15 Comments

I loved this an felt that I was one step behind you on your hike. Or maybe I was a curious wombat.

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Thanks, Martin. I saw four on the hike but further south on the island in an area known as Hopfields (yes, hops were grown there back in the day), there's a veritable city of waddling wombats. They're so sweet. Do you know that at full speed, they can run as fast as Usain Bolt? Amazing fact!

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Prue, I loved - absolutely loved, with socks on! - taking this journey alongside you.

First following in the footsteps of your fictional heroine you connected those senses of place and journey with a historical context: the arrival of prisoners who'd been subjected to a sentence of transportation. Gosh, Prue. You weave stories together so very beautifully.

(I'd never heard of 'Anzacs' - but I've clicked on your link and they look absolutely delicious!)

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Anzacs - great for you and Jim in the van, Rebecca. AND I have another link just for you: https://books.lettersofnote.com/products/lists-of-note.

I saw this and thought that its exactly the kind of book you may love!

And thank you for the kindly comment on the post. It was a memorable day for me.

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Oooooh, perfect - I love Shaun Usher - I follow him here on Substack too! Thank you so much for the link. 😘

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So glad you’ve discovered our Anzacs. They are totally recommended. And you’ve led me to Prue’s wanders! How delightful! The Substack community is a very special place. If only we had more time to properly indulge. It’s lovely to add another excellent writer to my list. Hugs to both of you Rebecca and Prue. (I’m an Aussie too Prue. Such a pleasure ‘doing this walk with you’.)

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Welcome BethofAus! I've only got a few Aussies subscribers so this is lovely!

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Yay - I'm so glad to have connected with both of you, and that the two of you have connected also! Hugs right back atcha! 🇦🇺

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What a lovely hike I just took with you. And now I really want to know more about your convict ancestor.

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I'll do a mini post on it one day... it's alternately a sad and inspiring story.

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Prue, it does my heart so much good to walk with you on these "pilgrimages." This week, my Sydney-resident daughter is here in the States with me, but it wasn't two weeks ago that she saw her first wombat, while at a little Air BnB away from the city. She's been hoping for a sighting since she arrived! And, here's yours, up close and cuddly. Your steps help me imagine hers, and vice versa.

I bought a pack of Anzacs while I was there a year ago and was totally smitten. Thank you for the recipe, which I may have to try tomorrow!

This, though, melted my heart: "Meanwhile, as a descendant of one such convict, I thanked the stars for my ancestor’s misdemeanour because without it, I wouldn’t be who I am and I wouldn’t have stood on the white sands of that ark of an island, walking briefly in his shoes."

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Oh...

I actually feel a bit teary now. Thank you, Elizabeth for your lovely comment. Tell you daughter she needs to come to Tassie and to Maria Island where wombats are literally on tap. Sometimes with babies.

XXXX

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She would be OVER THE MOON!!

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I loved this post Prue: loved going for the walk with, and learning its parallel history, and, of course all the wildlife. Your words were a very lyrical way to welcome in the day. I tuned on the bird recording and at the same time had our local birds singing outside: it was fantastic!

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I wonder what different species/countries of birds think of each other's song?

I love listening to world music, so I shall pretend its the same.

Thank you for your kind words, Sabrina.

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