Ode to Tasmania
Looking back when I was a kid,
On the places I have seen, this beautiful island called Tasmania,
It had to be a settler’s dream.
Places like Cradle Mountain & Lake St Clair National Park
With Dove Lake & a photogenic boat shed below,
One of Tasmania’s icons this mountain, best time to see it,
when its tops are covered with snow.
There is an Overland track,
That takes you all the way down, to Lake St Clair,
Many tourists enjoy this walk,
To take photos and fill their lungs with fresh air.
There is Cradle Mountain Lodge and a Visitor’s centre,
A great gallery up there too,
Waterfalls and helicopter rides, hey there is plenty to see and do.
Tasmanian has a lot to offer,
From seafood to fresh vegetables and fruit,
And award winning beers and wine,
All around Tasmania,
It is all at your fingertips,
Wherever you head out to dine.
Fill your Thermos, & pack your lunch,
You will be there in time for brunch.
50 miles of pastures green,
Best dairy country that you have ever seen,
Soon you will arrive at the Mole Creek caves,
About which every tourist raves.
You will see stalagmites, stalactites and pools of water clear,
Trickling streams that are made for dreams, it is a place I love so dear.
If you have a day to spare, and don’t know where to go,
Drive yourself to the Western Tiers and frolic in the snow,
Better still take your rod and cast yourself a line,
You might catch yourself a fish, now wouldn’t that be fine?
People come from far and wide and lots from near about,
To wet a line to pit their skills against the wild rainbow trout
Down the narrow winding roadways as the evening shadows fall,
Beautiful flowering myrtles and Huon pines standing tall,
The man ferns are a waving in the gently blowing breeze,
A parrot might be spotted as it glides between the trees.
In the little townships or up the Gordon River,
The stories of the convict days will leave you in a shiver,
There is always something different where they mine the silver and gold,
Nevertheless, no matter where you cast your eyes, there is beauty to behold.
When you come to Tasmania there is plenty to be seen,
Like any other place that you have never been,
So, do not just sit around and get yourself in a rut,
Drive along to Stanley and see the Stanley Nut,
It overshadows the hamlet like a giant monolith,
To hear people talk about it, you would think it was a myth,
One can stretch one’s muscles and walk up to the top,
Where as far as you can see the views they never stop,
Or you can be a bit lazy and go up in the chair,
But the main thing is you can say, “Stanley, I’ve been there!
Sheffield is the town of murals
It’s like a giant picture show
Paintings on walls, doors and windows
Everywhere you go
There are paintings of the olden days
That reminds you of the past
Like bullock teams and horse and drays
A boot maker and his last
It’s a lovely town to visit
And spend a couple of days
You can wander about the town
Or you could go to the maze
Lemonthyme Lodge is the largest real log cabin In the Southern Hemisphere
Where there is a temperate rainforest
And cascading water so clear,
To me this is a special place,
A place to come and unwind
Walk amongst the Sassafras trees
And see how many black cockatoos you can find
Or relax in a spa
And drink some champagne
While you overlook the forest
And listen to the rain
Behind Lemonthyme Lodge
There is a trail,
That leads you to Waterfalls
Called Champagne and Bridal Veil,
Feel the waterfall’s mist
So refreshing on the face
Lemonthyme forest would have to be my favourite place,
With beams of sunlight
Flickering on the man ferns galore,
And the breeze makes the bracken
Sway, on the forest floor,
And the birds sing, in the canopy above
While wallaby graze beside the track
No matter where you live
You will want to come back
South east of Deloraine
There is a forest called Liffey Reserve
Walk through lush forest,
On a track with many a curve,
The forest floor Is overcome by giant tree ferns
Follow the path to three waterfalls
As Liffey River twists and turns,
It has one of the most photographed waterfalls In this beautiful state,
With its clear fresh water, and shades of green
It’s the perfect bush walker’s dream
If it’s the bush you love to romp,
Why not check out Dismal Swamp?
A huge sink-hole filled with trees of Black Wood,
It’s far from dismal, it’s really rather good,
If you like to learn you can follow a guide,
But if you’re really keen, You can go down to the forest by a 110 meter slide,
Swamp creatures, crayfish and giant insects too,
Or why not stand on the lookout and soak in the view.
Another place I do boast Is the fishing port called Strahan
On Tasmania’s west coast
Take the cruise on the Gordon River
Where the water is like a mirror
Walk amongst the Huon Pine
Some of these trees are thousands of years old
Take a jacket or coat
As it’s usually wet and cold
As the Roaring Forties winds
Endlessly blow,
What is claimed to be the world’s purest air if you didn’t know
Tannin stained water
Meets the wild ocean
At the dangerous entrance called Hell’s Gate,
Where many a sailor has met their fate
Ocean Beach is a spectacular sight
Where you can watch the sunset turn into night
Ocean waves hit the sand
As the Roaring Forties make their stand
Churning the water into foam,
Thick as Brill cream on a barber’s comb,
See the ruins of Sarah Island
This was a convict site of living hell
Britain’s elite banishment place
So the history books do tell.
A place where tens of thousands
Of lashes were given every year
Most of the convicts lives
Would eventually end here.
There was even a mini- school
With a close up view of the floggings each day
I’m telling you This was no place for a holiday
Along the East Coast at Freycinet
Is a beach called Wineglass Bay
One of the world’s top ten beaches So they say
Powder white sand
So fine, it gently squeaks
The beach is sheltered, by the Hazards
Which are three mountain peaks
The water at Wineglass Bay Is a stunning colour of sapphire blue
Take a climb up to Mount Amos
For a better view
When you go down Hobart Way,
Port Arthur is the place to stay,
A convict settlement, in the early days
Where criminals were sent to mend their ways,
A church and prison made of rocks and mortar
Where many a convict was fed bread and water,
Then in more recent times,
The Port Arthur massacre made headlines.
Many were shot, some survived, it was much too late,
When helped arrived.
Port Arthur has got its own ghosts,
and things that go bump in the night,
I was too frightened to turn off the light,
Never the less its worth having a look,
The stories you will hear, you could fill a book.
Hobart is the second oldest capital in Australia,
Dating eighteen hundred and four,
Situated in Tasmania’s south
Rising up from the Derwent River shore,
See Local Tasmanian artisans at the bustling market,
Called Salamanca,
Or sit on the waterfront at Constitution Dock
Where yachts and fishing boats anchor.
Hobart is the home of Australia’s first casino,
It’s the icon of the city too,
Head on over to the roulette wheel,
Lay your chips on black twenty two,
Mt Wellington dominates the Hobart skyline
It looks spectacular when covered in snow,
While youre up on the mountain,
Go check out the rock formation The “Organ Pipes” lined all in a row
To the Northwest of Hobart Is Mount Field National Park
With its luscious green landscape
And man ferns and lichen covered bark
Here you will find a track To Russell Falls,
This cascades mountain water
Over ancient moss covered rock
Grab your camera, its well worth a shot.
Take a drive to the historic town of Richmond
A part of the convict trail
With its antique shops and Australia’s oldest gaol
Australia’s oldest bridge is here
It was built in eighteen twenty three
Made of sandstone and built by convicts
It’s a sight you got to see
When you arrive in Devonport
At the end of your trip
And you have three or four hours
While you wait for your ship
You need somewhere that you can go
That’s quick and easy to reach,
Half an hour out of Devonport
You can be at Baker’s Beach,
There is many a mile of nice clean sand
You can view the fauna that’s at hand
There are rabbits, wallabies and wombats
Everywhere you look
And there’s wild duck, terns and pelicans
A babbling in the brook
Or you can lie back in the picnic area
If that is how you feel
And light up one of the Barbies
And cook yourself a meal,
It’s all so quiet and peaceful
Not a sound to be heard
Except the mating call of a little blue wren
Or some other kind of bird,
So this is a bit of my State,
There is nothing on this Isle I do hate,
Whenever I leave this place to travel & roam,
I seem to always come back to Tasmania,
The place I call home.
Born in Devonport, Tasmania Shane Walker has his own affinity with the island state. To Shane, Tasmania is his home and his inspiration. Shane was mostly self taught with knowledge gained through reading and experimenting. Shane Walker’s images have been published in magazines and books around the world and some of his images have been on display in art galleries and museums around Europe.
