June in Lewisham

June 2008
First day of winter and what a beautiful day! Not cold, no rain and gorgeous sunshine. Life’s good!
A few things are starting to happen here.
I usually go walking on Tuesdays with The Dodge ferry Strollers, a group of 3 ladies, and we walked about 5 kms in 2 hours! The other 2 ladies were much older than me. It was interesting to get some local information, and to be shown some local laneways. They walk from the “shopping centre” any direction that takes their fancy! (Dodges Ferry is 3 kms south of Lewisham and has a few more shops – not hard as there is only one in Lewisham!) Sorell , the nearest major town, is about 12 kms north-west.
Stu and I have been to Hobart (30 kms) a few times- Stu to chiropractor- his back is now much better. He is now allowed to ride his bike again. I jumped some hurdles to get registered as a teacher here in Tasmania. So the next new thing was me teaching Grade 4/5 at Sorell PS as a relief teacher. The kids tried all the usual misbehaviour for the “new” teacher. I coped. It is the school’s general policy that the relief teacher “can do what they like”. That’s OK as I am not a beginner but it puts you behind the 8ball as everything is so different and some kids don’t cope with change very well. Eg – Maths lesson: If I knew they were learning fractions I’d do some work on that but I did my usual game – times- table bingo. Learning times -tables is always necessary. I get them excited about all the patterns of the 9X tables.
One day when we drove to Hobart for Stu’s chiropractic check up we then went bike riding exploring the suburbs south of Hobart along the coast, past Wrest Point casino, just past Sandy Bay to the southern ferry jetty because the cliffs start going up and houses “thin out”. There was no set bike trail but along coastal roads. Next time we will ride north of Hobart along the Derwent River.

We have started taking the dogs in the back of the car, tied up of course, to a new place on the coast to walk. One Friday we walked around Spectacle Point, about 6 kms south from here. The views are fabulous. Next walk was Carlton Beach, a 4km long south facing surf beach. (Lewisham is by a protected tidal inlet.) By using this way of exercising the dogs we can expand our exploration of Tasmania! Lots of water and hilly points and bays.

One Saturday we had an adventure. On the biketas website we discovered a bike ride on north Bruny Island. We had to drive to Kettering south of Hobart (50kms by road) to catch the car ferry across. It cost $3 per bike and pedestrians were free. There were 7 in the group and we did a circular route on mostly unsealed roads, totalling 45 kms. It was hilly and I was the slowest of the group going up the hills. It was all good fun – great views, scenic roads, good company. I would have liked to go slower and stop for some photos. As it was we missed the 3:15 ferry by 10 minutes and we all got cold waiting for the next one at 4:30. It is getting cold and is dusk by then. The dogs got a walk in the dark when we got home. Bruny Island is a “must visit again for longer time/place.”
We want to do more bike riding but “Bike Tas” is only a foundling organization compared with “Bike Vic”. There are no paid leaders, no administrative headquarters , and no maps of trails. We are concerned that not all drivers are “bike aware”. The road from Lewisham to Sorell (12kms) is hilly and hair-raising. There is a miniscule shoulder between the white line and the dirt. The dirt edge is often quite a bit lower and so a sharp drop; there are rumble white lines on most of the road, which makes for an uncomfortable ride, and there are a few places where the edge of the bitumen is broken and in need of repair. Not a bicycle beginner’s trip!
We need to go to Sorell often to use the internet at the library!

Stu has found a road biking group that rides every Wednesday morning from Richmond. Stu had to drive over there and they did a 60km ride. He loved it. They did a few hills and he admitted he was off the pace a bit. Because he hasn’t been training with anyone he has not been pushed lately. Of course he has been riding the mistress on a 30km local circuit that he has worked out but he does it alone, as I can’t and won’t ride so fast. He is looking for a riding buddy.

Every Sunday we go to “Doggy school”. We decided we needed help in handling the dogs and beginners class started today over at Bellerive. We registered for $25 and will pay $2 every Sunday. It was a worthwhile hour’s tuition.. Stu has got Sam, the fox terrier to sit, but not stay sitting! Bailey, the golden retriever, does better but is easily distracted. He pulls so hard on the lead. After class we walk somewhere on that Bellerive Peninsula and have a picnic lunch. Every man and his dog are out enjoying the sunshine with their dogs. Sam and Bailey are held firmly on their leads.
Sam always snarls at other dogs while Bailey just wants to play. Doggy school is worthwhile. The dogs rarely jump all over us now. And they CAN “sit” when told to.

Hobart is famous for the Saturday Salamanca Markets and so on Saturday we experienced them! Basically they are all portable 3 sided “tent alcoves” set up every Saturday on a street not far from the docks, in the hub of the city. Almost every stall sold quality locally made goods. It was not “trashy” like Vic Markets. The atmosphere was exciting – lots of colour, crowded with all sorts of people (sorry not everyone – mostly white Caucasian – very few markedly different cultures –not at all like Melbourne!) buskers – young and old, and family groups.
I wandered slowly down one side and back down the other just absorbing it all. I bought 2 items – some fruit leathers – there were so many combinations of fruit to choose from. I chose blackcurrant and pear, blackberry and mango, and apple and blueberry. Fruit leathers are puree spread thinly on a flat dish and dried. They are excellent for bushwalking snacks. The other thing I bought was sheep’s cheese.

One day we drove to Richmond, a very old settlement that has retained its heritage buildings. The oldest bridge, oldest school, etc. We spent over an hour in the old gaol. It was fascinating, heart wrenching and educational. One prisoner got 25 lashes, 30 days solitary confinement and forced to work on the road gang (chained of course) because he was DRUNK IN CHURCH! It is all very well for the toffs to demand “standards “ but what hope did the poor mongrels have? They had so little chance to improve themselves. I reckon the prison system hardened the imprisoned!


We found a Thursday bushwalking club based on the Tasman Peninsula. We had to drive along way passed Nubeena and started at White Beach and headed west around the coast to a point where Wedge Island was only one km away, then south a bit along exposed low cliffs. We had lunch in a small protected little cove, then headed back across a sheep farm (owners known) to return on a public road back to White Beach. We reckon about 9kms. Stu came too and we both realized that we’d never have found this track ourselves. Local knowledge sure helps. Rain threatened but it has forgotten how to rain down this way! I took some photos but unfortunately the sun was not shining.

The following Thursday -Wow! We explored a new area, which was accessed through private property; again local knowledge required! Hellfire’s Bluff was due east from here on the coast and the end point was looking straight across at the southern end of Maria Island. The Bluff was very high shoreline cliffs and it was like looking down from a helicopter. The walk was tough going up along a ridge and down, and then further up and down, and then further up again. The final trig point at the top was very high above sea level. Pretty hard on the old knees coming down! Magnificent views, good weather and good company. I have some lovely photos. Stu enjoyed it too! We would never have found this place by ourselves.


This Thursday’s walk was called “Mt Wellington”. It DID rain overnight and threatened rain during the day. AND it was cold and windy. So we drove over to Hobart and meandered up the suburb of Lenah Valley on the northern side of Mt Wellington, parked the car and set off up the hill IN THE RAIN. We did discuss the option of spending the day in a picture theatre! Were we crazy? The rain DID stop as we walked up along beautiful bush tracks up, up and up mostly following contours. We got to a “hut” about half way up the mountain and it began to snow. It was cold but Oh so beautiful like icing sugar just dusting the vegetation. The snow melted as it touched the ground. Yes it was soggy underfoot. We went down a different track but first did a small track to see a “habitable” cave; it was a big over-hang and some-one has built a rock dry stone-wall. There was a fireplace and dry wood too. We were cold so we pushed on downhill. What a great walk, where again Stu and I thought we would never have had the courage to go in the wintry weather, follow the correct tracks, or to find the cave. Apparently there was no intention to even try to get to the top. It would have been too far – let alone the ‘bad” weather. The cup of coffee and sticky bun down in a Hobart cafe was most welcoming!
The day weather has been mostly glorious – sunny and almost no wind. Not much rain! We saw gardeners watering their gardens – this is mid June in Tasmania! Bellerive peninsula has reticulated water from the upper Derwent valley. If we don’t get rain soon we will have to buy a tanker load of water to fill the rainwater tanks. We save all gray water for the garden.

We usually have cold nights – but we are snug and warm in the house, with cool sunny days, and little wind. The temperature is usually between 4 night and 14 day. However we have had 2 bad frosts that have damaged one type of fleshy plant in the garden.
One day we prepared the dormant veggie patch here. We put a cocky wire fence around it with a “cocky gate.” All the equipment was found here. The dogs have not tried to jump the fence. I hate the thought of male dogs and a veggie garden. We’ll leave it until late July to plant anything. Apparently frosts are rarer then.
I’ve started another gardening project here. Thelma has placed a bird bath on the corner of the “lawn” in the front garden. I have extended the rock border in an attractive curve and am planting some bird attracting plants like prostrate grevilleas and grasses. One Sunday morning before doggy school we went to Sorell markets and I bought some plants but A) I need more and B) I want to spend more time at these markets to look around with some more time. I am putting newspaper on the “lawn grass” and now I want some mulch. The council does not shred green waste and sell it back to residents like they do in Victoria. I’m looking for a tree- lopper to deliver some!
I like gardening!
I’ve had another adventure the last Monday. Some-one (Don) answered my notice in the local store about being a kayak buddy. We went out this afternoon from Lewisham boat ramp to Spider Island over near Sorell. The water was still and the sun shining. Distances are deceptive on the water but I guess it was 4kms. We paddled to, and then around the island. We saw a seal sunbaking, and a sea eagle high in a tree. The island is about half the size of Granite Island (SA). We didn’t “land” but could have. On the northern end were hundreds of “wild” oysters just there to be collected!!! The water was clear and fairly shallow most of the way. THE channel was deep and it was tougher returning as the tide was against us. (Stu went road biking instead!)
I’ve found a conservation group and have started to help Saturday morning activities such as weeding the local small suburban block size reserve! The task I was given was weeding mostly freesias, which is a shame because I like their smell. However wrong plant in the wrong place! Stu came along too and it was good to have some strong muscles.

Busy again this Saturday. I went to the local reserve to continue weeding freesias– so I thought, but the lady who is organizing it got some new plants and so planting them became the priority. The weather was glorious –warm and sunny and as we had rain on Thursday the soil was easy to work but the depth of wet soil was very shallow. We planted some bushy purple flowering virgilias (?), casuarinas (coastal sheoak), a low bush (?) and some grass. There is no written plan but it is evolving. I had some say in some placement. Unfortunately there is no real group – this is a subgroup of “Southern Landcare”, who has an organized activity – every first Saturday of every month. Next Saturday it is a planting at Jack’s Flat, about 2kms from here. I can’t help because we are doing a weekend 4wheeldrive course!

While I was weeding Stu did the housework i.e. washing sheets, dusting and vacuuming. I reckon it was affair deal. He hates gardening and I’m sick of housework! In the afternoon he wanted to watch a road-bike race on the southern Bellerive Peninsula. Fine by me, but I’d rather explore and walk the dogs, which I did! I found Cremorne on the east coast. I just found a beautiful beach and I had to turn back. When I met Stu we went back there together and did a short walk and a “dog lesson”. Dog lessons are different from walks! Our day was made perfect when a man went past and said “They’re good dogs!” Perhaps we really are taking more than one step forward with them!

And today at doggy school the dogs were pretty good too! Afterwards we went way south to the southern facing end of the Bellerive peninsula near Betsy Island. From the look-out at the start we saw cavorting dolphins. We meandered down coastal bush to walk along Hope Beach, which was a beautiful sandy beach with many, many shells of all different types and sizes. And many long legged prickly starfish were washed up too; a bit like octopus- but flat. We were particularly fascinated by lots of washed up “sausages” – some were still alive and writhing: I have taken a photo to ask at the museum. Fabulous weather, fabulous scenes = perfect day.
We still had time for outdoor activities when we got home so Stu went for a bike ride on the mistress, while I pruned the roses and planted 2 fence climbing purple hardenbergias (?).

In Tasmania we are continuing our interests in bike–riding, bushwalking, gardening, kayaking, meeting new people and exploring new places. And of course appreciating having dogs as loving pets.