To get to Tarilta you cross a white single lane wooden bridge. We are just on the other side.
Or is it that you are on the other side, now?
Technorati Tags: central victoria, country, tree change
My Office
This week I am sleeping with my boss.
That would be Fiona.
I am doing some work for her on a web site. This is my office (see, I am painting the web site by hand, pixel by pixel. We make do out here in the country.).
Technorati Tags: country, rural, tree change
Possumhouse
In this shed lives a mother brushtail possum and her child. They live in the top floor of an abandoned linen cupboard.
Wherever I lay my Hat…
Valentines day mini-feast
The wonderful Tahli is here to help us out. Last night we had a candlelight Valentines Day mini-feast of Tom Yum soup followed by peach pie with a slightly ginger-flavoured crust.
Ethan and Tahli have been building a cubby together, among lots of other wonderful stuff. My favourite Ethan quote on the topic of Tahli is “Dad, when are you guys going to go away again to that Tahli can look after me?” Right now Tahli is at the Chewton pool with both children.
The Tree Change Begins
We have arrived in Vaughan Springs.
Where the hell is Vaughan Springs?
Well, to tell you the truth, I’m pleased you don’t know yet. That’s one of the wonderful things about this place. It’s a well-kept secret. Nobody’s heard of it. We hope you will come to know it though, when you come to visit us!
We’re in a little miners cottage called Tarilta. It belongs to Martin and Helen, friends of Karen & Pete. For the 4o years prior to that Peggy and Danny lived here. Danny was a circus magician and peggy his assistant. After that they ran a bakery together in Maryborough.
Lots of little surprises in the garden.
There is a composting toilet we have dubbed “Howard”. Hey, it’s a John, it’s full of shit and it puts you in an untenable position.
We got off to a bit of a bad start with Howard, but things are looking up. I have a feeling you’ll be hearing more about him.
We arrived late last night and everyone is having fun. We had a wonderful first day. Here Ethan and I are making coconut and orange chocolate chip biscuits.
Skylight with leaves.
Anne’s letterbox, across the street. Her son is a sculptor.
We will keep you posted with news from Tarilta. Gotta go now as I have some important work to do: Hide and Seek, building cubby houses and swordfights.
Technorati Tags: children
happy accident?
Or planned disaster? On the rail trail, this mammoth Eucalypt had fallen right in front of a berry farm. As a cyclist, you had no choice, really, but to detour around it into the clutches of the Berry Farm to sample home made berry ice cream!
Oh. and cups of fresh youngberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries with cream.
Technorati Tags: cycling
Beechworth to Bright Railtrail
We have just returned to Tasma after a 70 kilometre ride along the Murray to the Mountains Railtrail over 2 days with our wonderful mates Karen, Peter and Indi Mara Bodin Stewart.
Extra Large thanks Karen for organising everything, and to Pete for all the help with the bikes, and to both of you for your super-ace company.
Railtrails are unused railway lines converted to bike paths. I want to write more about this experience later but first I gotta show you a picture ethan (4.5 yrs old) made when he came home. It’s a super memoir and a map all in one. Here is how a traditional cartographer represents the ride. Ethan did it better. You will need to click on each image to see it at full scale.
Here is how Ethan drew it:
The overall image seen at this level of detail represents the party of seven riders on three bikes ascending the most challenging part of the ride; A 4 Kilometer ascent to Taylors Gap. There we are, almost at the top! He’s captured it: IT REALLY FELT LIKE THAT.
I have indicated some of the detail in his artwork below:
Here are all the riders shown. Karen and Pete’s daughter Indi-Mara, who was actually in a seat on their tandem bike, is shown out of order, as Ethan forgot to put her in at first. Ethan’s Tagalong bike which clips onto mine has a flag on it, which he has shown.
Karen, Pete and Indi Mara on the Tandem.
Ethan’s drawing shows the three bikes really well. So he has the basic narrative details covered: 7 riders, three bikes, a big hill. But he’s telling you what it was like, too, he’s mapping the experience, not just the topography:
the big hill. I THINK I can, I THINK I can!
followed by a bumpy bridge which we took too fast which almost threw us both off!
There were also lots of smaller hills.
On the descent into Everton, Ethan was pelted with small stones from the wheels of my bike. He was on a tagalong, a kind of articulated tandem arrangement, in shorts. He has drawn in the painful missiles which struck his legs.
Aftermath.
Private Rental accommodation available for the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games Accommodation
“Tasma”, a large 4 bedroom Victorian home, fully furnished in Northcote (inner city Melbourne) is available to rent during the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. A great home away from home for two families or up to 8 people. Wooden floors, 5 working open fireplaces (plus gas heating). Two full bathrooms including gorgeous en-suite. Digital Tv and Wireless Internet Access included. Nice NAD and Tannoy HiFi including waterproof speakers in the bathroom for luxurious soaks.
Open plan living area with stunning renovated kitchen, delight for gourmets. Honey-coloured floorboards awash in natural light throughout. Large established garden & courtyard with BBQ. Large sunny double bathroom with two showers and generous bath. Pets are welcome by arrangement. Available for minimum of two weeks, AUD $4,000 per week. You are welcome to stay on after the Commonwealth Games by negotiation.
The train station is at the end of the street less than 100m away. 10 minutes by train to the from the Commonwealth Games venues and city centre. The groovy cafes, bands and shops of Brunswick Street are just a hop, skip and jump away. Parking permit provided.
Contact Nick or Fiona on mobile +61 418 333 707 or email: tasma@thorpes.org
Technorati Tags: accommodation, commonwealth games accommodation
We’re Back
We’ve just walked back through the front door of Tasma after a month away. This is such a fabulous house to come back to. The first thing you’re struck by is all the space, and the smell of the wood. We have had the most fabulous time and went pretty much from one extreme of the country to another… You can’t find two locations further apart in this huge continent than Darwin and Tasmania! Check out the itinerary:
- First night: Lorne, with Jane and Tahlia Grogan. So great to see Jane again and talk into the late late night. Koalas in the trees by the balcony and flathead for dinner.
- Three days in Adelaide staying at Chez Thorpe in Parkville, lots of time with Paige (but never enough). We had an early Christmas here at Luke’s place, which was a sensation. Thanks Dad!
- On to Darwin, to stay with Fiona’s dad at Bees Creek. We spent Christmas day here with Fi’s Dad, family and friends, and our old and dear friend Dagga, who has moved to Darwin! You gotta love Darwin. Great Beards.
- Then on to Tasmania for a Prayerbabies tour of Tasmania; 5 days of Gigs all over the state. Eaglehawk Nek Port Arthur, Hobart, Somerset, Launceston… from the very bottom of the island to the top.
- 6 nights at Swansea in the Freycinet region of Tassie, about 10 minutes walk through scrub to the beach.
- Home on the Spirit of Tasmania overnight. It’s hard to leave Tasmania. It’s just so human-scaled, so ridiculously pretty, and overflowing with natural wonders. And more Great Beards. Maybe we should move here.
Here is a rough map of the journey, by road, air and sea:
And we did it all without the aid of this.
Not as many photos as usual, as we took quite a bit of video on the new video camera, a farewell present from the wonderful Digerati folks when I left a month ago.
Ethan on Christmas day in Darwin with 2 Christmas Friends
Dagga has moved to Darwin!
Lucinda’s approach to life: run like hell with your eyes closed!
Ethan and his beloved cousin Hamish in the Hammock at Bees Creek in Darwin.
In Hobart, we stayed with Karen and Pete’s lovely warm fabbo friends, Phil, Maria, Ollie and Phoebe. Among the many fabulous experiences at that house (including much pirate swordfighting), there was lots of time spent in mid air on the trampoline.
We had 6 days in the Freycinet region of Tasmania. Paul, Flic and Perry were nearby and we got to hang out lots with them. Ethan was in seventh heaven, and Paul made the most delicious marinara in creation.
Lucinda went wild on Tassie beaches.
Technorati Tags: children