Heaven on Earth?

I do not know which part of the world was Belinda Carlisle referring to when she sang her 80's hit song (one album wonder?) 'Heaven is a place on Earth'. I do know, however, that the theologists were
not amused by her personification of any place on Earth to something heavenly like Heaven. I think John Lennon also ruffled some feathers when he sang, "...above us only sky..." in the evergreen anti-war song 'Imagine'. The Malays has a saying that Heaven is at your mother's feet. (even though if it is infected or gangrenous?)

Now you know, just in case you landed in Liverpool (John Lennon International) Airport and are wondering why they have engraved on its wall, 'Above us only sky'.

The lasts of Tasmanian Aborigines

Something close to what of us have a description of Heaven can be seen indeed on Earth is tiny (in comparison to the adjacent island-continent of Australia and it is called Tasmania. Tasmania was named the fearless sea-faring Dutchman called Abel Tasman. He was really the first Caucasian to have discovered' Australia and the many archipelagos surrounding it– if you totally disregard the hundreds or possibly thousands of years of a symbiotic relationship of its natives with nature, fauna and flora... Sounds very much like a scene from 'Avatar'.

Interestingly, I read somewhere that, (do not know if it is true), that the human genome had been deciphered and the Australian aborigines' DNA makeup closely resembles (if not identical) to the Tamilians in India.

Coming back to Tasmania and its place as a heavenly haven…

Inmate? Spike Bridge.

Ever since we learnt about Tasmania (affectionately known as Tassie @ Tazzie by the Aussies) in our geography lessons back in Form 2, my contemporaries and I secretly had an undying dream to stand on its soil and admire its natural beauty in full glory one day. And that one day finally materialised late last year. Thanks a million to Air Asia and its arrangement with a fellow budget airliner, Jetstar, for the free tickets which were given upon purchase of a ticket from KL to Melbourne!

Hobart International Airport is an international airport, alright, but with only one global destination (i.e. Antarctica). The atmosphere around the island is generally laid back, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is a flat country with the gentle cool southern breeze cooling the temperature. It is not appropriate to make a clear impression of the place by just staying there for 2 nights! Like they say about marriage and relationships, the unsavoury points only show up after the first year.

Let me just concentrate on the single tour that I (with my other half) took and thoroughly enjoyed. Tazzie is by no means a small island. There so many tours available and each would take a whole day! And I thought Tazzie was as big as Penang!

View from a peak off Freycinet Park

The tour entourage comprised 5 tourists. There was a Swedish couple, Samuel Brissman, an engineer with his soon to be a star, TV compere partner, Jenny Hutton, who can be viewed in this clip on YouTube. The last of the group come in late in the van we were travelling. Before the formal introduction, we thought that she was a Native Australian by her features. What do you know; we later found out that she was indeed a high flying Google executive Indian (Tamil) tourist from Hyderabad. Now, what did I say about the DNA? Scott was our tour guide cum driver- as usual, he showed great passion for his job. The journey was long, but enjoyable. We stopped at many 'touristy' sites to be there with nature. Offhand, I remember the Spiked bridge built by hardcore prisoners who were sent for various criminal offences in the mainland. Mind you, most people think that all the Aussie's descendants were prisoner sent to Australia from England to be punished.
Contrary to that belief, there were indeed genuine migrants who were there just before the Industrial Revolution when jobs were scarce, and they were others who settled there after finishing their sentence. Just like their distant cousins in the Americas, they brutally practised genocide, only that there was no such word then. It was just cultured

Wine Glass Bay

people and savages! Every angle a picture is taken is a picturesque postcard-perfect picture. Even shots taken with my lowly el-cheapo mobile phone is picture perfect! The journey was long, but enjoyable. We stopped at many 'touristy' sites to be there with nature. Offhand, I remember the Spiked bridge built by hardcore prisoners who were sent for various criminal offences in the mainland. Mind you, most people think that all the Aussie's descendants were prisoner sent to Australia from England to be punished.
Contrary to that belief, there were indeed genuine migrants who were there just before the Industrial revolution when the job was scarce, and they were those who settled there after finishing their sentence. Just like their distant cousins in the Americas, they brutally practised genocide, just that there was no such word then. It was just cultured people and savages!

Picturesque or what?

One thing we have to take our hats off for the Aussies is that diligence in taking care of the environment for the next generation. Many man-hours are spent on this endeavour. Many rangers are employed, on-going studies of the fauna and flora, the introduction of controlled burning so to avert the ever-dreaded bush fires which are notoriously so detrimental to human and environment, many designated National Parks where vehicles and constructions are prohibited.

Honeymoon Beach

Tickets are sold to visitors to these parks and the funds used for its uplift. I had the privilege of leaving my footprint (only footprint, not carbon print) on Freycinet National Park where one of the world's 10 most beautiful beaches, Wine Glass Bay is located. I do not have to say much about this beach as the following pictures paint more than a million brush strokes and volumes of words. Whichever angle you snap your camera button, the end product is yet another 'Wish you were here' picturesque postcard-perfect picture. Wine Glass Bay got its name when whaling was every fisherman's birthright. Blood from the docked whaling boat in the bay used to colour it dark crimson and from a distance the bay, with its chalice shape, the bay used to look like a red wine filled glass.

Atop Mt Amos

There is a beach with breathtaking scenery called Honeymoon Bay. It should fit snuggly into Mills and Boons or Nora Roberts' romantic novel. - Not that I indulge in these!

Another honeymoon

Freycinet with Old Rock structure

Strawberry fields forever

Bliss

Honeymoon Bay Beach
 (Scott in the foreground)

The Greatest Artist's creation

Now, when the Taliban grew poppy to fund their 'holy wars', or Khun Sa protected his merchandise in the Golden Triangle with mercenaries, the world condemned it. Still, in their own backyard, Tazzies grow weed (poppy). Of course, it is all in the name of legal, controlled cultivation for medicinal reasons.





On either side of this sentence, enjoy the view of the warm, pristine white fine sands of the 'Friendly Beach'.

En route to our destination, we were introduced to Kate, the owner of the renowned (she displayed a British Monarchy endorsement letter to prove it- they love to eat for free, anyway) Tasmanian strawberry farm simply called Kate's Berry Farm. (See below).

Sweet Swede complementing God's paradise

I had to include this picture as it carries a story behind it. So, when Jenny realised that the tours involved walking on the beach, she said, "Oh, no!...but, I don't have proper footwear." Hearing this, my wife dug deep into her knapsack (should I say tucker-bag) and guess what, she took a fluorescent apple green Japanese slippers -worth RM3 (Aus$1) in Alam Jaya Pasar Malam (night market) and presented to her. I was particularly amazed at the type of things she has managed to pull out of her bag, like a magician pulling out things out a hat. That would explain the forever inflated baggage weights at check-in and how in the early post 9-11 days she would be stopped longer than it should at the security counter! Samuel, a fortnight ago, emailed to say that she is still wandering around the streets of Sydney comfortably in those slippers. The best part is that she has never worn 'one-of-those' slippers in her life!

View from our hotel

Serenity

Beach with stones, no sands

At the Waterfront

At the Taste Festival

Another attraction of our visit was the annual 'Taste Festival' of Tasmania, held in conjunction with the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race. The Waterfront in the heart of town is the landing site as well the site of this festival. One of the wharves was decorated, giving a fun fair-like atmosphere with the performance of local bands. To a Malaysian like me, it was just like our weekly Pasar Malam where our local VCD and DVD peddlers would provide music - Of course, they were more finesse! The fest showcased locally produced ciders, freshly caught fish and crustaceans and not to forget proud Tasmanian Boer beer. Anyway, I think that was it was supposed to be. With globalisation, you cannot get away from the rest of the world. In the extravaganza, three stalls were selling wholly Indian foods like tandoori and curries. Hey, pretty soon curry would be the national of countries other than England. And I tasted their mussels cooked in Thai chilly style!