To plunder, to slaughter, to steal, these things they misname empire; and where they make a wilderness, they call it peace.

Stalactites? We've got a few... Hastings Cave, Huon Valley. June 2011.

Hastings Caves - deep down in the south of Tasmania - was our destination last Saturday. Henry was initially reticent, but once assured that there are no bears in this state (koala's included), he ventured into the subterranean depths...

Stalagmites? Them too... Hastings Cave, Huon Valley. June 2011.

Newdegate Cave is the largest of the Hastings set. in terms of a cavern, it's a big-un! As today is my last day of freedom, we're heading to the east coast for the beach. Don't fret, because I have plenty of cave pics to savour through the day.

Spooky? Absolutely! Hastings Cave, Huon Valley. June 2011.

We spent an hour in Newdegate's massive and varied cavern. Everywhere you turn there's something to look at: flowstone, stalactites, columns, shawls, straws, stalagmites and the unusual helictites that grow in all directions!

Comments

Roddy said…

The speech really wasn't wasted on you. You either have fantastic recall or you were taking notes that I didn't notice

13 June 2011 at 16:34

Kris McCracken said…

I listened.

13 June 2011 at 18:27

Roddy said…

I guess I did too as most of it stuck in my head as well.

13 June 2011 at 20:27

Lost inside an adorable illusion and I cannot hide, I'm the one you're using, please don't push me aside, we could've made it cruising, yeah.

Yes it is Theme Thusday again, and today we are talking GLASS . I've three possible hooks to hang my [glass] hat on with this theme. First, the photo! Yes, it is the river again from an odd angle in an interesting light. You can just make out the bottom, which should tell you that I'm right on the shore. In some ways, the distortion of the stones below the surface reminds me of ye olde glass windows, what they call "cylinder blown sheet glass". You can still find some of this around Hobart these days. Thw second link comes from a trip I took to Venice a few years back. You're probably aware that Venice was (is?) a glass-making centre of excellence. If you have ever been there and taken the tour of the glass factories, you might be familiar with the sheer amount of coloured glass that sits at the bottom of the water there. These fragments of glass have been worn down and had their edges dulled by their time in the water, which makes them ample keepsakes for the ...

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. ...

Happy anniversary baby, got you on my mind

No it is not a webcam, but this photograph was taken a mere forty-five ago on my way in to work. Here you can see a good old fashioned Hobart autumn morning, with the rain pelting down and me getting drenched. This one was taken on the corner of Macquarie and Elizabeth, while I was waiting for the lights to change. Come on Ampelmännchen ! Today is my wedding anniversary, an apparently I need to be showering Jen with leather -related goodies. Va-va-vaVOOM! To you Jennifer, here is a poem I wrote this very morning. Anniversary I love you i love you iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou I LOVE you I love YOU iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou I LOVE YOU iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou Happy anniversary

This will hurt me...

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