Thank you, Harrison!

Thank you, Harrison!
Posted by: neilius.

Harrison was at pre-school earlier this week, when his teacher commented about the beat-up old toy wheelbarrow whose front wheel had fallen off.

"My Dad can fix it", he said. "My Dad can fix anything".

I'm a hopeless handyman. The first guinnea pig cage I ever build ended up as a pile of wood and wire. So did the second one. The only time in my life I ever gave my car a grease and oil change was when my 18 year-old step son helped me. (He did all of the work, and I watched on and gave encouraging words when I thought it was appropriate.)

This little challenge from Harrison was quite a big one for me, but inside I was overjoyed the confidence that my 5 year old son had placed in me.

So I agreed, and did what I could to fix up the wheelbarrow. I gave it a fresh coat of paint, some new washers, some oil, and had a great time while Harrison watched on.

"That looks awesome, Dad!"

Wow - what a vote of confidence! What a privilage to be a father, and for a few precious, short years to be a little boy's hero. All it took was a couple of hours on my Saturday morning, and a few dollars, but the memory for me will last a lifetime.

Soon he will think that he knows better than me, and I'll just be an "oldie". But for now, I can do awesome things with wheelbarrows, I get to be a hero for a day, and Harrison will tell all his friends that his Dad fixed the wheelbarrow up.

Thanks a million, son!

Sunset at Rosevears on the Tamar river

Sunset at Rosevears on the Tamar river
Posted by: neilius.

A tranquil place about 15 minutes drive from Launceston Tasmania. Taken with my mobile phone.

The Beautiful Tamar (Part 1)

The Beautiful Tamar (Part 1)
Posted by: neilius.

The Tamar River meanders from George Town on the northern coast of Tasmania down to Launceston, 55km away.

If you sailed it, you'd probably measure about 75km because of all the bends in the river.

Despite this meandering, it is quite deep and navigable for its entire length. Large ships regularly make the journey.

The Beautiful Tamar (Part 2)

The Beautiful Tamar (Part 2)
Posted by: neilius.

The spectacular Batman Bridge crosses the Tamar near Exeter, about 30 km north of Launceston.

Built in 1968, it is unusual in that it is a hybrid bridge (the technical term is "asymmetric cable-stayed").

One side boasts one huge "A" shaped pylon that is secured deep into the bedrock on the western side of the river. Cables from it support the weight of most of the bridge.

The eastern side of the Tamar is not as rocky as the other side, so this end of the bridge rests on a series of trusses.

This particular part of the river is known as "Whirlpool Reach". It is much narrower, and the currents can be very strong.