There's a big wide world out there…..

Hobart, Tasmania MONA is Tasmania's newest attraction, it opened in January 2011. The museum is the largest privately funded institution in Australia and it houses the collection of its (very wealthy!) owner, David Walsh. Full disclosure here in that I'm not the biggest fan of modern art, so originally this museum wasn't on my list of places to see in Tasmania. But I had recently read a travel writer's report his visit and he had caught the ferry up the river from central Hobart. I loved the idea of a ferry ride on the river and then seeing some art. The ferry departs from the Brooke Street Pier which also houses a large tourist booking service so it's possible to buy a combined ticket for the ferry and entrance to the museum. Once at MONA there are 99 steps up from the jetty to the main external area. There was some huffing and puffing from the ferry passengers going up the stairs! Having successfully negotiated the stairs, you are then rewarded w

Silo Trail ----Wirrabara

Forestry themed silo art Wirrabara silo art Wirrabara is a small town (of just over 200 people) about 2 and a half hours north of Adelaide. The town was founded on the edge of a forest and a forestry industry was established in the 1850s, timber milling is still an industry that operates today. In 2018 the Community of Wirrabara received a grant to paint the disused silos in the town. A Melbourne based Street Art company was chosen to create the artwork and the community chose the artist SMUG (Sam Bates). The selected theme was to be forestry based and that was chosen by the community, the actual image was left to the artist. I really like this particular artwork, the forestry worker isn't someone from the town but rather was to represent a local forestry worker, although it seems to artist used as his model a local known to him from Tumby Bay where he had previously painted their silo art. The bird, the robin, is a rare bird in the area, and I love the way it seems as though the

Petticoat Lane Penola

A stroll down Penola's past Petticoat Lane is the name given to a street in the oldest part of Penola, it was a residential area and some of the original houses are still there. Sharam Cottages in particular are really interesting to experience as they are in what I would call 'heritage condition'! Alexander Cameron bought the freehold to 80 acres of land next to the hotel he owned in 1850. He subdivided the land and created the township of Penola, the first residential street was Petticoat Lane. The first resident of Petticoat Lane was Christopher Sharam, the local bookmaker, followed by Mr Hailes, a blacksmith. The Woods MacKillop Schoolhouse As you enter the lane the first major building you encounter is the Woods MacKillop Schoolhouse which was built in 1867. The schoolhouse was built near the church and next to the first residential street in the town. The cottages in Petticoat Lane can be best described as 'rustic' and give an authentic look into the living