Category Archives: Tasmania

A new blog Touching the Tarkine starts today

Here is information about a new thrill for Walking the Derwent followers who have been sad to see this blog coming to an end …

I know many followers have loved their daily fix of Derwent River walking and related stories and some have said they will feel quite bereft once the postings stop.

For those devotees of the Tasmanian landscape I am delighted to tell you I have started a new blog that takes effect today! Over time I plan to tell the stories of my experiences in Tasmania’s great Cool Temperate Forests of the Tarkine. Never heard of them? Well go to my new blog Touching the Tarkine (www.touchingthetarkine.wordpress.com) to find out more.

The menu items underneath the header image are:

Home (which will have a new blog posting each day starting tomorrow),
About (which explains what the blog intends to do)
What is the Tarkine?
Where is the Tarkine?
How to get to the Tarkine?
Why take an interest in the Tarkine?

As with this Walking the Derwent blog, in the side bar on the actual blog screen I have added a few useful favourites:

The Follow by email option- add in your email address (and no-one but me sees it) and then automatically every day the latest post pops into your email inbox without you having to remember to check. DO THAT TODAY SO YOU DON’T FORGET!
A Search option so you can hunt through the extending blog for particular places or ideas or names etc
An Archives option so you can go back to the beginning of the blog or to a particular month later on if you need to, or if you want to show friends
A Google Translate option for international followers who do not read English and for Australians who have English as their second or third language
A Contact detail with my new email address for this blog: touchingthetarkine@gmail.com

I have fallen in love with the Tarkine for its forests and rivers, and I am super excited to let you see that ‘original’ world. Expect to see glorious photos.

Please join me at www.touchingthetarkine.wordpress.com, and feel comfortable to add your comment onto my postings at any time.

Piguenit at Lake St Clair

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Since my walk from the mouth along the Derwent River culminated at the source, Lake St Clair, writing one of the final blog postings about my favourite Tasmanian artist Piguenit who painted Lake St Clair a number of times, seems appropriate. Previously in the posting Piguenit- artist extraordinaire in southern Tasmania, I extolled some of his virtues.

The story goes – in one of my former lives, in my arts and museum career, I started in the profession working at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery – in three ways: I gave the occasional public lecture in the art gallery section, I volunteered and worked on the art collection in the bowels of the building, and I was employed as a cleaning and security attendant. Because of my art knowledge and interest I was usually allocated the large gallery at the top of the building for the security detail, the one with the 19th century paintings and sculptures. In those days there was no cover on the roof windows, no insulation and no heating. This is late 1970s and I recall being frozen for most of my winter shifts standing there. But the win for me was that all the TMAG’s big Piguenit paintings were hung at one end of the gallery. Until then I had never seen his work. I was bowled over by their majesty, their drama and with the artist’s skill. Most especially, for the first time, I saw an artist painting serious pictures in oil but sometimes only using black and white paint and creating an image with greys (some were slightly yellow greys). I marvelled at this and have adored his work ever since. When I come across one of his pictures in any Gallery of Australia I simply stand in reverent silence. His work has that effect on me.

Recently I received a card for a milestone birthday from a couple of stalwart walkingthederwent supporters. The image on the cover was Lake St Clair, the Source of the River Derwent, Tasmania 1887. Piguenit delighted in this lake and its glorious mountainous surrounds. The image below, courtesy of Artnet, is very similar to that on my birthday card (regrettably I can find no online reproduction of ‘my’ image).

The original oil on canvas, shown on my card, was presented to the Tasmanian Government in 1889 and is now housed in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. The differences between ‘mine’ and the Artnet versions include the fact that the latter is a smaller canvas and the foreground rocks and sand are shaped and painted differently. My earlier posting has another image of the same location – one which is held in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Clearly the birthday card was sent with my recent walkingthederwent project in mind but without knowing my decades long ‘connection’ with Piguenit’s work. That image of Lake St Clair with Mount Olympus spot-lit is a stunner. Now I wonder if the impetus for my walk along the Derwent began in that freezing Gallery all those years ago. How could I have known what my future held and where I would end up?

Fossil Cove posting 4 of 4

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I relaxed with the sounds of the wash of the water onto the shore.

After one last look around this deserted Cove and across the glorious Derwent Harbour, I turned toward the path and walked back uphill. Slowly. Very slowly. I swear the incline on that hill had steepened. I found each blade of grass and each leaf on the path infinitely interesting and worthy of stopping for closer inspection. Often.

For blog readers who live in Hobart, give yourself a treat, take a picnic with you and enjoy a visit to this wonderful Cove.

Fossil Cove posting 3 of 4

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I delighted in the multitude of fossils everywhere around Fossil Cove.

And seeing the blue shells of tiny new mussels clustering in rock crevices, and the deep purple shells of sea urchins cast up on the rocky beach, reminded me of the way water continues to bring life to our shores.

Most particularly I loved the water views. The Derwent River presented a stunning vista during my visit.

14/2/17

Fossil Cove posting 2 of 4

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I admired the rock formations around Fossil Cove and wished I had walked with a geological expert.

The rock formation in the photos below could variously be described as a ‘hole in the wall’ or an arch.

I just had to explore what was through that ‘hole in the wall’.

Seeing these photos again reminds me that the day of my visit to Fossil Cove was so gloriously sunny, that the sea and the sky were shades of heavenly blue, and that the gentle on shore breeze was so soft and pleasant. So many mainland Australians who have never visited Tasmania have the idea this is a cold miserable place, so I am glad that my experiences walking the Derwent have been able to show this is a wonderfully beautiful place. And it is a place very much worth a visit (or even a relocation to live here!).

13/2/17

‘What’s in a name? A fair bit , actually’ says Rex Gardner

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On page 14 of The Mercury newspaper on 5^th February Rex Gardner asked ‘What’s in a name? A fair bit , actually’ about a part of my favourite Tasmanian river.

He talked about the area near the Hobart docks and further out into the harbour and remarked that it ‘really doesn’t have a proper name’.

Rex commented: ‘We call it the River Derwent, or Derwent River. But that name aptly describes the Derwent around New Norfolk, and upriver from there, because a river is a naturally flowing fresh watercourse, flowing towards the sea. Heading downstream towards Bridgewater, the Derwent becomes an estuary, defined as brackish water fed by streams and rivers, and flowing to the sea.’

When Rex added ‘What flows through the city of Hobart is not a river’, I gasped. Over time, my blog has addressed the challenges of defining where the Derwent River starts and stops.

To help you to visualise the location, below is an excerpt from Google maps.

Rex Gardner explained, ‘It could be loosely called an estuary, and more properly a harbour, which is a body of water surrounded by land. The Derwent is 1.4km wide at the Tasman Bridge. From the Hobart docks to Howrah Point is 6km. From Sandy Bay to Tranmere is 5km. The Mississippi and the Amazon rivers don’t boast distances like that, except at their mouths or when they flow through lakes.’ Finally he remarked: ‘You have to wonder how the Derwent has suffered the indignity of being called a river for so long. Just like Mount Wellington got a name change, so too should our Hobart Harbour.’ An alternative fact: our mountain has two official names – Mount Wellington and Kunanyi.

Rex Gardner’s approach adds a new dilemma. To understand some of the legal issues associated with defining a ‘river’ read here, here and here.

The Derwent Estuary Program describes the section of the Derwent between the Iron Pot (at the inner edge of Storm Bay near the eastern shore river mouth) and New Norfolk as the Derwent Estuary rather than the Derwent River and explains it is “a unique environment; a partially enclosed body of water where tidal seawater and fresh river water mix”.

What constitutes our Derwent River – where does it start and stop? What is the location of its mouth? I have become so used to thinking of the Derwent River starting in the Lake St Clair area and ending around the Iron Pot that these ideas have shaken me up; they are making me question my position. Does it matter to you? I wonder what others think.

Max Angus’s Derwent exhibition

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Researching Max Angus’s ‘source to sea’ exhibition is still a work in progress. Meanwhile I have found other documents and websites which list watercolours depicting various aspects of the Derwent River.

Sue Backhouse & Christa Johannes co-authored the publication Max Angus: a lifetime of watercolour and provided the following information: “ the … watercolour landscapes … have been selected from a sixty-year period to enable a broad exploration of subject matter and stylistic changes. The work includes examples from each decade since the late 1940’s. The earliest watercolours were painted when Max Angus returned to Hobart following the Second World War.”

A pdf document, SIXTY-FIVE PAINTINGS by ‘THE SUNDAY PAINTERS Max Angus, Harry Buckie, Roy Cox, Patricia Giles, Geoff Tyson, and Elspeth Vaughan from the collection of Don & Maggie Row can be read here. This document provides details of a few of Max’s earlier Derwent related works; for example Bay on the Derwent River (1957); a watercolour 24.5 × 37 cm (sight) signed lower right ‘Max Angus’ in original artist’s frame and hand-painted double mount; exhibited in November 1957 with Tasmanian Group of Painters for their 18th Annual Exhibition at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart. It was listed as no.1 in the catalogue and on sale for 12 guineas. Verso on the backing upper [handwritten large, in the artist’s hand] ‘A Bay on the Derwent River / Max Angus. Another watercolour, Tasman Bridge and Derwent River Hobart c.1970 was signed lower left ‘Max Angus’ . His pen and grey wash Hobart from Lewis Street, 1980 offered a view of Hobart and the Derwent and Eastern shore hills from the garden at 6 Lewis Street, North Hobart.

Max Angus

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Thanks to blog reader Marion I have been reminded of well-known Tasmanian artist Max Angus and his connection with the Derwent River. His biography (up to 2003) can be read here. Max died aged over 102 years almost a fortnight ago in February (on my birthday so I will never forget it) this year. You can refer to an ABC news report for more information .

As a celebrated watercolourist, Max documented coastal and inland Tasmanian landscape scenes, and over the decades of his life the Derwent River often featured as a subject for his paintings.

In 1990, one entire exhibition at the Freeman Gallery in Sandy Bay was devoted to the Derwent River Aspects of the Derwent from the Source to the Sea. I am on the trail and hope to be able to post more exacting information in the future. Perhaps a blog reader owns a catalogue from that rather special exhibition so I can see and learn more. I suspect, like so many local art exhibitions, reproductions of the paintings on display were not included. Nevertheless the descriptive titles which Max used for his work will be informative.

As an example of the artist’s Derwent River related work, a locally owned watercolour (included in this blog with permission from the private owner) titled ‘The Flying Cloud in Victoria Dock’ painted in October 1990, is shown below. The waters of the Derwent River look fairly glassy in the foreground and a moody Mount Wellington provides a background to Hobart’s port.

Walking on an industrial site – posting 5 of 5

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Eventually we walked onto the Nyrstar wharf, after sometimes successfully dodging water sprays to keep the dust down. Here I was able to look upstream and enjoy the expanse of the Derwent River, and to recognise the Bowen Bridge and Mount Direction in the distance.

We passed equipment such as the dust measurer shown below.

At the western end I was able to look past the big sheds of the INCAT boat building industry over Prince of Wales Bay and see Technopark perched on top of Dowsing Point.

A view looking across the Derwent River to the inlet where the first European settlers set up camp in 1803 is shown below:

Looking back downstream the river and landscape appeared as follows:

I also enjoyed walking through parts of the large industrial site for the geometric shapes of the structures and for the various vintages of buildings. Most of all, similarly to my feelings about the Hydro Tasmania structures in the upper Derwent Valley and beyond, I admired the pioneering and massive engineering works that created the manmade parts of the site.

I was surprised at the extent of chemical hazards which need good management; associated with the zinc smelting process are dangerous chemicals such as mercury, cadmium and lead. During the walk I learnt a great deal about the attitude of the business towards instituting and maintaining good environmental practices. In addition, I was shown revegetated expanses and different buildings which prioritise care for the environment and make it a reality. Seeing and experiencing all of this was much more than I expected, and I remain immensely grateful for the time and interest given by my excellent host Todd.

In a special showcase at Nyrstar’s Reception, plaques and various awards are clustered together. One example, a National River Prize, was presented by the International River Foundation in 2010 to the Derwent Estuary Program, of which Nyrstar is a founding member. A list of the Australian winners that year can be read here and if you refer to page eight, more information about Nyrstar and the Derwent estuary is available. My photo below includes that framed paper award with another sculptural award sitting in front.

Overall, I was delighted to be able to fill a gap in my walk along the Derwent River, on this private property. I am indebted to friend Clinton for his connections with Nyrstar that helped to make the walk a reality. Especial thanks to my thoughtful host Todd, and to Nyrstar.

Walking on an industrial site – posting 4 of 5

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During the planning phase for this walk on Nyrstar property, I anticipated that after passing the wetlands treatment area my walk would be finished because, from then on, site buildings and operations sit next to most of the shore. I imagined access to these areas would be impossible for a visitor.

Three times a week, on average, large ships berth nearby ready to load up with the processed Zinc. However it was my lucky day and the wharf was clear. My host volunteered to take me further if I wished. Yes please. It seems that at every turn, on my walk from the mouth to the source of the Derwent River, people have helped and ways have been found to give me access to more of the River than I ever thought possible. I am so immensely grateful.

Back on a main road we headed towards the wharf, all the while with the river glistening in the strong sunlight and with the shadow of the East Risdon State Reserve ever apparent on the eastern shore.

As we headed west towards the wharf area, Mount Direction on the eastern shore loomed large.

Before reaching the wharf, we passed a repetitive pattern – one which has nothing to do with the Derwent but which attracted my attention. Bags. Large bags. Heavy bags. Very well organised. Very tidy.

Nyrstar is an operation which works hard to recycle by-products of the zinc smelting process and to minimise wastage. In association with other Nyrstar operations elsewhere in Australia, the Hobart site uses these bags in the ongoing process. I was impressed with the commitment of this company to repair the degradation of the environment which occurred in the early years of the ‘zinc works’ albeit under the control of other companies and how every effort is made now to ensure that no further harm is caused (and no – I am not being paid or encouraged to be so positive. Early blog readers will remember my posting about the independence with which I have made my walk. You can read I pay my own way as I walk along the Derwent River here.

Walking on an industrial site – posting 3 of 5

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After we rounded the hill, it was the colour and nature of grasses which took my attention.

The waving grasses skirted a wetlands including ponds and dams. These were created as a treatment works so that water entering the Derwent River is unpolluted. Deceptively simple, but complex and sophisticated. Some of these treatment areas are located in the foreground of the following photos;

I particularly liked walking along the reclaimed track next to the water of the Derwent and watching a pair of Gulls with their two immature offspring. These were either Kelp or Pacific Gulls. I suspect they were the latter because their yellow bills did not seem so large as those typical of a Pacific Gull.

Looking across to the eastern shore I recognised the inlet of Shag Bay, an area which has been the topic of a number of previous blog postings; for example, refer here and here.

I was pleased to see that on a normal working day, someone still had the luxury of time to be sailing.

Walking on an industrial site – posting 2 of 5

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Once decked out in our safety gear, Nyrstar’s Todd and I strode off down the road towards the entrance to the industrial estate all the while admiring the day and the view of the Derwent River whenever it appeared around buildings and between parts of the landscape.

Once through a gate in a high protective fence, we came to a junction. Should we walk forward directly to the river or turn right on a track around a hill shaped by metallic discards decades ago?

The choice was easy. We turned right and continued as the track took us above but on the edge of the Derwent River in New Town Bay.

I could look inland to Mount Wellington and across the Bay to Self’s Point. An early record of my walk along the Derwent at Self’s Point can be read here and here.

As usual, I loved the brilliant colours that a clear day produces on the river and the landscape. I hope you find the photos as stunning as I do – long term blog followers know I never set out to create heart-stopping reproduction photos only to record in a casual way what I see. During my walk on Nyrstar property, the world and the Derwent River in particular, seemed spectacular.

As we walked around the hill, the eastern shore came into view – some of it built up with private houses and other parts remaining as uncleared bushland. My host and I mused on how the first European explorers and settlers would have seen both sides of the Derwent River completely forested. By being able to see such forests today helped me to have some appreciation of their world at the end of the 18^th century. If those travellers arrived on a day like we were having then the landscape would have looked wonderful, although somewhat impenetrable.

When beetles are not beetles but bugs

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In my blog post Did I have company? – posting 6 of 9 I showed photos of blue and red insects which, I now know, are not beetles but bugs.

I have been reliably informed by Tony of Insects of Tasmania that what I saw and photographed are Shield-backed Jewel Bugs, from the Scutelleridae family. More information and photos of family members can be see here.

I am still curious about the terminology. When is a beetle not a beetle? What is a bug? The Australian Museum in Sydney came to my rescue. I now know their mouth parts, wings, diet and lifestyle are quite different. However the information is insufficient for me to identify future bugs and beetles by sight. I would need to handle one and look very closely. But since I don’t like to invade the space of native animals etc, I will be most cautious now before jumping to conclusions. Another site informed me that ‘insects are divided into 25 orders and one order, Hemiptera, classifies bugs. The largest order, Coleoptera, classifies beetles’. So, on the basis there are more beetles than bugs, making a judgement that an insect is a beetle could be correct more than often than determining an insect is a bug.

Either side of Bowen bridge and Bags on the fence – posting 9 of 9

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Because of the isolation of the track and the distance from the residential areas, I find it difficult to believe that people walk here and bring their dogs on a lead. But what are the tied up plastic bags on the fence if they are not collections of doggy poop. Any ideas? They cannot be lunchbags used by Technopark staff because they are on the outside of Technopark’s most outside fence. Strange. Colourful. Unnecessary additional reminders of man’s encroachment on natural areas.

Either side of Bowen bridge – posting 8 of 9

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I continued along this rocky edge of Prince of Wales Bay a few metres away from the main run of the Derwent River, until it was clear that full access around the inlet at water level would not be possible.

Eventually I came up from the shore and walked through the grass with pounding feet hoping the vibration would deter any snakes.

I noted that a creative soul had walked this track. Obviously inspired by the movement of the firm strands of tall grass, on two occasions in different places, a person has plaited stalks together to offer markers of mankind in the neighbourhood, or so it seemed to me.

Walking the Derwent River

The ribbon that separates the eastern and western shores of Hobart, Tasmania's capital city

Category Archives: Tasmania

A new blog Touching the Tarkine starts today

Piguenit at Lake St Clair

Fossil Cove posting 4 of 4

Fossil Cove posting 3 of 4

Fossil Cove posting 2 of 4

‘What’s in a name? A fair bit , actually’ says Rex Gardner

Max Angus’s Derwent exhibition

Max Angus

Walking on an industrial site – posting 5 of 5

Walking on an industrial site – posting 4 of 5

Walking on an industrial site – posting 3 of 5

Walking on an industrial site – posting 2 of 5

When beetles are not beetles but bugs

Either side of Bowen bridge and Bags on the fence – posting 9 of 9

Either side of Bowen bridge – posting 8 of 9

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