Tasmania

Constitution Dock, Hobart

We're recently returned from our week in Tasmania where events transpired much as expected. Scotland lost their two cricket world cup matches and a few birds were added to the list to compensate. Maybe most surprising was the lack of rain right through until the last day. It's not as miserable down there as I was led to believe.

Hobart from the summit of Mt Wellington

We spent much of the week in and around Hobart and, in hindsight, I spent way too much time in some pretty boring bushland so we didn't really see those spectacular parts of the island that make it into the tourist brochures. Emily had the right idea by ignoring my repeated futile searches for the Forty-spotted Pardalote and Strong-billed Honeyeater and instead spent some quality time relaxing in Hobart which is a very nice town. Although those particular two birds proved elusive, I did manage to bag the other ten endemics with a couple of others thrown in. I reckon I could have got maybe 17 if I was lucky so I guess a total of 12 ticks wasn't too bad.

Tasmanian Native-hen

Black-faced Cormorant

The 12 additions to the list were Forest Raven, Yellow-throated Honeyeater, Green Rosella, Black-headed Honeyeater, Dusky Robin, Tasmanian Native-hen, Tasmanian Scrubwren, Tasmanian Thornbill, Yellow Wattlebird, Pink Robin, Scrubtit and Black Currawong #465.

Rufous-bellied Pademelon

Echidna making a poor job of hiding

Of course the reason that we headed down there at that time was the cricket and we spent two evenings at Bellerive Oval watching Scotland gallantly lose against world class opposition. It seems that's what Scotland do in all major sporting tournaments and so, despite two heavy defeats, the Scottish crowd went home happy after seeing the team take 9 Sri Lankan wickets and then in the next match get 3 of the world champion Australians out. It was especially pleasing to see Michael Clarke fail because he's a clown!

Paul Collingwood gets the boys warmed up...

... for another brave defeat

The world cup was actually a bit of a non-event here in Australia despite them winning it in the end. It seems that the Australian public has finally realised what an unpleasant bunch of blokes the cricket team is and they seem to be a bit embarassed by their behaviour both on and off the field. Even the media turned on them after the final with one commentator noting: "If cricket is truly considered our national sport, and therefore the team is meant to represent - at least in part - the character and values of our nation, then I for one, am disappointed." Others were even more blunt. Great stuff!

Public toilet - Tasmania-style