Tassie On My Mind, September 2011
- the buzz of Tasmania
Welcome to the September 2011 issue of Tassie On My Mind, a free monthly newsletter keeping you informed of the latest news on what makes Tasmania such an attractive travel destination.
Spring is here. Don't you love how spring seems to make all things new?
And Tasmania has plenty to get you feeling renewed too - dazzling live performances, gorgeous displays from nature, a buzzing capital city. There's a lot to get excited about.
Read on to see what I mean...
This issue:
- A Tasmanian icon
- Garden-lovers rejoice
- Consider yourself
- A capital makeover
- Music to our ears
Plus... your chance to be a part of tasmania-attractions.com!
A Tasmanian icon
What comes to mind when you think of Tasmanian icons? Tasmanian Devil? Tasmanian Tiger? I have come up with a list of Tasmanian icons which, for me, most readily bring Tasmania to mind.
In this case however I'm referring to an institution that was declared a Tasmanian icon in 1998 and not on my list!
It's the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO).
And it sure has a lot of wonderful performances to offer this spring, for example:
- Musical Legends - featuring stirring double bass sounds
- Discover Brahms - featuring the great man's Symphony No 3
- A Musical Odyssey - featuring the famous orchestral piece known to many as the theme music from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Have you heard the music from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey? I love both the movie and the music - it's so uplifting.
Garden-lovers rejoice
Why?
Because of Blooming Tasmania - which brings together
- floral displays,
- gardening festivals and
- garden open days
throughout Tasmania.
How come Tasmania has so many beautiful gardens? Well Australia's island state has one of the most growable climates in the world. Tasmania has such a diversity of climate conditions, hence so many plants can thrive here with relative ease.
Outstanding gardens are not necessarily just about plants though, are they? Water features like fountains and lakes, birdlife, sculptures, can all contribute to make a garden shine.
What do you go for in a garden? Native plants? Roses? Lavender? Rhododendrons? Exotic trees? Heritage? Lavender? Or maybe you would like Tasmazia, which has the largest collection of botanical mazes in the world.
Find out more about gardens you can visit at the Blooming Tasmania website.
Consider yourself
Consider yourself told - about two of the many terrific plays you can see in Tasmania.
I'm referring to:
- Oliver - presented by Launceston Musical Society, showing from 21st to 24th September at Theatre North
- Who Knows - written by Tasmanian playwright Paul McIntyre, showing on 28th September at The Annexe Theatre
As a child I loved the story of Oliver, which came to life for me when I saw the movie. It's based on a book by Charles Dickens. It's a bittersweet tale but with a lovely happy ending.
I loved all the music from the movie too, including "Consider Yourself" (which I mentioned above).
Who Knows appeals to me because it's about someone who's mad about the "Doctor Who" sci-fi TV series.
And I love that show too! The Doctor makes me laugh with some of the funny things he says. He often shows a strange approach to life in general. Oh well, what do you expect from a native of Gallifrey (the planet that the Doctor comes from).
A capital makeover
I'm talking about the $1.3 billion worth of building development planned for Hobart's CBD.
And we are talking big money, for example:
- Myer - $100 million
- Royal Hobart Hospital - $586 million
- Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery - $200 million
- Wellington Court - $50 million
This means Hobart is on the way to looking even more attractive. Not only that, this should hopefully
- bring in lots of healthy investment,
- raise business confidence and
- result in a welcome boost to Tasmania's economy.
Such major refurbishments like these do take time, but it's still exciting to know they are on the way.
Bring on the new look Hobart!
Music to our ears
The live music scene is booming in Tasmania. There are more places offering gigs and more performances by local bands. This is superb news for Tasmania in many ways.
According to Contemporary Music Services Tasmania, this is great not only for Tasmania's live music industry but also because it means more young people want to stay in Tasmania and that in itself is terrific for the local economy too.
These are just some of the popular live music venues around Hobart:
- Alley Cat
- Brisbane
- Grand Poobah
- Venue Six
- Waratah
- Soho
To be honest, for a long time I never felt particularly drawn to the live music scene. I'd had experiences where I get tired of shouting to make myself heard to whoever I'm with, or I was struggling to hear myself think.
However when I'm mentally prepared and ready to go listen to some good live music I always have a blast.
Just recently I attended a birthday event where the entertainment featured some live music. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself having a wonderful time moving to the music - while seated and on the dance floor too.
So I do encourage everyone to go discover their own piece of live music action...
Well that's it for this issue.
It never ceases to amaze me how much Tasmania has to offer. Such diversity from Australia's compact yet dynamic island state.
Outstanding classical music, breath-taking gardens, wonderful plays, a thriving capital city, an action-packed live music scene and so much more.
It's happening in Tasmania...
See you in October!
To contact me, click here.
Here's your chance to be a part of
Tasmania-attractions.com!
One Day In Tasmania
What if you had just one day in Tasmania? Where would you go? What would you do?
Share your dream with us.
If selected, your dream will appear as a page at tasmania-attractions.com
It doesn't matter if you have never been to Tasmania. I would love to hear your thoughts too. It's easy to find out about Tasmania, at tasmania-attractions.com or elsewhere.
This is your chance. Join in the fun. Share your thoughts with us.
We all gain so much from each other's ideas.
Hit us with your best shot
Your best wildlife shot, that is...
Have you ever been in just the right place at just the right time and snagged a great wildlife photo?
Share that photo with us.
We would love to see it. Not only that, we would love to get your tips on how you got the photo.
How did you manage not to scare the animal away? What did you do to prepare for the shot?
If selected, your photo and story will appear as a page at tasmania-attractions.com
This is your opportunity to shine. Let's share our stories around.
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