Back to the Asylum

Yesterday I commenced a leisurely drive to Port Arthur to see the latest exhibition of botanical art by the Botaniko artists at the invitation of the Great Bean.  I allowed myself 2 hours to drive there but arrived with 2 minutes to spare.  It is a lovely exhibition in, believe it or not, a lovely space.

This is the adjacent cafe where I enjoyed a latish smoked salmon salad lunch while the Bean chatted with other glitterati.  I couldn't easily take photos of the works because they were always surrounded by clusters of eager viewers.  The art is delicate and needs to be seen close up.  I was hoping to bring them to you via a webpage but this and this is the best I can do at present.  It does not seem like 2 years since Steve and I saw the first exhibition.

The Bean is now very knowledgable about Port Arthur flora and folks introducing me to Queen Victoria above.  She also introduced me to Lord ? but I didn't take a photo cos I knew I'd never remember his name.  The trees were thus named by the local policeman who Green Bean researched for last year's exhibition.

I may have said back in 2015 that Port Arthur is rather beautiful these days resembling an English village more than a harsh penal settlement.  I was beguiled by these licheny chaps:

Feeling buoyed after a very pleasant cuppla hours,  I decided to try a shortcut home from Copping - a mere 42 km to Orford.  I had in mind that this road would come out in Buckland.  But no, it became the dreaded Wielangta Road, a former Forestry road that is no longer maintained because Forestry Tasmania is in such dire straits.  Sadly I didn't discover it was the Wielangta until the bitumen ran out and became a dirt road which became a gravel road which became a moon-cratered road.  I only encountered 3 other vehicles - big, tough 4WD things hurtling towards me.  Except one which had broken the axle of its boat trailer and was phoning for help.  I slowed to make sure he was ok but wasn't game to stop.  I've heard stories of mother and son hillbillies with guns up there.
The good news is that the road turned out to be only 32 kms long, so I came to Orford much quicker that I had dared to hope.  And never has Orford looked so good.