An unexpected reprieve …
It was about this time last year when we seriously began to doubt that we would be able to get into Tasmania and that our dream of spending 6 months down the Huon would remain just that – a dream. Nothing much seems to have changed on the uncertainty front in the intervening year. I was supposed to spend this Easter on Cracroft Farm but then, a few days before the long weekend, Brisbane was sent into a snap 3-day lockdown. Of course, all the other States immediately closed their borders to anyone from the Greater Brisbane area. I was bitterly disappointed, and could only gaze longingly at the photo Cath had taken a few weeks earlier of the valley in early autumn.
But then the lockdown was lifted after only 2½ days and Tasmania changed its travel restrictions to prohibit travel only if you had visited named hotspots in Brisbane. So I was handed an unexpected reprieve and flew down on Sunday to spend a few days down here. Unfortunately Cath has to work, so this is a solo visit. Given the suddenness of the change of plans, my list of things to do (see the post on 8 November 2020 - “She’s got it on the list …”) is remarkably short and I am luxuriating in the feeling of just being here! I had expected autumn to be well advanced by now, but it seems to be late coming to the Valley. It is only really the magnificent poplars down Cracroft Street that are starting to show glimpses of autumn colour.
The garden has stood up remarkably well both to our absence and also to the lack of rain. While much of New South Wales and South East Queensland have been hit by a series of serious downpours due to a late La Niña event, there has not been much by way of precipitation in the Huon Valley. The veggie patch has however, yielded another bumper crop of fresh tomatoes and also the largest zucchini I have ever seen! I think that being around to pick the zucchini slightly earlier is probably advisable.
Luckily most of the trees we planted look to have survived without us. We may have lost a Japanese flowering cherry and today I saw that one of the ornamental pears had been broken – either by the wind or by a wallaby! I have also noticed that a bunny has taken up residence in the geraniums around the south side of the cottage and I have had to chase him off multiple times already. The place really needs Pepper back here. I went outside last night at about 10pm and beat a log of firewood against one of the poles supporting the deck. There was a general stampede of bounding animals that made a noise loud enough to be heard in the next parish! But who can really blame them for wanting to be around? The view this afternoon was pretty amazing as the characteristic pink in the evening sky announced that it was time to head indoors, grab a glass of red and light the fire …
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