from it already) and the reference books on Tasmanian birds, mammals, flowers and plants.

Where to buy Tassie books: well, anywhere really, but they have a great selection at Fullers in Collins Street,   The Hobart Book Shop on Salamanca Square (I met the owners' son in Sydney this week) and of course at Just Tassie Books in Elizabeth Street (they also sell at Salamanca Market on Saturdays). The shop at Hobart Airport usually has a good selection as well.

What's your favourite Tassie book?