Tag Archives: Derwent River

Pacific Seastars are multiplying in Kangaroo Bay

Recently when I walked past the Marina at Bellerive, I looked down in horror to see hundreds of seastars foraging across the river bottom. The water was clear so their orange arms were spectularly visible. Some of these starfish were larger than a dinner plate.

The white lines in the photo above are the reflections of yacht masts.

I talked about these pests in two earlier postings; ‘Northern Pacific Seastars’ of 14 September 2014, and Stage 2 on 4/9/2014 Mitchell’s Beach of 5 September 2014. The Tasmanian government department responsible for parks (http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6917) provides information about Tasmania’s 3 unique starfish and acknowledges the damage that Northern Pacific Seastars are doing to our marine life.

Pretty some might say. Perhaps that is why they are multiplying and limited collection and destruction actions are being taken.

For a split second I thought to throw off my clothes, jump in and start throwing these scavangers onto the jetty. Of course, common sense prevailed: I could have been overcome with hypothermia. In addition, I realised there were too many for one person to collect. Their removal needs a devoted crowd of wet suit clad divers to be methodical and dedicated. Of course the sadness is that thousands more are grazing out of eye shot. And they continue to breed so well in these cool waters.

You can read Louise Goggin’s story on these marauding seastars at http://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/starfish/. ‘Enjoy’ the photo in this article “Community divers pulled 30,000 sea stars from the Derwent River in 1993 and hardly put a dent in the population”.

The question has been asked: when will I walk the New Norfolk leg?

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The answer is that I don’t know because this year’s style of autumn weather is making decisions difficult.

Last year it was mid-May before I removed the summer cotton sheets from my bed and changed to the fleecy flannelette sheets for winter warmth. Until that time I wasn’t wearing thermal tops. But this year before the end of March, I am rugging up and friends are lighting warming fires.

With this drop in temperature, we have continued to have light or heavy rain, not for all the day but off and on unpredictably. The idea of walking with a raincoat on and off or an umbrella up and down all day does not thrill me. I want an uninterrupted view of everything around me. I want to be able to hear the sounds of the Derwent River and the birds without the distortion of pattering raindrops.

For my walks from the mouth to the mouth of the Derwent River via the Bridgewater Bridge, routinely I consulted the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) for their forecasts. Then, typically, I adjusted these predictions according to what I could see happening in the air over Mount Wellington. Unfortunately, the leg from Bridgewater Bridge to New Norfolk is out of sight of the mountain and so I need to trust the BOM. At this stage both next Monday and Tuesday look promising weather-wise in the New Norfolk area. Hopefully I will have fresh new stories of lived experience to post mid next week.

Winemaking along the Derwent River

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Very soon, when the weather is right, I will be off walking the next stage along the Derwent River. On that day I will pass by vineyards (without stopping for a sample) on route to New Norfolk. Wine Tasmania (http://winetasmania.com.au) promotes touring routes to the dozens of vineyards established across the State.

Soon after passing the Bridgewater Bridge and close to the Derwent River at Granton, a couple of well-established vineyards with cellar doors can be accessed easily by the public. More about the Derwent Estate Wines can be read at http://www.derwentestate.com.au/home/ . I like the sound of the approach taken by their viticulturist– ‘We do not use any Insecticides or nasty Pesticides at all. We prefer a softer Integrated Pest Management approach to disease control.’

The Stephano Lubiana Wines estate (http://www.slw.com.au/slw/index.html) offers a food menu to complement their wines, which uses fresh produce from their bio dynamically run vegetable garden. At the end of March, a Festa di Pomodori will focus on the tomato. Sounds like the place to be for healthy food and a great drop of wine. Any local blog followers interested to join me at this festival? The winery has organised a return bus from Hobart; great thinking I am thinking!

Theatre Royal, Hobart – proximity to the Derwent River

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The Theatre Royal located on Campbell St Hobart was built in 1834 and is the earliest theatre built in Australia that is still fully operational today – each week the Theatre Royal stages various events: theatre, dance, musicals, opera, eisteddfods, music concerts or comedy. After a disastrous fire in 1984, the building was restored to its former glory and its delightful small but grand interior is now well worth a visit. Guided tours are on offer during the day.

But what does the Theatre Royal have to do with the Derwent River you may wonder.

Firstly, it is located only a stone’s throw from the Hobart Rivulet that flows into the Derwent River. The Hobart Rivulet was the source of fresh water to the first settlers in Sullivans Cove (a bay in the Derwent River) in the years after they established the colony in 1804. Picking up the crystal clear waters from flows on Mount Wellington, the Hobart Rivulet wound its way through the early ‘Hobarton’ and these days it continues to flow under much of the current city of Hobart.

Secondly, the early shores of the Derwent River were further inland in the early 19^th century than today. Considerable land fill has been added over the past two centuries. When the Theatre Royal was built, the Derwent River was a little closer than today.

I have entertained myself with searches for old maps of Hobart so that I could understand where the Theatre Royal was located in relation to the original foreshore.

The image of the foreshore at Sullivans Cove below was drawn in 1804 (this was the year of first settlement here). Hunter Island was on its own before it was connected to the mainland by a causeway. This island was located not far from where Campbell St (the street on which the Theatre Royal is built) was established much later. The drawing shows the extensive forests which were removed over subsequent years to make way for the streets, houses and public buildings (image from http://www.tasfamily.net.au/~schafferi/images/Ocean&LNHunterIs1804img141.jpg

The site http://www.tasfamily.net.au/~schafferi/index.php?file=kop15.php offers the opinion ‘It is hard to imagine what Hobart Town would have been like when Lt. Gov. Collins arrived in 1804. The rivulet ran free, (except when it rained heavily sending logs that blocked the rivulet, sending water spilling across its banks) large gum trees stood on both sides of the rivulet, some of which had to be cut down to make room for the new settlement.‘ The drawing below, made by George P Harris in 1805 or 1806, seems to look across Hobarton from what today is referred to as the Domain. I think Harris employed a great deal of creativity when making the picture because the Mount Nelson Signal Station looms large on the distant hill yet it could not realistically have been that height.

Below, the 1811 town layout has an overlay of our contemporary streetscape (from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-24/footsteps-towards-freedom-art-project-begins/6251596). If you can locate the intersection of Campbell St and Collins St, then you can appreciated that the yet to be built Theatre Royal will be sited a few metres along Campbell St (on the block at the top side of the letter E of Street). You can appreciate how close this is to the Rivulet and to the Derwent River.

George Evans lithograph of 1819 below shows how little progress had been made in terms of new buildings and street construction 15 years after settlement ( http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-22/1819-slnsw-south-west-view-of-hobart-town-1819-george-william-e/5689410)

By 1832 significant developments had been made to Hobarton . The map below (from http://www.auspostalhistory.com/articles/180.php) was made two years before the Theatre Royal was built. Can you locate Campbell St? Once found, can you see the thick black line that crosses it – that line is the Hobart Rivulet? The future location for the new theatre was a couple of house blocks away from the intersection between the street and the rivulet. Looking at the shoreline with the Derwent River, already it is clear land has been reclaimed along the edge; the shape is manmade and the landscape no longer flows naturally.

On the Proeschel map below (with the hand writing at the top of the map indicating 1858), locate the intersection of Collins and Campbell Streets. Nearby, the Theatre Royal is listed as Public Edifice number 23 (from http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/item/?id=879658)

In Jarman’s map of Hobart Town (http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/item/?id=573294 indicates the date for this is 1858, although if the Proeschel map’s date is correct then the differences are too marked for this to be correct. More research required.), the end of Collins St has been modified so that two streets are located one either side of the Rivulet (black rectangle above Collins St is the Theatre Royal).

A woodcut map of 1879 by A C Cooke (from http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/item/?id=94421) gives a bird’s eye view of Hobart Town. On the lower right, the large watery dock can be seen intruding into the townscape. At the top end of this water is the large City Hall with Campbell St on its right hand side. Immediately behind the City Hall is Collins St. Therefore the Theatre Royal is located on the right hand side of Campbell St a little above Collins St.

The area around the Hobart Rivulet routinely flooded the streets after heavy rains in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries (substantial new drainage systems now prevents such occurrences). The photo below (from http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/tasmaniasheritage/browse/exhibitions/hobartrivulet/diversions-and-floods/image-3) was taken after a flood in the 1920s. We are looking back towards the centre of Hobart Town along the Hobart Rivulet. The large curved roof at the right of the photograph is the top of the Theatre Royal and, therefore, the first bridge in the distance which crosses over the Rivulet will distinguish Campbell Street.

The photo below (http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/tasmaniasheritage/browse/exhibitions/hobartrivulet/diversions-and-floods/image-2) was taken during flooding in the 1930s. The building on the right hand side is the City Hall which still functions as such today. The road to the right of the flooding Rivulet is Collins St and people are standing on Campbell St above the Rivulet. Therefore, the Theatre Royal is just out of shot to the left from where people are standing watching the torrent.

Leo Schofield’s short-lived but internationally renowned Hobart Baroque festival lit up the Theatre Royal with spectacular performances.

Our Theatre Royal was located for easy public access 180 odd years ago, and the site continues to attract crowds easily. A new performing arts centre will be built next door over the next couple of years. The Tasmanian Art School is located close by in Hunter St adjacent to the wharves and jetties jutting into the Derwent River. It fits with history to develop an artistic precinct near the water.

Historic Granton, Tasmania

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The northern suburb of Granton on the western shore of the Derwent River adjacent to and extending from the Bridgewater Bridge has significant history in relation to transport and communications across Van Diemens Land/Tasmania. Two heritage buildings, which still stand, are introduced below.

The Black Snake Inn

On stage 8 of my walk along the Derwent River, after I had crossed the Bridgewater Bridge from the eastern shore, I continued south into the start of the suburb of Granton. On that route I soon passed the house in the photo below.

Located at 650 Main Road, what I was seeing was the building that started life as the Black Snake Inn, apparently Australia’s earliest ferry inn, which was built by the convicts who constructed the Bridgewater Causeway. The Google maps street view of this remarkable building can be seen at https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/650+Main+Rd,+Granton+TAS+7030/@-42.751047,147.229129,3a,52.5y,209h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sTcT1xn5QTiR_rSA4AsFFbg!2e0!4m7!1m4!3m3!1s0xaa6e12713b1bfcbb:0x1a0841b5479abad1!2s650+Main+Rd,+Granton+TAS+7030!3b1!3m1!1s0xaa6e12713b1bfcbb:0x1a0841b5479abad1!6m1!1e1?hl=en

According to http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:George_Robinson_%2838%29, Rhode Island born George Robinson erected a new Black Snake Inn on an earlier ferry Inn in 1833 and continued his business at the Black Snake until 1837. Robinson showed his enterprising ability in a newspaper notice: “MR. G. W. Robinson has this day started a Van with two splendid horses for the immediate accommodation of persons travelling up and down from the Ferries. The Van will leave the Black Snake at half past nine every morning, and leave Hobart Town at 2 o’clock every afternoon…”

Artist Charles F Tomkins (1798-1844) produced a hand coloured lithograph titled The Black Snake Inn and this was published in London by Smith & Elder in 1833 (Reference: http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/item/?id=98999)

According to the http://www.heritage.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahpi/record.pl?RNE10944 record (of March 2015), The Black Snake Inn ‘is significant for its association with Derwent River ferry and road crossings. Until 1836, when the Bridgewater Causeway was completed and before a bridge completed the crossing in 1849, ferry transport was the only means of crossing the Derwent River. It is significant for its initial function as a ferry inn accommodating passengers using the commercial ferry services run by the Inn’s operator. In addition, the Inn is significant for providing accommodation for travellers on the Main Road between Hobart Town and New Norfolk, and those using the Bridgewater Causeway. Between 1819 and 1825 the diary of Reverend “Bobby” Knopwood noted frequent visits to the Black Snake Inn which was often referred to as the “half way” house. Governor Arthur’s Land Commissioners visited the Black Snake Inn in 1826, remarking that its licensee, Presnell, was in the “true Style of a selfish Settler” giving all who passed “all the trouble in his power”. By 1833, the Inn was acquired by George Robinson. By August he had built a “new house’ at Black Snake and advertised the lease for the old inn premises as a possible store. His new Inn was drawn by Louisa Meredith, probably in the mid-1840s and the structure depicted is almost certainly the building known as the Black Snake Inn today, showing the same form. It is possible that a new facade was erected some decades later because the Victorian Rustic Gothic style became more common after the 1840s.’ This website provides extensive additional historical, architectural and social information.

The site http://www.watersideaccommodation.com/downloads/HistoricalSummarytheClaremontAustinsFerryArea04May07.pdf contains an alternative photograph of the building.

I am grateful to Tasmanian collector and historian George Burrows for his reminder to create a posting about the Black Snake Inn. In addition, he told me… “I am probably one of the few people who have canoed the river from source to Hobart BEFORE the dams were built.” How remarkable is that! Very impressive.

The Old Granton Watchhouse

The building, located at the junction of the Brooker Highway, Lyell Highway and the Bridgewater Causeway, was built by convicts in 1838. Extensive information and photographs can be seen at http://ontheconvicttrail.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/old-watch-house-granton.html

The starting point for Stage 14 of my walk along the Derwent River will be near this Watchhouse.

Kunanyi

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Mount Wellington was a prominent feature in the lives of the Moomairremener people for thousands of years before white settlement of Van Diemens Land, later to be renamed Tasmania. The indigenous names include Kunanyi, Unghbanyahletta and Poorawetter. I understand that the Palawa (which seems to be a collective term for all Tasmanian aborigines – perhaps a blog reader might be able to supply further information?) who are the surviving descendants of the original indigenous Tasmanians, tend to prefer the former name – Kunanyi.

A couple of years ago, the Tasmanian government introduced a dual naming approach to a number of geographical features around Tasmania, and these included the mountain which towers over the Greater Hobart Area and the Derwent River. The then Premier Lara Giddings remarked ‘Dual naming is about recognising the Aboriginal community’s rightful status as the first inhabitants of this land and celebrating their living culture, traditions and language’.

Photo taken from Bellerive Bluff on Stage 4 of my walk along the Derwent River.

Photo taken between Rose Bay and Lindisfarne on Stage 5 of my walk.

Photo taken from Old Beach on Stage 7 of my walk.

Photo taken from Green Point on Stage 8 of my walk.

I am including a posting specifically about ‘the mountain’ as locals refer to it, because it has been a significant marker on my trek from the mouth to the mouth of the Derwent River via the Bridgewater Bridge, and I am about to lose sight of it. From Granton, as I walk west along the River and then northwards, the mountain will no longer be in view.

Current official information about walking tracks, facilities, weather related precautions and other details associated with the mountain can be read at http://www.wellingtonpark.org.au/ Note that you can download maps from this site.

My first walking story video

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Thanks to Lara Van Raay, Producer with ABC Open for southern Tasmania, I completed a 3 hour workshop devoted to editing a series of brief video shots that I collected during the week. When long-term blog followers look at my final video story, they may recognise the location. I covered this area in stage 5 of my walk along the Derwent River, when I walked from Rosny Point to Geilston Bay.

This video can be seen at https://vimeo.com/122073284 or

https://open.abc.net.au/explore/14ov5vx

I used VideoPad by NCH Software (http://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/) for sequencing and editing the video clips. This is freely downloadable. I found it easy to use initially and even easier after taking time to watch some of the excellent and simple online tutorials.

Once the video was complete I uploaded it onto Vimeo (which, unlike You Tube, isn’t a site with advertisements). From Vimeo, I have added the video story to ABC Open’s projects ‘where you will find me’ category (refer https://open.abc.net.au/explore/14ov5vx). If you are Australian and write stories or make video stories, you can find a place to upload them onto the ABC Open site; it is one way of sharing experiences around our country.

This is my first attempt at story creation in video and I recognise both my filming and editing are very rough around the edges. Nevertheless, everyone has to start somewhere. During the coming winter months when I cannot continue my walking in the centre of Tasmania because of miserable weather conditions, I may use the opportunity to work on story lines with locations closer to home.

Happy viewing!

I pay my own way as I walk along the Derwent River

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Some friends feel sure I must be asking for freebies, discounts, backhanders, cash-in-hand or other special deals from businesses, restaurants, accommodation facilities, buses and other organisations which I comment on in my blog, as I pass along the Derwent River. No, I do not. I have not asked for, I do not seek for, and I do not expect to receive service or goods for free or cheaper simply because I have something to say about them in my blog.

I would not like to feel fettered by an obligation to ‘go easy’ on a business or product which was substandard. I would not like to feel pressured to remark on a particular product or service that I was not interested in, or I could not make relevant to the walk along the Derwent.

In the current environment when travel writers routinely have their costs covered and often have access to premium products and services for no charge, I can understand why some people might be surprised to learn I have not joined that gravy train. That way of funding travel is not necessary for me; to date, my only cost has been small local bus fares. I would like to be able to make any comment I prefer about Hobart’s Metro bus service and, therefore, I have not approached them for assistance.

Of course, the future is a different place and when I venture northwards, no longer will I be able to organise walks as one day events.

I will need places to stay overnight occasionally. In addition, I will be using different public bus services so my costs may be greater than those which I am used to. Despite the likelihood of increased costs, I view these walks as my ‘holidays’ and I am prepared to pay for them.

When I started the blog, one of my intentions was to inspire local people to follow in some or all of my footsteps. I want local readers to know exactly what the situation is and so my walks will not be doctored by special privilege.

Another matter concerns me. I hear rumours that a few tourism operators away from the main cities and towns are not always serving their customers in the hospitable contemporary way many of us feel visitors to Tasmania should expect. If I find some ‘bad eggs’ in the more remote parts of Tasmania, then I want to be able to expose their weaknesses or recommend possible improvements in my blog (and probably on Trip Advisor as well).

(Photo above ‘Fresh Start” from Dreamstime.com)

On the other hand, where I find excellent service, I want to reward that with the words and pictures of my choosing. On this basis, I see no reason to persuade people to give me a free night’s accommodation or meal or pay for any other expense which I might incur.

Hmmmm. Almost seems a shame to take this point of view! I wonder if blogger jenspen1961 from Cairns, when she sets off walking around Australia, will think differently.

Pumphouses

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Tasmania’s productivity was given a boost from the 1930s onwards with the building of hydro-electricity generating schemes to support the development of manufacturing and other industries. From this activity a number of decommissioned pumphouses now exist across Tasmania.

Recently, when I revisited the Westend Pumphouse (http://www.pumphouse.com.au/) located in Murray Street Hobart, I wanted a reason to document its great service, good wines and terrific food in this blog. From time to time I wander in with a friend and inevitably a Tasmanian sparkling wine finds its way into tall glasses at our table or with us as we loll about on comfortable couches. Recently a blog follower Ju helped make a couple of connections between this restaurant and bar (which seems to have no connection with hydro-electricity production, except its name) and my Walking the Derwent project.

Firstly, England also has a Derwent River with a pump history which is documented at http://www.middleton-leawood.org.uk/leawood/history.html

Secondly, blog followers may recall that the source of Tasmania’s Derwent River is located at the southern end of Lake St Clair in central Tasmania. A new-you-beaut boutique hotel recently opened near the remote township of Derwent Bridge (located approximately 2 ½ hrs drive from Hobart, and a few minutes from Lake St Clair) – with the name The Pumphouse Point. This hotel has been repurposed from an original pumphouse. The web site at http://www.pumphousepoint.com.au provides expanses of interesting and useful information, and the photographs are stunning. According to Charles Woolley in the TasWeekend newspaper of 8/3/15, an ‘abandoned, swallow-haunted piece of mid-20^th century hydro technology’ has been ‘transformed’ into ‘a micro resort’. Further viewpoints are expounded at http://hobartandbeyond.com.au/news-posts/architecture-water/. I do love the title on the home page – ‘the architecture of water’ – I am pondering how to incorporate this idea and those words into my walks.

When I finish walking to Lake St Clair area (in a year or more’s time), surely it will be most reasonable to stay a night at The Pumphouse Point – as a reward for effort.

Picnic on Hinsby Beach

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Local Hobart followers have, from time to time, been fascinated by the new places discovered on various Stages of my walks along the Derwent River. A number of followers fell in love with my description and photos of Hinsby Beach, a beach which I like many others had not previously known existed.

Recently a group of us made our way to Hinsby Beach for a picnic. This was not a normal bus connected walk; rather I sat in the luxury of a car as we travelled to our destination. We parked at the bottom end of Hinsby St which drops down from the main road in the suburb of Taroona. Then, with small backpacks and an esky, we strolled down the tree-lined bitumen track to the beach. This short track is enticing because, from Hinsby St a circular shape of light can be seen at the bottom end and the picture you see is a small arc of sand and waves spreading up and down. Seductive.

Rugs were spread out over the sand. Food was spread out. Drinks were shared. Stories were told. Laughter wove its way around us.

For a short period after we arrived, we ‘owned the beach’. Then couples strolled down, swimmers dashed into the wavy water, and kids of various ages enjoyed their own space at different points along the sand. We felt we had all the space in the world. A big sky. An expansive Derwent River. Deep clean pale yellow sand. Despite clouds crossing the sky, the temperature wasn’t cold.

Being on Hinsby Beach brought back all the memories of the day I discovered this wonderful hideaway at the end of Stage 11, and then I remembered the day I started off at Hinsby Beach and clambered around over the Alum Cliffs before finding the official track on Stage 12. Before leaving the beach we walked to the southern end and found the correct track a few metres to the left of the track ascending from wooden stairs, which I took and led me to an awkward gully crossing,being on private property and fence hopping to get back onto the ‘real’ path. Where are the signs? Kingborough Council, can you please make it clear which track to take?

My photos make the beach seem gloomy but I remember the picnic experience was bright. It was a wonderful way to end my birthday celebrations which had spread over a couple of weeks. Thanks Fe for organising the day.

‘The Art of Travel’ by Alain de Botton

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Follower Ch sent me a pdf of Chapter IX ‘On Habit’ from Alain de Botton’s book, The Art of Travel (2002, Hamish Hamilton an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd).

Alain de Botton describes very well so many thoughts I have had while walking on ‘home’ territory along the Derwent River. How I wish I could write so eloquently. But thank goodness Alain can and has on the topic which keeps me alive most of my waking hours.

The reading will take 15 or so minutes if you want to digest all the thoughts. But it is easy reading and I encourage you to read it.

If you Google there are options for free downloading of the book. Alternatively, let me know if you want me to printscreen each of the 11 pages of the chapter and insert into a blog posting – obviously this will only be undertaken for educational reasons Mr Copyright controller.

A new milestone marking the 13th stage of my walk along the Derwent River: I reached the mouth on the western shore. Whoppee Doo!!

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Yesterday, I completed the first part of my walk along the Derwent River: an exciting achievement.

Last August I started walking from the mouth of the River at Cape Direction on the tip of the South Arm peninsula and now, at the end of February, I have completed the distance from that mouth to the Bridgewater Bridge and back on the western shore to Pearson’s Point near the settlement of Tinderbox.

On the 8^th stage mid-November, I had the first major milestone when I finished the walk from Cape Direction to the Bridgewater Bridge. This 13^th stage was the culmination of walks from the Bridge back to the mouth on the western side of the River.

During yesterday’s walk, I covered about 5km of the length of the Derwent River. By my reckoning, the total distance of the Derwent River on the western shore from the Bridgewater Bridge to the mouth is 38 3/4 km.

For Stage 13 yesterday, I needed to walk to Pearson’s Point from the bus stop where I finished on Stage 12 and then, on reaching my goal, I needed to retrace my steps back to Blackmans Bay to connect with a bus that could return me to Hobart. This distance was approximately 17 kms. I have now walked at least 171km not counting getting to and from buses. But when the walks are staggered over time, this number does not mean much.

The highlights of the walk to Pearson’s Point were mostly small and natural: rosehips, green rosellas, hum of bees, resting sheep, and the taste of delicious ripe blackberries along the way.

I was surprised how close the northern part of Bruny Island was to the mainland of Tasmania (almost felt like I could swim across the D’entrecasteaux Channel) and I felt overwhelmed by the staggeringly expansive and grand views across and up and down the Derwent River.

The fun part was singing (including mixing up the words in my excitement) Handel’s Hallelujah chorus (from The Messiah) at the top of my voice when I passed a large sign with the words SING. You can listen to a superb version performed in 2012 by the Royal Choral Society at the Royal Albert Hall in London England at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUZEtVbJT5c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUZEtVbJT5c

Over the next few days I will write up the journey and the discoveries of Stage 13’s walk. Then I will be looking towards a long main road walk from the Bridgewater Bridge at Granton to New Norfolk which I expect to undertake in the next couple of weeks. Once I have reached New Norfolk I will be on the way to Lake St Clair, the source of the Derwent River.

Opera (not Oprah) and the Derwent River

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How can I make a connection? This blog is not meant to be a diary of my life rather a record of my walk along the Derwent River in Tasmania. However, when I experience something wonderful I feel enormous pressure to share. My challenge, therefore, is to make a reasonable connection with the Derwent River.

Yesterday I watched, via their program ‘Live in HD’, one of Metropolitan Opera’s (New York) latest performances of Richard Wagner’s opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

The connection I am making is slim and relates only to the location of my viewing. The opera was screened in MONA’s (Museum of New and Old Art) Cinemona theatre. Long term followers of this blog will know that this internationally renowned Museum is located directly on the western shore of the Derwent River within the Greater Hobart Area (I walked there in Stage 9 and left there on Stage 10).

Another tidbit of connecting information is that a 3 Act opera named ‘Mona’ was premiered at the Metropolitan Opera just over a century ago (yes I am clutching at straws). In her book American Opera, Elise Kuhl Kirk remarks: “By the time Mona was given its premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in 1912, audiences had wearied of German ideology. Parker’s heroic libretto was ‘somewhat grey’ some said … Parker admired … Wagner.”

The Met’s latest performance of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg was definitely not grey. It is the story of a man in love who needed to become a mastersinger, but had no experience and possibly no talent, in 16^th century Nuremburg Germany. Richard Wagner wrote and composed this opera in the 1860s.

Through their ‘Live in HD’ program, the Met releases a series of operas around the world each year.

Years ago, the CMAX at Devonport on the northwest coast of Tasmania was the only cinema in this State to screen the series. In the past couple of years MONA at Berriedale has also offered the fabulous opportunity to see what amounts to current performances (the actual performance would have been staged in New York only a few weeks ago), current sets and current sophisticated back-stage technology. The singers are world class at the top of their careers, and the sounds they make can be sublime. During the intermissions, routinely a notable opera singer interviews members of the cast, sometimes the conductor of the orchestra, the Stage Manager or others – all of which adds immeasurably to the pleasure of the experience.

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is Wagner’s longest work and the performance lasts over 6 hours including the two intermissions. The outside temperature in Hobart was very warm yesterday so being able to immerse myself inside watching the performance made me feel extremely fortunate.

Words such as thrilling, brilliant, overwhelming, powerful, breathtaking, and rousing all come to mind when I remember my experience – especially in the third Act. This opera will be rescreened at MONA tomorrow (23^rd Feb) and again on Friday 27^th Feb for anyone who is interested to visit MONA by the Derwent River. I feel sure you will have heard the main theme of this opera before: check out the start of an orchestral performance at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKG8ZxEOdwE (Published on Apr 6, 2012 Full Opera Recording “The Mastersingers of Nuremberg”. Sung by Theo Adam, René Kollo, Geraint Evans, Peter Schreier, Helen Donath, Ruth Hesse. Recorded by Staatskapelle Dresden and the Chorus of the Staatsoper Dresden. Conducted by Herbert von Karajan (EMI, studio, 1970).)

Straight Up (from the Derwent River?)

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When I find a good thing/place/event, I try to discern a connection with the Derwent River so that I can write a blog post. A lunchtime restaurant named ‘Straight Up’, where I enjoyed a wonderful vegetarian meal yesterday with a friend, is one such place. It is located in Liverpool St, Hobart between Harrington and Barrack St and is not in sight of the Derwent River. But my friend An gave me the clue: she said the restaurant is located ‘straight up’ Elizabeth St from the wharf on the Derwent River, and then straight up Liverpool. After the meal, I walked ‘straight’ down Liverpool and turned right into Harrington St, then straight down and through St David’s historic Park and the Parliamentary Gardens to the water’s edge of the Derwent River.

Why is this restaurant ‘Straight Up’ worth mentioning?

Partly because the service provided by the waiters and other staff is fast, to the point, helpful, informative, and obliging. Mostly because the good clean vegetarian food has been transformed into sophisticated tasty dishes. The food is presented attractively but simply so that it doesn’t appear as if Masterchef contestants have been in the kitchen. There is plenty of food on the plate without seeming like it’s a dump from a smorgasbord. And perhaps because my friend and I always seem to be given a seat in the window (yes we have been before and we are working our way through the menu) away from other patrons. The ambience is one of space and privacy so that we relax over our meal.

You can visit ‘Straight Up’ for breakfast or lunch. Reservations are not required, although you may need to wait until someone leaves before you get a table.

More information and photos are available on http://www.designful.com.au/uncategorized/straight-up/,

https://www.facebook.com/straightupcoffeeandfood, and

http://twoclownstripping.com/2014/10/16/straight-up-vegetarian-hobart-tasmania/

I found a ratings page at http://www.eatability.com.au/hobart/cafes/straight-up-coffee-food/ indicating other people think like I do. Although I might have awarded 10/10 ratings.

Clarence Jazz Festival (mostly bordering the Derwent River) in southern Tasmania

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I don’t know when the Clarence Jazz Festival first started, but it was up and running when I returned to Tasmania to live, in 2000. Ever since, it has grown in scale and excitement.

From one Sunday to the next in the third week of each February, performances are scheduled in historic buildings such as the Rosny Barn, next to the water on various bays such as Kangaroo Bay and Lindisfarne Bay (that empty into the Derwent River, and which blog followers may remember from earlier stages of my walk), at beach reserves and on village greens across the local government area of Clarence City Council.

Most are free events and they culminate in the big day next Sunday. On that day the Bellerive Boardwalk, with its stunning backdrop of sun-drenched water covered in yachts, hosts a grand finale when many different Tasmanian and national jazz musicians perform on an open stage in front of changing throngs of people sitting and moving around the Boardwalk. Food, wine and coffee stalls surround the venue, and the Clarence City Council offers free sunscreen for those who come unprotected. At the Jazz at the Boardwalk is where you can expect me to be next Sunday! Bring on those sexy saxophones!

Typically people walk from home often carrying picnics and refreshments to drink. Families sit outdoors and soak in the atmosphere while kids clamber over public playground equipment when nearby. Where I live, sometimes the sounds of music float across the air and I am able to enjoy concerts when I cannot get away from home.

The festival Facebook site shows images of past musos and performances and some of the guests for this year (https://www.facebook.com/clarencejazzfestival).

If you are a Hobart local and have forgotten about the Festival go to http://www.ccc.tas.gov.au/page.aspx?u=933&c=386, read the program, and be prepared to see some musicians strut their stuff.

Walking the Derwent River

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

Tag Archives: Derwent River

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The question has been asked: when will I walk the New Norfolk leg?

Winemaking along the Derwent River

Theatre Royal, Hobart – proximity to the Derwent River

Historic Granton, Tasmania

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My first walking story video

I pay my own way as I walk along the Derwent River

Pumphouses

Picnic on Hinsby Beach

‘The Art of Travel’ by Alain de Botton

A new milestone marking the 13th stage of my walk along the Derwent River: I reached the mouth on the western shore. Whoppee Doo!!

Opera (not Oprah) and the Derwent River

Straight Up (from the Derwent River?)

Clarence Jazz Festival (mostly bordering the Derwent River) in southern Tasmania

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