Mortared and grouted by hand

Fences built with hand split local timber, each paling hand wound with multistrand wire. Rock walls, non-uniform stones placed one at a time, mortared and grouted by hand. Half-timbered houses, timber preserved and maintained for literal centuries. Decades-old grape vines trained around houses, al fresco areas and over streets, pruned diligently every year. Magazine arrangements displayed on window sills inside and out. Window boxes full of healthy colour. A distinct lack of low maintenance flaxes…

Australia, we are lazy.

Travelling always opens my eyes to this fact. I come home brimming with good ideas and plans. Many of these plans from 5 years ago on our previous Europe travel , such as installing window boxes, haven’t happened. Why not? I’m a lazy Australian, who is part-time European.

Some things that I am enthused about at the moment, I will write down here and publish them to the whole world. I will know if anyone actually reads my rambles, by who keeps me accountable and reminds me of these things…

• ·         I still want to build a round stone tower.
• ·         I have a horizontal flag pole, and multiple flags. Let’s make it a vertical flag pole!
• ·         Window boxes. By Christmas.
• ·         More fun in the backyard. Things to play on and build cubbies with. Sand to eat…
• ·         More fruit trees, espaliered maybe.
• ·         Bikes. Be a bike ambassador. Get on one. Abuse abusive motorists. Lobby for cycle paths.
• ·         More flowers in town. I’m not going to be liked by colleagues, but I’m going to like my town.
• ·         Renewable energy? It’s a no-brainer.
• ·         Sustainable house building. Insulation. Yep.
• ·         A container deposit scheme and no plastic bags (yes, I’m a bit of a greenie)
• ·         Playgrounds can be fun!
• ·         Make a decent Weissbier. Although my liver may not be delighted.
• ·         A half-timbered shed should be on the cards.
• ·         Most power is underground here. It does make a huge difference to photos. Now they just need to cut down on ugly signs(as do we).
• ·         Trees. Big ones that make the footpath a little bumpy. Just watch your step guys. Take a little responsibility for yourselves so we don’t become any more of a nanny state.

There are things we do better too. Just a few being…

•          Double beds are one big bed with one big doona. Not two beds pushed together with 2 single doonas on top.
•      We don’t smoke as much as Europeans, at least not in Tassie.
•      Our public toilets may not be the best hangouts, but they’re free and they exist.
•      More vegetable included with meals when dining out.
•      The best beaches

      I believe I will always call Tassie home, but there is so much here that I feel at home with. Our natural, uncrowded state has so much that I love to offer, but more often the people here have the same values that I have. Here I have the feeling that I’m not the only one caring about an issue or local space. Perhaps it’s just the enthusiasm that quickens us while we are travelling, but I feel as if I could make a difference here. Change the world, they said…

Anyway, here’s to the friends I have that are cool and do care about stuff! Come around one day and drink a beer with me in the shade of my trellised grape vine. Enjoy the marigolds in the window boxes, climb to the top of my round stone tower and meditate in the cool silence. Load your bike up with some of my excess plums, and marvel at the blooms about town on your way home...