“Here’s a truck stop instead of St. Peter’s Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah”, I have to admit that I don’t have a clue what that means. I am often confused by lyrics, and especially some of those REM lyrics from the early 90s. This particular lyric could easily have applied to my overnight stay at St.…
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WEST COAST WILDERNESS RAILWAY PART THREE – SEARCHING FOR GOLD AT LYNCHFORD The journey from Queenstown to Lynchford is probably around 12 kilometres. The magic had already begun as soon as we left Queenstown. We were travelling on a track through the middle of nowhere. A work of engineering genius, which had taken years…
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I had only 40 minutes in Queenstown, and although it was small, I quickly looked at what I wanted to see. In the end, just walking round the town for 30 minutes was enough time to “see” it all, if not experience an overnight stay in this quite remarkable little enclave. I…
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I have always enjoyed railways and train journeys. As a kid it was spotting the different stations on the Bangor – Belfast train line. My home country of Northern Ireland is hardly blessed with a lot of train lines. I grew up about 5 miles from the nearest station, and my birthtown of Newtownards…
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Launceston, or “Lonny” (maybe even “Launy”) as it’s known to the locals is actually Tasmania’s second biggest city. I’ve spent a bit of time there in my four months in Tasmania this far. I worked nearby at a few different farms in Cressy, Poatina, Longford and Bishopsbourne. I’ve grown to like Launceston. It’s a nice…
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Depending on your knowledge in life, Sassafras is either a type of tree, a type of tea, a type of soap or a village in Northern Tasmania. So where does that leave East Sassafras? And why? About 20 kilometres outside Devonport is where it leaves it. Broccoli farming being the reason why. So East Sassafras…
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It was a question by my co-worker Cameron after another long long tough day on a broccoli field at Wesley Vale, just over 3 months ago during my farming work in Tasmania. “Bottle-O” in case you’re wondering, is a brand name for off licences here in Tasmania, as is the “Thirsty Camel.” The Australians call…
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Rosebery (spelt correctly) is one of the “towns” in the Western Wilderness of Tasmania. I passed through it twice, stopping only on the way back. At dusk. for petrol. Its situated in the middle of wilderness. Towns like this have true rural charm. The industry in and around the area will be mining. It…
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The pun was obvious and was always going to accompany my visit to Stanley. What is the Nut and what is Stanley? It ain’t a cashew or a character from Laurel and Hardy that’s for sure. It is a town on the north west coast of Tasmania. I live in Devonport at the moment, and…
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This is a live blog post. I don’t do many, but a lot has happened recently and right now I am relaxing in a very nice cafe! So I have time! I have my laptop plugged in, my wireless internet on, and a cup of the Earl Grey tea by my side. It is “Cafe…
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