Summer IS Here

Summer in Tassie

Where has the time gone?  It’s almost the middle of February and summer has finally come, for sure, to Tassie.  Our coats are put away and only occasionally do we need a sweater.  Yet, the weather is always a mystery as one day we will turn on the air conditioner and the next we may need the heat.  The storms here are ferocious.  Yesterday, the morning was very warm and then a cold front blew through in the afternoon, breaking lots of trees and rattling our little flat.  Heber winds don’t hold a candle to Tassie winds.

Our first big accomplishment.  We finished our first big project which took 5 months to complete.  There were 161 record books of burial records to 2001.  Then we added 26 more books that were for cremations only.  Our current project, Registration of burials, we will finish this week.  They are 9 very large books and we are able to digitize both the left and right pages in one image.  The books register those burials which are in the 161 books.

One warm Saturday afternoon we decided to take a drive to Kingston Beach.  We were delighted to see some lifesaving competitions going on at the beach.  It was fun to watch.  Lots of people and their dogs were enjoying the beach, although it was very windy and a bit cool.

These plastic blow up balls seem to be very popular.

On our way back to Hobart, not far from the city center, we came to a shot tower.  These were built to manufacture shot for guns.  The metal is poured into a very long tube of water (the length of the tower).  As the metal falls through the water, it turns and forms a ball that can be used in old shot guns. 

 

If you look real close you can see the bird sitting

 

up in the tree.

  Just outside the tower, there was an area for picnic tables and there a Kookaburra flew into the tree.  He was quite large.  We had only seen small birds.  As we were leaving, he entertained us with his laugh which really did sound very human.

Our zone leaders invited us to teach the full time missionaries up in Deloraine about Family Search at their district meeting.  So we took the zone leaders with us and drove the 2.5 hours up to northern Tasmania.  They were so excited to get onto Familysearch and find their families. 

  The district meeting was the last one for Elder Atkinson (one of our zone leaders) as he was finishing his mission and returning to Queenland, AU the following week.  It was a hard day for him.  I had never realized how difficult it is for some missionaries to leave their mission.  I have only been on the other side, as a mother who is so excited to get their sons home.  That next week was transfers which really effected Tasmania.  Since we have been here, we have kept all the same missionaries.  Only two out of eight companionships stayed the same (excluding us).  

 

Elder Atkinson's last district meeting.

Aussie Animals

On our way home from Deloraine, we caught sight of this echidna off the side of the road.  They move so slowly that we were able to get close to him for a picture before he ducked for cover.  Elder Atkinson, who lives in Australia said he had never seen one before.  We were very blessed to see this one in the wild.

These cockatoos fly freely in our community.  One of our home teaching families feeds these birds, so they are regulars at his home.  They are quite large and noisy birds.  We hear them each day at our bus stop in the mornings.

On one of our “holidays” we decided to go to the Bongarong Wildlife Park just north of us.  The Park takes in animals that have been hurt or found when the parent has been hurt or killed.  When the animals are able to live on their own, they are released back into the wild. 

Notice the baby nursing

The kangaroos know you have food to share.

This emu packs a hard peck!!

  The tour with the park employee was really interesting.  When we were walking through the park on our own, the only animals we saw were some birds and the kangaroos.  She woke up and carried the other animals and gave good information about them. 

 

 This baby wombat was found by a 12 year old boy when the mother had been hit by a car.  He learned in school about marsupials carrying their young in a pouch.  He looked inside and found this youngling. He is about 9 months old in this picture.

 

Cute, sleepy koala

 The poor Tasmanian Devils!  They are so maligned.  These creatures are not the ferocious mean animals as we have been taught.  They move very slowly and their eye sight is very poor.  They only eat dead animals, all of them, bones, meat, etc.  They are great scavengers to clean the roads of roadkill.  Unfortunately, because they don’t move quickly, they are also victims of roadkill and are quickly declining in numbers in AU. 

 

P day means rest, right?  We enjoyed an afternoon at the park and a walk along the river.

Tasmania is nicknamed the “holiday island”.  I thought it was because many people vacation here, but yesterday a friend told me it was because Tassie has so many “public holidays”.  Today was one of them, Regatta Day.  We went down to the river in the city early in the morning, 8:30, and were able to watch the long boat rowing races and the Trans Derwent River swim.  All of the swimmers wore wetsuits.  I’m sure the water was a little bit cold.  There were activities all during the day.  We enjoyed the wood chopping events and the kayak polo games.  The Royal navy also provided a rock band, two types of helicopters and the manpower for a tug-of-war.  The Tassie governor came to present the trophy for the fastest long boat which was won by high school aged girls.  It was another fun “holiday”.

Swimmers getting ready

Wood choppers

One of the navy rescue helicopters

Kayak polo  What fun!

Aussie word fun:

The Australians often use slang and one of the most common uses is to add an “ie” or “ey” to the ends of words, ie:

Bikie = a biker such as a Hell’s Angels member

Sparkie = an electrician

Firey = fire fighter

Selfie = one who does things by himself

Cockie = farmer

Greenie = environmentalist

Postie = mailman

Rellie = family relative

Summer?

We think summer may have arrived, at least for today.  It is supposed to get up to 38 (100) degrees today with thunder storms.  Marvin doesn't believe it one bit!  But we have had some very nice days this week, so we are enjoying it.  Southern Australia (mainland) has had record breaking heat of over 40 (abt 105) for the last 4 days and are suffering greatly.  The Australian Open (tennis) is being played this week and they had to postpone some of the games yesterday because the players were experiencing heat related issues.

Since I usually write about our escapades other than work, I thought I had better say a little about what we are doing at the Archives.  We have been imaging burial records and creating metadata for records previously imaged.  As of this week we have imaged 83,533 images since we started in October.  So we really have been working hard.

Every man needs his BBQ.

I finally said OK when Marvin found a BBQ for $12.00 in an after Christmas sale.  So, here is a picture of our little BBQ which really works quite well. 
We had to refresh our memory about charcoal brickettes and learn how to use Australian firestarters.  They don't sell lighter fluid in the stores.










Our latest trek has been to the most southern part (at least by paved road) of Tasmania to the Hastings Cave.

  It is a dolomite cave filled with stalagmites and stalagtites.  We took about an hour tour through the cave.  The walk to the cave went through a temperate rain forest that was amazingly beautiful.

 We also drove to Southport which is the last southern community in Tasmania.  We enjoyed a leisurely walk on the beach and picked up a few different shells. 

We have come to realize that not far south from Hobart, towns disappear.  There are homes and summer cottages but no real towns.  So much of southern Tas is bush and hills and dirt roads.  I guess that's what makes it so unique.

Happy New Year

Well, Christmas day was certainly different.  It started with a brekkie (breakfast)  barbeque at the Dowe’s home.  Tracey BBQed chicken, beef, sausages, and pancakes, and also served cold cereal and croissants.  We brought our traditional bubble wreathe. 

 

 There was good weather so we ate outside and enjoyed the warm sun.  For dinner, we ate with the family of Len and Cecily Watson and, again, enjoyed eating outside in their back yard.  During the day we tried to skype with Keith and Shari, but had difficulty getting our camera to work.  So, we saw and heard them, but they couldn’t see us.  We talked to Scott as well, and everyone was expecting a great Christmas day.

On Boxing Day, a national holiday, we decided to take a tour of Bruny Island.  We took the 7:45 ferry over to the island and drove it from the north to the southern point.  Most of the island had dirt roads with lots of holes.  We had scheduled an Adventure Tour which was a 3 hour boat tour along the eastern and southern shores.  We really enjoyed it.  Here are some of the pictures which we took.

This is really a narrow neck of land.

We all wore these red "dresses"

At the northern tip of Bruny Island.

Jurassic Dolomite cliffs

A great blow hole.

Lots of Australian and New Zealand fur seals.

Cape Bruny lighthouse

We had another warm day so we decided to go up to the top of Mt. Wellington which overlooks Hobart.  It is at about 5,000 feet and from sea level  it really looks high, but we realized that it isn't even as high as our home in Heber.  The drive up the mountain goes through beautiful eucalyptus forests but at the top there is hardly any vegetation at all.  And the wind up there is very forceful. 

 

 There were two activities being held downtown between Christmas and New Years: Sydney to Hobart Sailboat Race and the Taste of Tasmania.   Both were being held in the same area at the wharfs.  Here the street next to Salamanca is closed off and artificial turf is rolled down the middle of the street and tables and chairs and flower pots, etc are placed there.  Food vendors are along the street

as well as inside the huge building at the left.

   

  After lunch on Monday we decided to go down and see if we could see any sailboats come into the bay and over the finish line.  We were able to see the Qingdao boat cross the line.  Qingdao is the same place where Harold (Marvin’s brother) and Pat Rust are teaching in China.  What a coincidence!

This is dedicated to our grandson, Jordan, who is getting baptized this Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014.

My Baptismal Covenant

As I am baptized to day

   I make certain promises to Jesus Christ

And he makes certain promises to me.

   I promise to always repent of my sins

He promises to take away my sins

   I promise to take upon me the name of Jesus Christ

He promises to put my name in his Book of Life.

   I promise to stand as a witness

For Him at all times

    He promises me that I shall come forth

In the First Resurrection.

   I promise to love my fellowmen

He promises me Eternal life with him in

   The Celestial Kingdom

I promise my Savior that I will do

  All these things

He tells me, I the Lord am bound when ye do

   What I say, But when ye do not what I say

Ye have no promise.

                          --Mary Milham 2001, Hamilton, New Zealand

We are proud of you, Jordan.

Word of the week:  Fairy Fluff = cotton candy

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful experience at our missionary Christmas activity.  It was held up in Launceston, 2 hours north of us.  The sister missionaries from Glenhuon drove up and carpooled with us, so it was nice to get to know them better.  The Relief Society of the Launceston ward had decorated the cultural hall beautifully.

 

Sister Maxwell had planned the day and we started out with community singing then went into a missionary talent show.  Each companionship was to do some talent, but not all completed the assignment.  Sis Roberts played the flute;

we had a violin solo;

Elder Garret did beat-box (making noises with your mouth while you sing); Elder Sessions performed Shamugel; Elder Jones did a frisbee demonstration;  Elders Guilan and Solomon did a skit which ended with the haka;

and we sang a song, O Holy Child, with Sis. Roberts and Elders Sessions, and Sis. Maxwell playing the piano.  Earlier in the fall, each zone was given the assignment to make a short video take-off from a movie theme.  These were edited into a movie (not so short, 2 hrs. long) and we watched it.  Then came lunch prepared by the Relief Society.  After lunch, we did a gift exchange game.  We had brought two packages of Lindt chocolates which we were sure would be fought over.  But to our surprise, both young men felt that they were not good for you, so they were actively trying to get others to take them.  Pres. Maxwell ended up with one of them.  He knows a good thing when he sees it.   We then met in the chapel and had a Christmas program with script and songs prepared by Sis. Maxwell and sung by many of the missionaries.  Then came gifts from the Maxwells for each missionaries.   There were 23 of us there and the camaraderie was just wonderful.  There is such a love between all of the missionaries serving in Tasmania.  Pres. Maxwell said that the best missionaries are sent to Tasmania because they are not close to the mission home and they have to be more mature and willing to work hard.  That certainly is the case here.   It was a wonderful day.

Saturday evening we sang with our Stake choir at Christmas by Candlelight which was held at Tolosa Park.  The park has a type of amphitheatre where there is a stage which faces the hillside and part of the hillside has been made into flat rows for seating. 

When it gets dark, people turn on little battery charged candles, or strings of Christmas lights, or real candles and wave them during the different songs.  Our choir was very well accepted and we sounded pretty good.  We didn’t sing until 9:30 but there were still lots of people there until the end at 10:00.

Aussie Jingle Bells

Dashing through the bush, In a rusty Holden Ute , Kicking up the dust, Esky in the boot.  Kelpie by my side, Singing Christmas songs, It’s Summer time and I am in My singlet, shorts and thongs.

 Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, Christmas in Australia, On a scorching summer’s day.  Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut, Oh what fun it is to ride, in a rusty Holden Ute.

Engine’s getting hot, We dodge the kangaroos.  The swaggie climbs aboard, He is welcome too.  All the family’s there, Sitting by the pool.  Christmas day, the Aussie way, By the barbecue! Chorus

Come the afternoon, Grandpa has a doze.  The kids and uncle Bruce, Are swimming in their clothes.  The time comes round to go, We take the family snap, Pack the car and all shoot through Before the washing up.  Chorus

Now the Australia slang meanings:

Esky = portable cooler, boot = trunk of the car, Kelpie = sheep dog, singlet = sleeveless undershirt, swaggie = homeless person,  Holden = Aussie made car, Ute = utility truck.

Sunday, we performed the same numbers plus several more for the Stake Expressions of Christmas held in our stake center.  We had several political people attend, the Glenorchy mayor and his wife, someone from Parliament, and I don’t know the rest, but the front row was filled with distinguished visitors.  It didn’t hurt that the Stake President is also the Glenorchy Fire Chief.

Monday evening we were invited with the Glenorchy missionaries for dinner at one of the homes of the ward widows.  There were 5 sweet widows who have Family Home Evening together each week. 

They had enough food to feed three times as many people.  We have enjoyed getting to know these sweet and dedicated members.

We found the only Mexican restaurant in Hobart.  It wasn’t like Mexican restaurants at home but it was quite close.  I ordered a beef chimi and it came with plum sauce all over it.  It was really good.

Sunday we had our ward Christmas program.  The 9 children in Primary sang along with the teachers and we sang in a small group (7).  It was fun to meet family members who came to spend the holiday with ward members.  It filled our little chapel.  There were also major changes in the ward auxiliaries.  Every Presidency has changed in the last month except Relief Society.  Change is good, just hard.

Aussie Creche





Cookies for the Neighbors



Holiday Aussie Style

Thanksgiving was a bit different, but we did have guests and turkey roll.  We tried to find an American missionary, and there were some, but all had other appointments.  So, we had our zone leaders, Elder Wood and Elder Atkinson (both Aussie) and Elder Soloman (New Zealand) and Elder Guilan (French Tahiti) (from right to left).  They were wonderful guests and seemed to enjoy a huge meal. 

 I was asked if Thanksgiving always meant having lots of food.  The following day we had a wonderful zone conference.  Besides President Maxfield and his lovely wife, we were the only ones over 25 years of age.  We were both amazed at the strength, knowledge and dedication of these young missionaries.  The mission is not an easy one for conversions.  Most Aussies are satisfied with how their life is and don’t see a need for religion.  We are working with four families who are inactive.  Three are trying to hide from us, but one is very receptive to us and we enjoy visiting with them.  Last night, Elder Rust challenged them to come back to church.  They have committed to attend the Stake Christmas Program this Sunday in which we both are singing.  We hope we can bring the blessings of the Church back into their lives again.

Last Saturday we took a drive east and went to Seven Mile Beach.  The wind was quite cool yet we saw 3 people swimming.  Surprisingly the water wasn’t that cold.  Maybe it just felt that way because of the little difference between air and water temperature.  Walking along the beach was wonderful.  We found several different varieties of shells and very few people on the beach. 

 That evening we attended a symphony concert with a recently returned senior missionary couple, Maron and Kris Barnhard, and heard the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra play for the HUSH Music Foundation.  HUSH is a project brainchild by Dr. Catherine Crock of the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. 

The hospital staff interviewed patients and parents regarding what could be done to help them feel better when having to go through the ordeals at the hospital.  The suggestions were to create a more uplifting and positive environment.  So the Foundation invites certain Australian composers to produce music to reduce stress and anxiety for the children, families and others in the hospital.  The symphony played the music from their current album and it was marvellous.  You could feel how it might raise the hopes the children and their parents would feel.  It is played in the hallways, operating rooms, and everywhere in the hospital.  What a wonderful project.

We actually are enjoying a Christmas tree with decorations.  The children of Elder and Sister McDonald who were here before us, sent them the tree for Christmas last year.  We appreciate their thoughtfulness as we and those who follow us, will enjoy the tree each year.

Each morning, on the way to work from the bus stop, we walk down this lovely pedestrian walkway on Elizabeth Street.  I love this open air flower shop which adds so much color and beauty.  What a great way to start a morning. 

A beautiful walk

Snakes and Ladders instead of Shoots and Ladders

 The city has added Christmas decorations in the trees and around the tree trunks and fun games for the children to play on the sidewalks.  Hobart really is a lovely little city to work in.

 In our living room we have a collection of Wasatch Mountains and Russell Falls and Horseshoe Falls in Tasmania.

When you go to wash your car, take the dog along.  You can give your doggie a bath while your car gets cleaned.  Everyone goes homes cleaner than a whistle.