Tassie On My Mind, November 2010
- winning with Tasmania

Welcome to the November 2010 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.

Interested in learning more about success and getting ahead? Tasmania can show you the way. Just look at all the inspiring wins scored by Tasmanians.

This issue:

  • Population growth win
  • Young person win
  • Grand design win
  • Top shot win
  • Animal safety win

Plus... your chance to be a part of tasmania-attractions.com!


Population growth win

Have you read about Tasmania's population heading in the right direction? Now we have even more evidence of this. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the population in Tasmania has grown nine years in a row.

And recently, Tasmania recorded its strongest quarterly population growth rate in almost 20 years. In fact, population growth slowed in all Australian states and territories, except for Tasmania.

Tasmania's current population? 507, 084.

According to Economic Development Minister Lara Giddings,

Strong migration is an important indicator of Tasmania as an attractive destination ... I want to see Tasmania increasingly being recognised around the world as an attractive place to live and work.

As you and I already know, Tasmania is indeed an attractive destination. It's good to see that many people have been coming to that realisation.

In population growth across Australia, Tasmania is a winner!!!


Young person win

Have you heard of the Tournament of Minds? Teams from primary and secondary schools have to solve demanding, open-ended challenges.

Hmmm... Sounds pretty full on doesn't it?

Well guess who won a title at the recent Australasian Pacific finals of the Tournament of Minds, held in Darwin? None other than a team of clearly very bright students from Hobart's own Howrah Primary School.

The Howrah Primary students focused on the notion of celebrity and the corrupting influence of fame surrounding the depth of pop legend Michael Jackson. This was presented using dance, melodrama, mime amd song.

That certainly seems creative and original to me. No wonder these brilliant Tassies scored a title. And this was up against teams from Australian states and territories as well as Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand.

As we've already seen with those Robocup wins mentioned in the July 2010 issue and September 2010 issue of Tassie On My Mind (TOMM), there are some highly intelligent kids in Tasmania. Maybe it's the air - I'll breathe a little more deeply next time I'm there... I'm way past primary school but who knows, there might still be some effect...


Grand design win

Have you ever seen the Supreme Court of Tasmania in Salamanca Place? What did you think of it? Well I can tell you what the 2010 National Architecture Awards panel of judges thought of it. It was judged the winner of the 25 Year Award for Enduring Architecture. The judges commented on the "remarkably original order" of the complex due to the "skill with which it was designed".

Two other 2010 National Architecture awards were won by Tasmanians too.

The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture - Houses went to Trial Bay House, designed by HBV Architects. Judges remarked on the calmness and serenity of the house, making it hard to leave.

Hmmm, that's exacty what I think of many Tasmanian destinations actually...

The Small Project Architecture award was presented to the Strangio House, designed by Maria Gigney Architects. The building is a 170 year old barn that has been transformed into a contemporary home. Judges were impressed by how "creative and sensitive" the conversion had been.

According to Richard Crawford, the Tasmanian president of the Australian Institute of Architects, these results showed that Tasmanian architects could match it with Australia's best.

Yup, they certainly can!


Top shot win

Have you heard of the Maggies? They are awards for the best magazine covers of the past year, voted for by the general public. Awards are presented in eight categories.

Waves magazine won the Sports category for a cover featuring an awesome photo of surf at Shipstern Bluff. The top shot was taken by none other than Tasmanian surf photographer Andrew Chisholm.

This is what Chisholm had to say about winning:

I was totally stunned, still amazed that something from down in Tasmania can make such an impact across Australia.

I'm not surprised at all. Have you ever been to Shipstern Bluff on the south east coast of Tasmania? I know of at least one Tasmania-attractions.com visitor who would like to make the trip.

You may recall reading about why Shipstern is not for the faint-hearted in the September 2009 issue of TOMM. And I bet Andrew Chisholm knows all about that.

The winning Waves cover photograph is out-of-this-world. So can you imagine being at Shipstern itself?


Animal safety win

As the holiday season draws near, many of us plan to hit the road for our much needed doses of travel and leisure. For all of you, here's an important safety message:

Stay safe on the roads
Keep wildlife safe

Or else, we might have more cases like Morris the baby wombat.

Morris's mother was unfortunately killed by a car. Thankfully, Morris was rescued. He was brought to the Bonorong Wildlife Park in Brighton, north of Hobart.

The baby wombat is currently six months old. It is planned that when he is two, he will be released back into the wild.

Morris's carers at the wildlife park hope that the little wombat can be a mascot of sorts, reminding drivers to be careful.

According to Bonorong Wildlife Park owner Greg Irons, with native animals breeding more and tourist traffic increasing across Tasmania during summer, the number of animal rescues could triple.

He has good advice:

If people drive slowly at night, there's not only less chance of them hitting animals, but there's less chance of them hurting themselves.

I personally try to avoid driving after dark in areas where there are wildlife. But if I have to, I slow down. And I have even more driving tips to help you enjoy safe travels in Tasmania.

Well that's it for this issue.

So are you starting to think about end-of-year holidays, catch-ups with family and friends, maybe taking a trip to a beautiful island destination? Is Tasmania beckoning?

As a friend once told me, the planning is part of the enjoyment of a break. So enjoy the planning and travel safe...

See you next month!


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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