ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY IN DELORAINE

September 7, 2013

We have been busy with our missionary assignments in Tasmania, so are a bit behind on the blog.  The speed and dependability of our  internet service is reminiscent of dial-up, so downloading photos requires a lengthy time commitment as well as patience.  However, we are so thankful for the technology we do have.  It was incredible, from a distance of 13,000 miles, to see and hear much of  Medium Max's missionary farewell meeting.... thanks to Tyler and Kristin and Steve Jobs.  We were also present and able to talk, Face-Time to Face-Time, when he was set apart by his stake president.  When Big Max served in Australia 50 years ago, he didn't even get the Christmas and Mother's Day phone calls; rather had to rely on aerograms and snail mail.  We are excited for Medium Max to serve in the Mexico City South Mission, and know he will be a great missionary.

We love Deloraine and Tasmania and never cease to be amazed by the beauty and relaxed pace found here.  This afternoon as we drove through Mole Creek and Chudleigh, and saw signs pointing to numerous little settlements, we commented that it is like living in Stevensville 50-60 years ago, only the towns were Corvallis, Victor, and Florence.  Living in Deloraine would be like living in Hamilton, and a trip to Launceston or Devonport would be similar to a trip to Missoula.  Tasmanians are interested in attracting more tourists to visit the island, but have no interest in changing anything. People come here because they like things the way they were.  I don't think  a freeway or big resort is anywhere in the near or distant future of this pristine state.

The Red Bridge in Campbell Town,  on the Heritage Highway route.   Convicts constructed many bridges and buildings in Tasmania.

This impressive Red Bridge dates back to 1838.  Convicts laid a million bricks to build it and it still withstands thousands of vehicle every day.  

The Tasmania Zone finally meets President and Sister Maxwell in Hobart.   (Back, left to right:  Elders Hosman, Guilain, Garrett, Fillmore, Maxwell, Urry, Smith, Whitehead, Jennings, Clark, Bellon, Napa.  Front, left to right:  Elder Sargeant, Sisters Fillmore, Maxwell, McDonald, Elders Smith, Bennalack, Yim-Tay-Cheung, and McDonald.)

After the meetings, McDonalds hosted us to lunch and served yummy chicken and dumplings. Elders Sargeant and Hosman joined us and the Maxwells,  because we drove them home from Hobart to Launceston

On our way to Cradle Mountain with the AP's and Zone Leaders, we saw this wombat in the bush.

  

We sent the missionaries on a hike to an overlook, opting instead for a walk around Dove Lake.  It was really cold and windy!

Most of the time, both peaks of Cradle Mountain were shrouded in clouds.

 But, for a few brief seconds, the clouds cleared and we had a 

 view of both peaks.

Trowunna Wildlife Park in Mole Creek was a great place to spend a P. Day.  This park is also a devil education and research center, so devils are plentiful. 

 Snarling and growling doesn't always indicate aggression; rather is how devils play and interact with each other. 

 The spotted-tailed quoll is another animal unique to Tasmania.

The wombats are short-legged, muscular marsupials, native to Australia.  They dig extensive burrows with rodent-like front teeth and powerful claws.  They have a tough plate, mostly made of cartilage, on their back side.  This makes it difficult for any predator that follows it  into its tunnel to bite and injure the animal.  Locals tell us that because of this strong plate, you don't want to hit a wombat with your car, and if you do to expect thousands of dollars worth of damage.

 This little guy was rescued from his mother's pouch when she met an unfortunate death on the road.  The rangers at the wild animal park will care for it until it is old enough to fend for itself.

Tamanian Devils are generally nocturnal, but it was about feeding time, so they were waking up.  

 The lucky ranger picks up road kill on his way to work each day, puts it in a 5 gallon bucket, then feeds it to the devils at the wild animal park.  They fight over the meat, and ultimately consume every scarp, including teeth and fur. 

The kangaroos were having a bit of an afternoon nap and weren't at all bothered that we walked among them.  This mama has a Joey in her pouch. 

Echidnas may look like a porcupine, but their only relative is the platypus, which is also an egg laying mammal. The female lays a single egg, about the size of a jelly bean.  When hatched, the baby is is suckled by its mother from mammary glands in the pouch and is carried in the pouch for about 3 months.   In colder climates like Tasmania, the Echidna grows fur to keep warm.  In warmer climates, is only has quills.....which are very sharp.

These wetlands on the Tamar River reminded us of home.  We walked on a long boardwalk to Tamar Island.

People used to live on Tamar Island, and someone stuck this plow in the crotch of the tree and forgot about it.  The tree has grown, and now the plow is completely imbedded in it.  This  reminds me of the story President Hinckley told about the wedge in the tree.  

We are always looking for "the road less traveled," and this day on our way home from cleaning the Bond Street flat in Launceston, we drove to Notley Gorge and hiked through the rain forest. 

I loved how the sun backlit the moss hanging  from this branch.

 This Mountain Ash tree stretched 80 - 100 meters skyward. 

 It rained and rained and rained, and the lazy Meander River wasn't very lazy, as the water spilled over the banks, covering the walking trail, flooding roads and bridges, and leaving huge trees behind as it receded.    

Picnic tables were completely submerged.  Locals joined us to watch the power and force of the water and confirmed that the river was higher than it had been for 5 - 7 years.

  

The Launceston City Park has an enclosure filled with monkeys.  It was about feeding time, and they were anxiously waiting for dinner.

  

We watched the monkeys, until the ranger led them into a protected area for the night, luring them  with food.  It didn't take any encouragement for them to follow.

Another side trip home from Launceston was to Liffey Falls. We wanted to see the change in the flow as a result of the heavy rainfall.   Before, people crossed from one side to the other, but certainly not today.    

This is one of 4 very large handworked 3D textile art silk panels depicting local events and scenes from Deloraine.  The craftsmanship in this work of art is amazing.  Tasmanians take a lot of pride in the preserving the history of their communities and sharing that history with visitors.  Every small town has something to share.  

TASMANIA!

AUGUST 1, 2013

On  the afternoon of June 13, we were welcomed at the Launceston Airport by Elders Hosman and Sargeant, two of the most cheerful missionaries you would ever meet, stufffed ourselves and our luggage into their car, then were driven to their flat on Bond Street, where we picked up our car.  After a quick stop at Coles for some groceries and Dominos Pizza for lunch/dinner,  we opted to drive the tourist route to Deloraine.  We marveled at the beautiful countryside, the sheep and cattle grazing contentedly in rolling, green pastures, small streams, mountains covered with different varieties of eucalyptus trees, and the blue sky, layered in shades of pink and orange, as the sun set.  We were happy to arrive at our flat before dark, because it had been reported to us that in the absence of city lights, the nights in Tasmania are very dark.

Our flat is definitely an up-grade from either the winter or summer home, and is situated in a quiet cul-de-sac in the north west part of Deloraine.  The boxes we shipped were waiting to be unpacked, the bed was made, and we found a note from the Moores, ward members who live close, welcoming us to the neighborhood.  We unpacked a bit, then walked 2 blocks to the church for our first ward council meeting.  We were warmly greeted, and the meeting proceeded without delay.  Clearly, Bishop Porter is a strong leader, and the ward council members are concerned about each and every member of the ward.  We were given a ward list, complete with notes of inactive and part-member families and priorities of where to start.  We eagerly accepted the challenge to search for some "lost sheep."

 The second day in Deloraine, we drove back to Launceston for a baptism.  We stopped at Cataract Gorge, whose rugged natural beauty suggests it could be miles from anywhere.  Even in missionary clothes, we hiked a bit and walked across the suspension bridge in the backround.    

 Elder Hosman, Fillmores, Elder Sheward, Cassie, Anthony Lake, Elders Sargeant and Whitehead

 The next day Billy was baptized by Elder Hosman.  Billy would come to church alone, riding his bike. He gave a talk at his baptism and bore his testimony about how much he loves the gospel and Jesus Christ. 

 On our first P Day, we went on a scenic walk along a gently sloping spur to a lookout of Alum Cliffs.  The Mersey River runs through this gorge.  

 This looks like a Christmas Nativity set, but the figures are actually stalagmites found in the Marakoopa Cave.  

 This magnificent cavern in the Marakoops Cave features delicate formations and beautiful colors.  In pitch darkness, glow worms light up the ceiling of the cave.  The cave was discovered by two young boys, who kept their discovery a secret for a number of years.  

 We strained our eyes in the gathering dusk, hoping  to see  platypus on the short Fern Glade Walk from the cave to the visitors center.  We think the rangers laughed to think of the dumb American tourists looking so hard for these illusive critters.  

 Talk about amazing fern trees!  This photo was taken on the short walk to the bottom of Liffey Falls.

Liffey Falls is nestled within the temperate rainforest within the Great Western Tiers mountain range, and plunges through dense rainforest of myrtle, sassafras, and leatherwood.  It is believed that Tasmanian Aborigines used Liffey falls as a meeting place.  

 BAPTISM OF STEVE NIELSEN

 MAX BETTER WATCH OUT, LEST A TASMANIAN DEVIL NEEDS A SNACK!

 One of our assignments is to inspect cars and flats in the Hobart area.  We took this as an opportunity to explore some of the sites on the convict trail.    

 In the 1800's, Tasmania was the destination for many convicted British criminals.   Port Arthur was mainly for those who were secondary offenders having re-offended after their arrival in Australia.  Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures of the British penal system.   The area is remote and harsh, and convicts had no chance of escape, as they had to cross two narrow bottlenecks that were easy to guard, having to get past a line of savage dogs chained across the isthmus at Eaglehawk Neck.   

 We rode a ferry to Point Puer Boys' Prison, where 3000 boys, some as young as nine years old, were sentenced.  

 This is what is left of one of the dormitories where prisoners were kept.  Many of the buildings are in the process of being restored.  Psychological rather than physical punishment was used to keep the criminals in line.  

 As we crossed to Point Puer, we were treated to watch dolphins play in the wake created by the ferry.  

 Two of our favorite Chinese daughters, Gloria and Liansu, visited us in Tasmania and helped celebrate Max's 39th  (?) birthday.  We loved having them in our home for a few days!

 Being farm kids at heart, we are fascinated by the variety of cattle.  The striped cows are Belted Galloways, but we don't know what the shaggy beasts are called.   

 It was cold and windy, but we braved the weather and took the short walk  to see  Devils Gullett.  

 We walked to a platform overhanging the sheer cliff face, with views to Mount Ossa, Cradle Mountain, and across the chasm of the Fisher River valley.  The dolerite cliffs channel south westerly winds up into the gullet at a gale force.

 We went to an alpaca exhibition at the show grounds and visited with alpaca growers from the area.  One of the shops in Deloraine sells hand dyed alpaca yarn hand spun from the fleece of the animals in the picture.  I debated long and hard about whether to spend the $250 to buy yarn to knit a sweater.  I settled on a scarf and fingerless gloves instead.  

Rex and MaryAnn McDonald are serving as full time family history missionaries in Hobart.  They have graciously hosted us in their home when we have been to Hobart.  

MELBOURNE ADENDUM

July 15, 2013

My last long run to Jells Park certainly was the most memorable.  Max planned to pick me up at a pre-determined location, but because of the record breaking rainfall from the night before, the rivers, streams, and surrounding lowlands were flooded with water.  The Eastlink trail was under a meter of water  in many places, and I had to alter and ultimately back-track my route.  Fortunately I had a cell phone to call Max regarding the change of plans.  Though it wasn't raining when I started on the run, the skies opened, and I was drenched in a few minutes.  Max grabbed the camera, thinking he was taking a picture of a two-legged drowned rat.

 We drove to Fairfield to see the water of the normally lazy, benign, Yarra River well over the banks.

 We had joked about Dight Falls, that it was more like a little ripple in the lazy river, but following the huge rain storm, the water boiled and churned.  We watched as kayakers fought their way into the "sweet spot" of the rapids, which allowed them to appear to be anchored in that spot. 

 The picture is fuzzy, but fuzzy also were the feelings we had as we taught Vicky and Ray after baptism lessons.  We certainly could identify with missionaries who are reluctant to leave their recent converts and investigators when they are transferred.   

 We had the privilege of taking Liansu, one of our favorite Chinese daughters, to receive her patriarchal blessing.  We had a bit of extra time, so walked through Fitzroy Gardens and admired the flowers in the conservatory. 

There are many varieties of plants in the conservatory, and caretakers change them regularly, depending on the season.