From time to time I get to travel a bit further afield in my quest to inspire young minds, and in Tassie this usually means getting to take in a bit more of the amazing landscape of this beautiful state. This trip was definitely no exception, in fact for the whole week I felt I was on holiday – the scenery was stunning, the emergent spring weather was either gloriously sunny or wet in a kind of cozy misty way, the accommodation was heavenly, and all the schools I visited were warm, friendly & very welcoming!
My base was in a gorgeous little township named Penguin. It sits on the Northern edge of Tasmania, gazing out over the vast ocean of the Bass Strait towards the mainland, and I really felt that I was at the very edge of the island. A very endearing feature of Penguin, that appeals to my cartoonist mind, is that the town celebrates its name with all kinds of penguin effigies & imagery, from the bins in the street to the Big Penguin looming by the beach. Tasmania has lots of these cozy nests of quirkiness tucked around the place.
My accommodation was at High On Penguin, a rock’n’roll-themed B&B with all the mod cons and a stunning view out over the township & the ocean beyond. Choice of themed rooms include the Janis Joplin (mine), the Jimi Hendrix, the Bob Dylan, the Neil Young and the Joni Mitchell. Full modern kitchen facilities, plenty of goodies in the fridge, walls adorned with R&R treasures, two huge screens for viewing music vids from the DVD library, and lots of CDs to choose from, even a digital Wurlitzer jukebox in the loungeroom! I was in heaven! Owner Gerard was a lovely host, genial and helpful, a teacher himself, and I would highly recommend the experience if you’re ever in that part of Tassie. High quality, attention to detail, and a very reasonable price. From here I ventured out each day to Penguin High School and Montello Primary, and what a pleasure it was to come back at the end of the day – a home away from home!
