lyrical luthier

Posted on November 14, 2015 by kathy

In September 2012, Michael realised a dream to make his own guitar. A Melbourne based luthier instructed his five students during an intensive two weeks at Highfield House in Stanley.

The course culminated with a dinner and musical evening at the local pub, a good excuse for me to join him for the weekend.

The finished instrument is a unique 7-string acoustic guitar with a celery top pine front, rare tiger myrtle sides & back, Queensland maple neck, Queensland gidgee fretboard & bridge and blackwood rosette & bindings.

At the dinner, we learned that the same course was run in Italy each year and so, in May 2014, we ventured to Benabbio in Tuscany. Michael created another masterpiece, labouring long days in the 16th century workshop of our villa residence.

The view from his workbench was quite tolerable.

This is how it happened. The sides were shaped, glued & clamped and given a light sand.

The back was glued & clamped, then the kerfing & scalloped bracing was added to create rigidity.

Meanwhile, work on the neck was underway.

The rosette was carefully inlaid into the soundboard, the struts on the underside were precision scalloped and the bridge was glued into place & clamped.

Michael had designed a Tasmanian Tiger for the headstock. The blackwood was inlaid into the musk here in Tasmania and travelled with us. This was glued in place and the soundboard was attached to the body.

Gluing & taping the bindings was fiddly.

A bit more work on the headstock and the neck was dovetail joined to the body.

The holes were drilled for the machine heads

and sanding & shaping continued

despite the momentary distraction of an exotic bird.

A few coats of oil and a final wax

and the strings were attached

The result is a magnificent instrument with huon pine soundboard, figured blackwood sides & back, Tasmanian oak neck, Queensland gidgee fretboard, bridge & bindings and Tasmanian musk rosette & headstock. The sound is beautiful and I have it on good authority she is a pleasure to play.

You can hear some of Michael’s music here http://michaelcannon.bandcamp.com/album/invisible

captivating canyon

Posted on November 10, 2015 by kathy

Leven Canyon is another favourite of ours to show off to visitors, an hours drive through some very picturesque countryside. An easy ten minute walk along a shady track

brings you to Cruikshanks Lookout, rewarding you with spectacular views of the Loongana Range and beyond.

275m below, the Leven River flows through the limestone cliffs on its way to Bass Strait.

Black Bluff, at 1340m, is usually the first peak in the area to have a covering of snow in winter and the remnants linger well into spring.

You can take the leisurely walk back to the car park or, for the more energetic, the circuitous Forest Stairs Track. 697 steps descend through magnificent rainforest.

Looking back, Cruikshanks is barely visible against the sky,

while looking down gives a closer view of the river

and the rock formations created by the turbulent water.

The track eventually leads back to the serene picnic grounds and car park.

I think this message carved in stone sums up Leven Canyon perfectly.

stunning Stanley

Posted on November 2, 2015 by kathy

One of our favourite places in Tasmania is the small fishing village of Stanley on the northwest coast. Only an hours drive away, it is a must to show off to visitors. The iconic landmark, The Nut, becomes visible from the highway

and as you get nearer, you can see the township snuggled in at the base. The Nut is an old volcanic plug, first named Circular Head when discovered in 1826.

Highfield House is a fine example of a home from the Regency period. Built over three years from 1832 to 1835 it is set on a hillside with magnificent views across Stanley and Bass Strait. Visit historic-highfield.com.au

The house has been beautifully restored and maintained.

A wander through the house and grounds connects you with the fascinating history of the area.

Convict labour was used at the estate and the remnants of the convict barracks can be found close by.

The old post and rail fencing has so much character.

A stroll along Godfrey’s Beach rewards with impressive scenery and a different perspective of The Nut.

A walk around the flat top of The Nut is the best way to view Stanley and surrounds.

There is a zig-zag walking path to the top but with a 143 metre climb, the chairlift ride up and walk down is an appealing option.

The town is very quaint, the terraced streets and heritage buildings have changed little since the first Europeans arrived in 1826.

Most of the buildings are now home to interesting shops, accommodation and cafés.

Spoilt for choice when it comes to meals, I don’t think you can do better than the Stanley Hotel.

If you are lucky, you will catch a rainbow at East Inlet on the way home.

Last year, Hollywood came to Stanley for the filming of “The Light Between the Oceans”. The streets were filled with gravel and the town was transformed to 1926. The movie will be released next year…..and maybe Stanley will become famous.

grapes, gourmet & guitar

Posted on October 23, 2015 by kathy

Ghost Rock is an award winning vineyard on the central north coast of Tasmania. Established in 1989, the vineyard was one of the first to be planted in this region and in 2001, the Ghost Rock label was launched. Once a month, on a Sunday afternoon, they promote live music. The star attraction in July was my husband, Michael, a very talented singer, songwriter and musician. We arrived early before the lunch crowd

and once Michael had set up

we enjoyed a delicious Ghost Rock Platter, complemented by a glass of superb chardonnay

We were soon joined by our support team, not a big group, but I think quality is far more important than quantity

Another Ghost Rock Platter and Guacamole Dip were ordered, along with a couple of bottles of wine

Before long, we had a full house

and Michael entertained the diners while they ate, drank and were merry.

It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon, the gorgeous view and cavorting cattle added to the relaxing atmosphere

To find out how Ghost Rock got it’s name and to learn more about this fabulous venue, go to ghostrock.com.au

gorgeous gorge

Posted on October 16, 2015 by kathy

Last Sunday, we ventured to Launceston to catch up with our friends from Darwin. We spent a glorious spring morning at Cataract Gorge, a unique, natural formation close to the city centre.

Cataract Gorge Reserve covers 192 hectares at the lower section of the South Esk River.

The nesting swans have a spectacular home.

There are many walking tracks and lookouts offering fabulous views.

The Alexandra Suspension Bridge was built in 1940 to connect the two sides of the river.

A short pause midway rewarded us with a great view upstream.

The chairlift is a relaxing way to travel from First Basin to the Cliff Grounds. Built in 1972, it is the longest single-span chairlift in the world

and presents a different perspective from above.

The swimming pool, presumably empty for winter maintenance, is a very popular place in the warmer months.

The Cliff Grounds are serene, with sweeping lawns and variant displays of colour radiating from the many azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias and exotic plants