Fossil Bluff

Posted on May 18, 2024 by kathy

My first visit to Fossil Bluff at Wynyard in 2009 was a little disappointing. The tide was in and, although the sandstone cliff was spectacular and scenery stunning, I didn’t see any evidence of fossils.

More recently, we arrived at low tide to find the expansive beach of Freestone Cove with Fossil Bluff looming to the east

and Table Cape to the west.

We wandered among rocks, weathered and worn smooth by the incessant ebb and flow of the tide.

Fossil Bluff was created 275 million years ago by a tidewater glacier. The 25 metre sandstone cliffs are strewn with fossils, including the remains of the oldest marsupial found in Australia named Wynyardia bassiana in honour of the town.

The grey rock at the base of the cliff is Wynyard Tillite, deposited by the glacier between 303 and 293 million years ago while Australia was part of the super continent called Gondwana. Fossil Bluff sits on top of the tillite and it is clear to see where the sandstone and tillite meet.

It wasn’t long before I spied a plethora of trilobites emerging from rock. One of the earliest known groups of arthropods, trilobites became extinct about 252 million years ago after existing in oceans for 270 million years.

Myriad shells of varying shapes and sizes decorate every surface

along with ancient ancestors of the turritella sea snails.

Nature’s artwork surrounded us,

and with a little imagination, an ossified whale and porpoise.

A lone slab of tessellated rock seemed out of place among its gnarly neighbours.

I was wondering why my niece was so interested in photographing this particular rock formation

until she showed me what she had captured. I stole her idea.

devilish dining

Posted on April 13, 2024 by kathy

The Tasmanian Devil may not fit the ideal impression of cute and cuddly but I think they have a certain appeal. A recent visit to Wings Wildlife Park confirmed my notion and, watching them lazing in the sunshine, I would go as far as saying they are adorable.

The glossy dark fur is marked with a characteristic white stripe across the chest and sometimes across the rump.

The largest carnivorous marsupials in the world, the devils powerful jaws and teeth enable them to devour every scrap of their food, including bones and fur.

The Devil Facial Tumour Disease, first recorded in 1996, decimated the devil population and a large network of captive breeding programmes was established in the early 2000s. The contagious cancers were transmitted through biting during the fierce competition for food. Facial scarring is not unusual from the frenzied activity.

Peace was about to be shattered

as a meerkat impersonator spotted the arrival of lunch.

There is nothing quite like a succulent wallaby leg to elicit the grunts and growls that have earned the Tasmanian Devils their reputation for being aggressive.

They seemed to understand the concept of sharing for a while

before breaking a large enough morsel to enjoy in private.

strenuous summer

Posted on March 23, 2024 by kathy

Early last year we had a few large trees removed and the timber was left in piles for us to turn into firewood. We finally got around to dealing with it this summer with many hours of chainsawing, splitting and stacking (not to mention swearing). Realising there were a further two trees that needed felling, we came up with yet another project to use the enormous pile of mulch that would ensue. The row of trees along the south-eastern boundary of the garden has always been difficult to traverse with the ride-on mower. We mapped out the area to mulch and laid 3-metre pine posts for the edging.

Procuring huge cardboard boxes from the dumpsters at local electrical stores, we laid them flat to repel the weeds. The remaining mulch from last year’s felling was used up first

before more cardboard and a hefty layer from the new pile.

We interspersed our weekend activities with more cutting

and splitting

to clear the way for the new border. The Tree Doctor returned to decimate the final specimen

and we returned to mulching the new border with great fervour.

Alas, the piles of timber waiting for splitting seemed to be never ending

and with one monster left,

a massive effort saw the completion of our odyssey.

It is very rewarding to see the firewood stacked in preparation for coming winters.

A feature has been made of the remaining stump of the once majestic blackwood tree

and the old plough has a new position front and centre.

precious Pinot

Posted on November 25, 2023 by kathy

Last summer, a conversation over lunch with a friend revealed her desire to establish a micro-vineyard. However, finding the right parcel of land was proving difficult, at which point we offered a few options on our property. The area designated as ‘orchard’ when we moved here has, over the years, seen the demise of the aged fruit trees and we had intended moving the remaining plants. This plot was deemed perfect for the project. Posts were added to our already existing few just before the new year

and support wires were strung soon after.

The vines were secured within the veggie enclosure through summer

until ready for planting in autumn.

Each vine was trimmed to the first two or three buds

while Michael took up the auger and embraced the arduous task of hole digging.

Each plant was placed into the precisely drilled holes, backfilled and watered

until 158 vines nestled in their new home.

Tree guards would protect the youngsters through the winter months and stave off attacks by marauding wildlife.

There was nothing left to do but wait and let nature work her magic. Seven months later, they are thriving, safe from the dreaded spring winds within their corflute cocoons.

There are two rows of Pinot Gris and the rest are Pinot Noir, a few years away from the bottle yet but an exciting journey lies ahead.

grand greenhouse

Posted on October 14, 2023 by kathy

Although our veggie patch is prolific through summer, it tends to be somewhat limited once the colder months descend. After much contemplation, we took the plunge and ordered a greenhouse last February.

We chose a site adjacent to the vegetable enclosure with the potting shed and running water close by.

We have found that self-build is not always the easy option, with dubious instructions and missing pieces and so, we relied on those with prior experience. Even so, it took a little longer than the one day allocated to finish but the result was worth it.

We brought in a couple of scoops of earth for the base followed by a layer of blue metal to assist with drainage and a topping of mulch that can be watered down to increase humidity.

Michael constructed a staging shelf out of reclaimed timbers

and we bought raised beds to fill the rest of the space. Once we realised how high the temperature reaches, we installed a sunshade on the northern side.

A temporary trestle provided the perfect environment to cure the butternuts in May. I then store them on a shelf high in the potting shed where they last for a good six months.

To help with temperature control, we added louvres to one of the panels and Michael cunningly created a screen to keep out creepy crawlies and resident reptiles.

Being in the apprentice stage of greenhouse gardening, we weren’t sure which plants would be successful. We started with brassicas, beetroot, carrot, onion, capsicum, butternut and bush bean.