Skip to main content

Hold me now, oh hold me now, until this hour has gone around. And I'm gone on the rising tide, to face Van Dieman's Land


Theme Thursday again, and this one is rather easy. I am Tasmanian, you see, and aside from being all around general geniuses - as I have amply described previously - we are also very familiar with the concept of WATER.

Tasmania is the ONLY island state of an ISLAND continent. That means, we're surrounded by WATER. That should help explain why I take so many photographs of water.

Tasmania was for a long time the place where the British (an island race terrified of water) sent their poor people most vile and horrid criminals. The sort of folk who would face the stark choice of a death sentence, or transportation to the other end of the world. Their catalogue of crimes is horrifying: stealing bread assault stealing gentlemen's handkerchiefs drunken assault being poor affray ladies being overly friendly with gentlemen for money hitting people having a drink and a laugh public drunkenness being Irish Fenian terrorist activities being Catholic religious subversion. The list goes on and on...

Of course, being on an island - even a bloody great big island like Australia - separates you. It frightens you. It insulates you. It keeps you away. It keeps other away from you. It comforts you. All of that WATER.

Then there is Tasmania. If Australia is Down Under, Tasmania is down under Down Under. It is further away. It is more isolated. It is more frightening. It is more comforting. You can't get much further away from the world than Tasmania and survive, next stop is Antarctica.

Tasmania is an island. Aside fom our big island, there are another 334 islands that make up Tasmania. Every single one of those islands is surrounded by WATER. The water that surrounds us can kill us. There are millions of creatures in the water that can kill us. Great White Sharks can bite us in half with one nibble. Blue Ringed Octopus can sting us to death before we even know that they're there. The cold, frigid waters of the Great Southern Ocean will do away with a person in the blink of an eye.

We're Tasmanians. We hate water.

We're Tasmanians. We love water.

Comments

Tania said…
All hail The Edge...
KL said…
The second picture is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. You really took that :-O :-O!!!!!!!!!!???? Almost National Geography type (hehehe...not there yet :-P)

Did you during ice-ages Tasmania was joined to Australia? You must be knowing that Australia had beautiful large animals (megabeasts). Most of them got extinct about 30,000-40,000 years ago. But they still survived for more than 5,000 years (even when the megabeasts had died out in the continent) in Tasmania. But unfortunately they all died out too with the arrival of the Aboriginals in Tasmania!!!

Did Henry or Ez find any remnants of ice-ages/fossils in their last adventure?
Dakota Bear said…
I love the pictures, especially the second one.

The info about Tasmania I did not know, so thank you.
Babzy.B said…
Nice tribute to Water ;)
Ronda Laveen said…
The edges of the wave look so solid the way you caught them in the photograph. Almost like frothy, whipped candle wax cooled for eternity. Tasmania looks to be a beautiful, albeit scary place.
Roddy said…
You almost got me there. I was about to say that I'm not afraid of water( I just don't like it), but then I remembered that I was originally an Australian. Long live Tassie, go all things Southern.
yamini said…
That was storehouse of information u gave us in your Theme Thursday. The photos, as usual, were wonderful, especially the second one, with all that gushing water.

It seems like a love-hate relationship that Tasmanians have with all the water that surrounds them!!
Leah said…
I loved reading your editorial on the historical prison population. Brilliant!
Candie said…
Beautiful pictures!
G. B. Miller said…
Beats being landlocked.

Also must be great to say, "Surf's up!" and have no problems in pursuing the activity.
Mrsupole said…
I loved how you crossed out what was the truth that was done to these people. Funny I never knew people in England were afraid of the water. That was a lot of great information you shared with us.

Thank you. I really like it all. And both pictures were great. I love water.
Brian Miller said…
great post man! love the two closing lines, like a battle cry!
Wings1295 said…
Love the post, love the pics. Every summer, I take pics at the beach, I don't care if they could be the same shots as last year, I just love looking at them. :)
The Silver Fox said…
Wow. Powerfully-written post. Paragraph three was hilarious, in a bittersweet way. As a native of Massachusetts in the USA, I'd love to read -- or write -- a similar "history" of the Pilgrims founding of Plymouth.

I also checked out some of your recent posts. Your photography is absolutely stunning. Such vibrant colors! Do you enhance the colors on your PC, or is your photographer's eye really that good?
Now your description makes me wanna visit the place so...badly!

The pics are great! Nice post :)

Take care
peace
xoxo
Tom said…
several years ago we booked a condo on an island, and the thought frightened me...being surrounded by all that water... but of course it was nothing to be afraid of...until a couple years later nearly the entire place was swept away by a hurricane. Jeepers.
smudgeon said…
I can't say I'm afraid of water. But then, I live in Launceston, and we're only (partly) surrounded by mud.
tut-tut said…
I would love to visit Tasmania; your post and great photos make wish I had the airfare right now!
JGH said…
I have to confess that I didn't know too much about Tasmania! Really enjoyed your photos - the ones of Russell falls are spectacular! I'd love to hike there one day.
Reyjr said…
very cool. can i visit? :D
Which is the scariest thing about water..that it giveth and it taketh away and that we are so totally dependent on it. My area of the US has been in a pretty serious drought for close to two years. You place an even more importance on water when you've been waiting for it to come in the form of rain. Another beautiful post from you.
Michael Rawluk said…
People without a convict ancestor must feel embarrassed. Very cool post.
Colette Amelia said…
Wow that is one hell of a photo! Love the history and the geography!
Priyanka Khot said…
The second picture is 'Oh my God!' wonderful and that is the highest degree of wonderfulness I am told.

By the logic presented by you I must be a Tasmanian Delhiite. Coz I too share a love-hate relationship with water.
Kitty said…
I want to come to Tasmania!
Kris McCracken said…
Tania, good old Dave…
Kris McCracken said…
KL, of course! No fossils, but Henry got a pine cone.
Kris McCracken said…
Dakota Bear, we’re all learning!
Kris McCracken said…
Babzy, I love water.
Kris McCracken said…
Ronda, the wonderful thing about adjustable shutter speed and a bright day!
Kris McCracken said…
Roddy, one can be afraid and unafraid at the same time.
Kris McCracken said…
Yamini, we love to hate it. And hate to love it!
Kris McCracken said…
Leah, people are a bit sill about the convicts to be honest. For a long time people were ashamed of the convict past, now ever bugger and his dog claims it!
Kris McCracken said…
Candie, thanks!
Kris McCracken said…
G, I have never lived more than three minutes from the ocean. I think that I would struggle inland.
Kris McCracken said…
Mrsupole, the English had having baths. And they have the nerve to call the French soap dodgers!
Kris McCracken said…
Brian, a battle cry and a mantra all in one!
Kris McCracken said…
Wings, I take pictures at the same place week after week. The trick is to try something a little different each time.
Kris McCracken said…
The Silver Fox, the Pilgrims are even more complex than the convicts are.

Occasionally I fiddle with the colour post production, but that’s generally to manage issues related to light. For example, the light is low light in the rainforest, which meant that there was an overly bluish tint to the images that wasn’t the case to the eye. Therefore, I applied a filter to bring it back to something more natural. You’ll note that the first image I posted doesn’t have this filter.
Roddy said…
The greatest fear I have is not knowing whether I am afraid or not. Apprehension is so fearful.
Kris McCracken said…
Marianna, there is some space left. Come on over!
Kris McCracken said…
Tom, no hurricanes or cyclones here. No earthquakes or tsunamis. All of the volcanoes died years ago. No crocodiles or bears. It’s pretty safe really.
Kris McCracken said…
Me, I’m afraid of Launceston.
Kris McCracken said…
tut-tut, you’ll have to go through Sydney or Melbourne. There is a severe shortage of direct flights to the rest of the world here!
Kris McCracken said…
JGH, Tasmania has the best walks in all of Australia!
Kris McCracken said…
Reyjr, the more the merrier!
Kris McCracken said…
Evening Light Writer, we’re mostly made up of water, which also adds to the poignancy. Tasmania has parts that gets amongst the highest rainfall in the world. It also has parts that have been in drought for five years. I like the rainy parts myself…
Kris McCracken said…
Michael, it seems to be that way. It was never black and white though, as there were plenty of wrong ‘uns amongst those convicts: cannibals, rapists, murderers etc…
Kris McCracken said…
Colette, it’s a rich history and diverse geography!
Kris McCracken said…
Priyanka, I know of beaches in Goa, but do Indians have a “beach culture”?
Kris McCracken said…
Kitty, come on down!
Kris McCracken said…
Roddy, that’s the worst fear of all. The one that you don’t know about.
Baino said…
God look at your comments! Serves me right for being late. Tasmania is gorgeous. I love it and there's water everywhere, even inland. You are a lucky sausage! Great shots . . .my favourite body of water there besides the Franklin is Wine Glass Bay in Freycenet National Park. Glorious.
Kris McCracken said…
Baino, Wine Glass Bay is a ripper, that is for sure. Add the Bay of Fires and Boat Harbour to your list too. For towns, Stanley and Strahan can be beat for beauty.

The Franklin is much like many other rivers on the west coast, just a little more steeped in mythology. I like Arthur River.
Dina said…
A great post, one I can even understand. I see 54 other folks liked it too.
Hi! Kris,
Tasmanian...hmmm...you're from actor Errol Flynn's island.

What an very informative, amusing and interesting post about Tasmania and water.I would like to visit Tasmania...one day, but I must admit that I have a "fear" of water...especially, a vast amount
of water.
But thanks, for sharing!

Deedee ;-D
Sandra Leigh said…
I think that if I lived in a place where the sea around me was full of things looking to kill me, my love-hate relationship with water would veer a little to the hate side. Come to think of it, though, my island (Vancouver Island) is surrounded by water that'll kill you all on its own, just by freezing you to death, and I still love it. I've even been known - in my younger days - to have a very quick dip in the sea off Long Beach.

I truly enjoyed your post, Kris.
Another Oops!...What I meant to say...
"What a very informative, amusing and interesting post about Tasmania and water."I sometimes forget to proofread!...
...I guess from visiting so many wonderful blogs on Thursdays.

Take care!
Deedee
Kris McCracken said…
Deedee, Errol is our claim to fame. You will find that most Tasmanian men a virile, ladies men like he was.
Kris McCracken said…
Sandra, the water is pretty cold down here too. It can be a bit warmer up in Bass Strait, but then again, the sharks love it too!
Kris McCracken said…
Deedee, most of what I do is “oops”...
Kris McCracken said…
Dina, well, half of them is me replying. I am trying to be a good host and work the room!

Popular posts from this blog

Ah, Joe, you never knew the whole of it...

I still have the robot on the job. Here you can see the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery . And here is a poem: Soliloquy for One Dead Bruce Dawe Ah, no, Joe, you never knew the whole of it, the whistling which is only the wind in the chimney's smoking belly, the footsteps on the muddy path that are always somebody else's. I think of your limbs down there, softly becoming mineral, the life of grasses, and the old love of you thrusts the tears up into my eyes, with the family aware and looking everywhere else. Sometimes when summer is over the land, when the heat quickens the deaf timbers, and birds are thick in the plumbs again, my heart sickens, Joe, calling for the water of your voice and the gone agony of your nearness. I try hard to forget, saying: If God wills, it must be so, because of His goodness, because- but the grasshopper memory leaps in the long thicket, knowing no ease. Ah, Joe, you never knew the whole of it... I like Bruce Dawe. He just my be my favourite Austral

There was nothing left. No reason, no conscience, no understanding; even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, good or evil, right or wrong.

Here is a self portrait. I’m calling it Portrait of a lady in a dirty window . Shocking, isn’t it? However, it is apt! Samhain , Nos Galan Gaeaf , Hop-tu-Naa , All Saints , All Hallows , Hallowmas , Hallowe'en or HALLOWEEN . It’s Theme Thursday and we’re talking about the festivals traditionally held at the end of the harvest season. Huh? No wonder Australians have trouble with the concept of HALLOWEEN. For the record, in my thirty-two L O N G years on the planet, I can’t say I’ve ever seen ghosts ‘n goblins, trick ‘n treaters or Michael Myers stalking Tasmania’s streets at the end of October. [That said, I did once see a woman as pale as a ghost turning tricks that looked like Michael Myers in late November one time.] Despite the best efforts of Hollywood, sitcoms, and innumerable companies; it seems Australians are impervious to the [ahem] charms of a corporatized variant of a celebration of the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darke

In dreams begin responsibilities.

A life at sea, that's for me, only I just don't have the BREAD. That's right, Theme Thursday yet again and I post a photo of a yacht dicking about in Bass Strait just off Wynyard. The problem is, I am yet again stuck at work, slogging away, because I knead need the dough . My understanding is that it is the dough that makes the BREAD. And it is the BREAD that buys the yacht. On my salary though, I will be lucky to have enough dough or BREAD for a half dozen dinner rolls. Happy Theme Thursday people, sorry for the rush.