Veronika Wild

Hmm... looks good. Too bad I just had breakkfast !   Although some of the fires are still burning, an unexpected  snowstorm last Thursday brought the bushfire crises to an abrupt end and suddenly it feels like autumn – perfect walking weather really, bu t my poor walking buddy has been laid up since Christmas, so I thought I’d tell you about some pleasant indoor experiences I’ve had instead, especially as posts about food seem to be among the more popular ones lately.   I am indebted to my daughter for introducing me to these places as it wouldn’t normally occur to me to spend that much on food.    Tucked away in an unlikely location in a semi –industrial part of town Little Missy Patisserie in Argyle Street, was almost completely packed out.   It didn’t take long to find out why. The pastries, all made on the premises are positively divine. Choosing what to have was the hardest part, though I did want to try the cheesecake. The plan wa...

Not a sunset - the glow of a fire to the south west  of Mt. Wellington. Poor picture quality is because of the smoke in the air Rain on the roof. What a wonderful sound! You can hear the entire state breathing a sigh of relief from our overworked firefighters to the humblest velvet worm deep underground. For weeks acrid smoke has blanketed the city obscuring both river and mountain as firefighters have fought to contain around fifty forest fires on the Central Plateau, in the South West, around the Huon and on the West Coast. Fortunately, there have been no lives lost to date and only a few homes, but many people were forced to evacuate and it is still an enormous tragedy given the loss of wildlife, trees and rare and slow growing plants. Unlike most of Australia whose bush does recover eventually after fire, this is not the case in our World Heritage Areas where the fires have consumed almost 200,000 hectares. Read  Richard Flanagan's article in the Guard...

Hello from the Zebras at Zoodoo - baby in the brown coat was born in Tasmania Let me say at the outset that I have mixed feelings about zoos. On the one hand I’m sure animals would prefer to be in the wild, following their own inclinations and schedules rather than being gawped at by humans. On the other hand, as humans take over more and more of the earth’s living space and modify the ecosystems of other species with development and climate change, zoos may be the last places where animals, especially the larger ones, can find refuge and possibly some protection from extinction.   There are already many breeding programs in zoos around the world which offer hope to species such as pandas which are no longer able to breed in the wild. They also add to our knowledge about animals which may contribute to the survival not only of those injured as a result of fire or road trauma, but even whole species such as our own Tassie Devil, when they fall victim to devastating di...