A Little Bit of Tasmania - 2016

A few months ago my husband and I went on a driving holiday for 17 days around Tasmania. We hired a small 4x4 and drove around Tasmania which is an isolated island state off the south coast of mainland Australia.

Reflecting on those 17 days, I'm left with a longing to return. In fact if it wasn't for all my commitments and responsibilities here in Queensland I would move there in a heart beat. It's rugged wilderness & natural beauty is soul restoring.  We explored so many beautiful little townships, walked on so many beautiful beaches, walked through historical buildings and homes and felt the stories within the walls. These old townships just felt like time had stopped still for them hundreds of years ago. Their heritage has been so well preserved, if it wasn't for the bitumen roads, the modern cars lining the street and people wearing modern day clothes, one would have thought they'd traveled through time.

Tasmania is magical. The wildlife is abundant and the landscape so diverse, it's hard to believe it all fits on this one little island. 

I love Tasmania!!

Here are only some of the thousands of photos that I took on our exploration. 

 Just someones driveway in the town of Hadspen

 Coles Bay

 Beerbarrel Beach

Historial Ross Sandstone Bridge -  was constructed by convict labour in 1836 and is the 3rd oldest bridge still in use in Australia. That be me standing in the middle of the bridge. 

 This is Mersey Bluff Lighthouse - located near Devonport and constructed in 1889

 This is one of Australias very unique little animals the Echidna, otherwise known as a spiky anteater. He was just wondering by the roadside getting unsettlingly too close to the roads edge. We stopped the car and encouraged the cute little fella back into the bushland. He was so cute.

 This place was breathtaking. This is Cradle Mountain, located in the Central Highlands of Tasmania. Despite being unwell when visiting here I was determined to walk the Dove Lake Circuit and I'm so glad that I did. It was a 6km walk around the lake, beneath the towering spires of Cradle Mountain. It was a magical experience . This photo was taken at the northwestern shores of the Dove Lake. This  is simply called 'The Boatshed' and it is one of the most photographed boatsheds in Australia, maybe even the world. It's so easy to see why. The Boatshed was built in 1940 by the first ranger of Cradle Mountain, Lionell Connel. The view was so breathtaking that my husband and I sat here for the longest time and whiled away the next couple of hours just staring at the beauty around us until the cold and damp chased us back to our log cabin.

 This beautiful image was taken from Highfields looking toward "The Nut" at the beautiful sea-side fishing town of Stanley. Wow, this place really touched my heart... it was truly gorgeous and i want to return. It was so peaceful and it's heritage so perfectly preserved that it was easy to feel as though I'd walked back in time and part of me really wanted that to be real!! Wow, just wow!!

It's easy to see how film producers chose this location for the filming of 

"The Light Between Two Oceans" 

 This is the jetty at Strahan at sunset... Strahan is a small coastal town on the West Coast of Tasmania. this was unexpectedly probably one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen.

Strahan at sunset

Russell Falls

 Bay Of Fires

 Bridstowe Lavander Farm - our visit was 3 months too early to see the lavender in bloom but it was a beautiful place to visit anyway. It also gives us an excuse to return.

 St Columba Falls Reserve... truly breathtaking.

Earth Angel .... "Thank You"

Maturity and hindsight are wondrous things. The passage of time and the gift of reflective thought shine a clarity on events that when in the midst of events are not always so clear. As I approach the 1/2 century mark of my life (in a few more years :-) ) I chase the years of my life and ponder where my life has taken me. I think about the people I've met along the way and ponder on how meeting some of these people has been a life affirming experience for me and in some instances surprisingly so.

Just like so many of us, life has challenged me in many ways. I've always been proactive in my approach to try and solve problems, issues or events. Sometimes the solutions are elusive in nature. Still... no matter how elusive they prove to be, I can't give up, particularly when the lives of others would be the casualty of such an option.

Some of these 'earth angels' will know who they are and what they mean to me but others because of professional or situational reasons probably will never know. Some I've known all my life or at least for a good portion of my adult life and others I've met serendipitously.

One of these people in particular has helped me in very personal way... unwittingly arming me with insight and knowledge that has served me well in an area of my life that I've been searching for answers for... for years. His knowledge, his professionalism, his compassion, his fortitude, creativity and kindness I shall forever be grateful for. Sadly, at least at this point in my life, I can't express this gratitude but someday... given the time is right I will.

Hello Dotty :-)

I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our family.... Dotty the Rainbow Lorikeet.

About 7 weeks ago my husband was on his way to work, in peak hour traffic and noticed this little poppet hopping all about trying to avoid being hit by cars. My husband could see she wasn't able to fly and that she was in big, big trouble if he didn't do something. So, he stopped to save her. He put her in box, took her to work for the day and then brought her home to me in the afternoon. She was full of lice and wasn't able to feed herself. So we bought special feed and lice spray. We fed her by hand, bathed her and deloused her. We've handled her everyday to get her used to being handled and taught her how to use her beak to eat fruit etc. She still can't fly due to not having developed flight feathers but she is happy and well. She loves to play and is slowly learning to talk. We take her outside everyday to play in a small potted native Grevillia tree we have in the backyard. She absolutely loves the nectar in the flowers. I never knew I could love a bird so much. She has so much personality and makes me smile & laugh at her antics. She's dotty by name and dotty by nature.

Everyday Magic :-)

Some moments in life are visceral and positively affect life. They reveal themselves unexpectedly and their effects are sensed and welcomed as a timely reprieve. It's moments like these that strengthen my belief that there must be higher power at work.
Just like this quote, I believe that an everyday sort of magic exists. I just think that sometimes we are blindsided by the hecticness of life that we fail to notice when it happens.
Life is fraught with challenges, just as I've been experiencing myself of late. Thankfully though, when in the midst of some of these challenges a bit of feel-good, everyday magic occurs. A serendipitous moment that breaks the hoodoo, realigns the focus and returns you to yourself reminding you that life is good!

A Kiss For a Thousand Miles - Mag #308

A kiss for a thousand miles

A kiss for you

9th April 1945

My Dearest Alfy ,

I sealed this letter with a kiss just for you and laced it with the perfume you gave me before you went away.  Do you remember that evening my love? What a magical evening that was. I think about it often and I can't wait till we are together once more to share more magical evenings just like that.  You know Al, I go back to the seat by the lake sometimes at the same time of the evening, buy myself a double-choc cherry topped sundae just like the one we shared together that beautiful spring evening, so I can feel closer to you. Thank you for giving me that memory my love.

I'm missing you more than words could possibly express and not a day passes by that I'm not thinking of you. I wonder where you are, what you're doing and praying all the time that our God is keeping you safe for me.

I received your letter last week and I've kept it with me ever since. I can't tell you how excited I was when the postman delivered the letter to my door.  You know, I actually kissed him on the cheek.  In hindsight I can't believe I did that but it was like all my Christmases came at once. I think I actually may have scared the poor old man. I know you would be laughing right now and what I wouldn't give to hear your laugh and see that handsome face of yours smiling back at me. Your laugh makes my heart sing.

Well, I'm off to the department store to buy Nancy a birthday present. You know she's turning sweet 16.  Can you believe it? My little sister is sweet 16. And whilst I'm there I'm going to buy myself another bottle of L'air de Temps. I've almost finished the bottle you gave me. I wear it every single day because it makes me feel just a little closer to you.

I love you my sweet,

Always and Forever Yours,

Kate  xxx 

P.S - Remember when we met under the willow tree xxx

Inspired by picture prompt provided by Tess

@ Mapie Tales

Thinking Happy

Thinking Happy

I consider myself an optimist. I really do. I try always to project positivity and kindness every day. I am not perfect but I do try extremely hard to be the best that I can be towards others. I don't ever want to be the cause of another person's pain.
At times I struggle to understand the hate & the terror that is seemingly thriving in this world. I mean who really needs box office movies to incite fear in the hearts and minds of the human race when all you need do is press the button on the box in your living room and watch the news. Well, I for one, just can't do that anymore. My TV sits a majority of the time in an idle state when I'm home alone, particularly when the news is on. However, I do listen to the radio and sadly I can't control TV's in a public arena nor the news feeds that adorn social media, so I do hear of the horrors that are occurring every single day and it makes my heart sink.
Some may say I'm just burying my head in the sand and yes, maybe I am. However, what I like to believe is that I'm trying to keep this world beautiful in my own mind.
I want to be happy, I want to trust and I want to live my life without fear controlling my thoughts and actions in everyday life.

So I practice, on a daily basis, 'thinking happy' :-)

Colour Me In - Magpie Tale # 307

Painting by Cesar Santos

My bodies the canvass

The palette is yours

Take hold of the fan brush

Let the bristles explore

Come, paint me all over

Colour me in

Express your emotions

All over my skin

Let's escape from the trappings

Of presence of mind

and

Let's get creative

And lose sense of time

....

I am your personal

'One off''

Work of Art

Written by KMF

Inspired by picture provided

by Tess @ Magpie Tales