Plenty of projects have kept us busy on the property in Howden in the lead up to the festive season. The small rainwater tank was considered an eyesore at sun-downer time. George undertook to move it onto the lower terrace and create a shield with recycled planks from the old fence. Amanda felt the screen required a mural - Her wish, George’s command.
Artist in residence at work!
Rolling stones gather no moss? Lea targeted the weeds in our van ‘park’ after clearing the entire driveway to ensure all was ship-shape for Christmas.
It wasn’t all work and no play. Dinner and the film ‘The Boat that Rocked’ at John Daly’s apartment overlooking the Hobart Yacht Club began a series of cinematic pleasure. We met up with John at the State Theatre another evening to see ‘Paris at Midnight’ and we two almost had a fit on arrival to find this was a romantic comedy by Woody Allan- not our kind of film at all. However it redeemed itself with beautiful photography of Paris. We were back at the theatre the very next day to see ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’. Having read Lionel Shriver’s best selling and confronting book we couldn’t wait to see how it had been translated onto celluloid. We found Tilda Swinton as the mother superb as were the actors playing the parts of Kevin as he grew up. It certainly helps to have read the book before seeing this film.
The interest derived from Alison’s camera traps was mentioned in passing last month while we were on Maria Island yet we didn’t mention how satisfying it is for George and Alison to set the two up around the property at night and discover what activities take place while we sleep by Australian’s mostly nocturnal creatures. As this property adjoins the Peter Merrill Nature Reserve, Alison and Amanda went to the trouble of having it registered as Land for Wildlife after their two huskies died. It is wonderful to see the Paddymelons, Potoroos, native hens and other birdlife frequent the garden or hurtle through the bush on the hillside and we’ve caught sightings of possums and bandicoots. However, the cameras have revealed so much more about their relative abundance. We found ourselves wondering why we were not seeing an up and coming young generation – no chicks with our pair of Native hens! To our dismay the cameras revealed three cats prowling our territory. Predation by cats and foxes is a major cause of decline in Australia’s fauna and owners of cats are expected to keep their pets locked up at night. Worse, Lea found the remnants of a half eaten baby bandicoot while weeding. George reckoned only a cat would have chewed the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, a threatened species, in this manner. We were all most distressed and steps were taken to try and rid the property of these feline visitors. A cage trap was borrowed and George – with his history of cat conflicts delightedly baited the trap and set the camera to record the capture. Four in the morning, we awoke to the mobile advising George of the first trespasser’s detainment. In the cold and wet George nearly fell down the steps as he carted the cage with the particularly large, frightened cat leaping around inside to the dry garage to await a more respectable hour for a Sunday. Later, Amanda and George drove the cat far afield to the SPCA only to find they weren’t prepared to take strays and directed them to the Hobart Cat Centre. Here, George and Amanda were amazed to find ‘Fat Cat’ as he became known, was no feral. This tabby had a micro-chip and was received royally by the very well run centre. Afterwards, in viewing the series of video clips leading to Fat Cat’s incarceration pop-song quotes were inspired to match the frames!
Another cat, seen nervously skulking around for months led to the A’s distributing a neighbourhood drop containing a mug-shot of the cat – no owner came forward and we felt certain it was homeless. Night two, it was captured shortly after we’d all retired to bed. George and Lea followed procedure and took ‘Fluffy’ to the Cat Centre at opening time, Monday morning. The “Trapper” was recognised and we were told that on collection the loving owners of Fat Cat had been warned to keep it in at night! Fluffy wasn’t micro-chipped and we could only hope it would be given a good home on that far side of the city.
Night three, four possums curiously inspected the cage at different times of the night. The first inadvertently tripped the door while clambering across the top of the cage and foiled ‘Fat Cat’ capture for a second time. Sporting a new collar with disc – probably a phone number, the hour of four in the morning obviously his routine hunting hour! Unwilling to set a food precedent for the possums we refrained from setting the cage trap the following night only to find the camera failed to record the noisy antics of visitors as the batteries were worn out!
13th December, Amanda and Alison presented us with tickets to Wrest Point Entertainment Centre for the show Reach out: a Journey through Motown with the Las Vegas super group Spectrum that came together in 1995 to recreate the style and sounds of Motown. The two of us enjoyed a Bistro supper in the Casino Hotel overlooking the waterways of Hobart before attending this lively show with foot-tapping memories of the 50’s and 60’s Motown music – we had a ball amongst all the other wrinklies of our era. How lucky are we to have enjoyed two live shows at this venue.
We spent a lovely afternoon meeting Ray and Carolyn Hayes nee Howman in their home close to the Tasman Bridge.
Carolyn’s brother Peter (Canberra) and their mother, Muriel (Brisbane) are the ones we have met up with over on the mainland. All are descendants of the Australian Howman Pioneers of 1860.
At our end of the table celebrating the arrival of Shell and Keith to Tasmania for the first time.
The dorsal fin of an Orca was spotted on the edge of Blackman’s Bay as we completed dinner and we dashed up to Blow Hole Lookout hoping for another sighting of the whale and made do with a photo call!
The ladies sport their Christmas hats - Shell, Lea, Amanda, Alison and Lorraine Mander, the owner of the wonderful array of hats adding class to the festivities.
Christmas at Olearia! Left: Shell, Graham Mander, Lea, Amanda, John Daly, Lorraine Mander, George, Keith and Alison.
On a Boxing Day evening walk a Rhodesian generation of Aussies gathered. Lining up – Alison, Lea, Shell, Amanda, Leecy plus George’s shadow while Keith and Chris are True Blues!
In the lead up to Christmas, George drew attention to marks being left by some animal digging shallow inclined holes on the lawn, in each case next to a dandelion plant locking the scientists amongst us in furious debate over whether the culprit was a bandicoot, a potoroo or even a rabbit! Alison, a boffin with local knowledge, favoured the idea of it being a potoroo while George, the ever sceptical ecologist, was certain it was a bandicoot as both species had been caught on camera foraging in the area. Entertaining arguments progressed over red wine and cider, steadily drawing in the family and visitors which included a Professor of Zoology, Peter Jarman. Sides were taken according to fancy, over digging and feeding behaviours with evidence placed before all drawn from camera shots and reference books. What became known as “the dandelion trials” commenced in earnest after our two scientists were sighted shaking hands on a large packet of crisps as they wagered the outcome. The camera traps were set out at different angles and locations in the newly named Potoroo Paddock. No! Bandy’s Beat... Night after night, the uprooted dandelion plants used as bait produced inconclusive results, not to mention all sorts of excuses. Was the PROOF in the eating or the digging? Eventually a Potoroo was observed on camera to masticate above the bait position! George conceded defeat. Good for ALISON!
Alison, the potoroo advocate, positioning the camera traps during the now infamous “dandelion trials”.
Our Bush Poet brother-in-law Keith Bell was inspired to relate the tale in rhyme capturing the essence of this Howden estate!
The arrival is nothing; the journey is all – even on CTV
By Keith Bell
It’s layered and tiered the understorey
Down the slope beneath the trees
Where the Stringy Barks stretch skywards
With the bracken at their knees.
The Banjo Frog, in the next door dam,
Is strumming his single note;
And a Butcherbird chorals exuberance
From deep within his throat.
When daylight wanes and night
Brings down its soft grey fading net
George and Alison go about
For their cameras must be set.
The proof they need of Potty or Bandi
Is almost there to see.
What digs and eats dandelion roots
In the weeds beneath the tree?
Another dawn and the mountains develop
Like negatives in the trough
So do Potty, Paddy. Bunny and Bandy
As images in the rough.
Which dug the holes? Which ate the roots?
Comes claim and counter-claim.
But evidence lacks and so
‘Twill be a never-ending game!
George and Alison were delighted to left in the peace to complete some of the many insatiable requests she keeps listing around the property while Amanda and Lea played tourist guide leading the cars to MONA. Tasmania’s MONA is on the world map generating tremendous interest far and wide that our planned day at the Gallery had us turn about tail at the shocking spectacle of tightly packed car parks and an unbelievable queue at the entrance. We took in other scenic attractions around Hobart before a phone call sent Chris flying back to his mother’s hospital bedside in Sydney. Despite the poor prognosis his 87 year old mother rallied and twenty four hours later he was back. Chris had crewed for the Boxing Day Sydney to Hobart Yacht race in 1997 and he missed out on the thrilling end to a 2011 finish.
All eyes on the neck and neck race between Maxies - Wild Oats and Investec Loyal as they race down the Derwent Estuary on the last leg of the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race...
The sisters couldn’t face being so near and yet so far to such a closely run race that Alison dashed the three of us through to Battery Point just in time to witness the high excitement of Investec ‘Loyal’ approaching the finishing line with a huge zebra head emblazoned across its sail- how appropriate was that, as it beat five time winner Wild Oats by mere minutes. Two moments of unexpected consternation arose from sounds at close quarters, that of a canon boom heralding the winner and shortly after, the dregs within a bottle of sparkling wine blew its top in the close confines of the car. High on hilarity and adrenalin we passed John Daly’s apartment and stopped by for a wee toast/ quick dop!
George had discovered an oil leak on the rear axle of Skiv and booked our vehicle in to have the seals replaced in the Christmas week, during the course of which we discovered the cylinder head gasket was problematic and another two day booking had to be made to remedy this on the first working day of the New Year.
The four Howman gals – Lea, Alison, Leecy and Shell enjoy a perfect day at The TASTE Festival – Hobart’s Waterfront celebration of food and wine from around the island.
Alison snaps the three sisters down at Constitution Dock after the presentation of Line Honours to Investec Loyal - delayed as a result of a protest accusing a crew member of ‘seeking assistance’ from a helicopter, sullying the pleasure of this wonderful race while an inquiry took place.
As we prepare to celebrate the last night of the year, us Rond-lopers, as our friend Eggy Boggs calls us, close our 2011 Blog.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
