Shouts From Down Under

NaNoWriMo-ers fly back to your own planet; then what?

When the war (NaNo) is over, and the soldiers (writers) return home (to earth), when the weapons (editing) are all melted down into plough-shares, and pickaxes (ready to publish manuscripts), when all the hard yards, blood, sweat and toil, tears and angst are finished and put away, then it's time to take a deep breath, time to step back, time for a well earned break.

Believe it or not NaNo-ers, in a few short weeks, the hours clomping onward, the minutes sweeping around, the seconds flicking by faster than your keyboard strokes, in a short time you'll be finished, and need something to reward yourself, especially with all that cash that's bound to flow in from all your famous stories. Yes, once that novel is grabbed by a far seeing publisher or agent, as they scrabble over your illustrious work like some chooks in a chicken run, think of the money flowing into your gold sack coffers.

So, what's this all about?

You need a holiday. A vacation, as you people arouuuuuuuund the globe call it. A trip away to recharge the old creative batteries. Can't go on forever wearing yourself to a frazel you know.

And what better place to travel to for a spell, than good old Tassie. Tasmania - it's just what you need to rejuvenate your word producer. Your head needs a rest. You're convinced already, I can tell.

Where is Tasmania? Is that what you said!? If you go around the globe following the equator, past India, past Africa, past China, past Russia, past the US of A, past Japan, past Bangladesh and get to an old car sitting on blocks with no doors and the bonnet up? Well, that's not Tasmania.
Oh. Coincidentally, I live in Tasmania, so I can vouch that it is a place. It does exist. Its very clean, green and not a bad scene.

Many tourists already fly here, from as far away as Russia and Ukraine, such as the Albatross, but so do a lot of humans too. Humans also come by boat as they don't like to swim across Bass Strait. It's not that deep, but it is cold. Better to take the ferry- The Spirit of Tasmania.

And that's what I'm saying. It's the spirit of the place. The lovely fresh green scenery. The hills, the forests, the lakes, the plains, the highlands, the rivers, the coast, the beaches, the villages, towns, farms and Online Access Centres, the Linc libraries.

All these places are special. But some more than others.

I want to draw your attention to something other than writing, and NaNo, for a few minutes. A bit like Mount Everest. Because its there. And special to visit. Take a pencil and draw on your calendar, do up a budget, and start saving. You'll be so refreshed you'll laugh when you leave here but be sad until you return another time.

There is this little restaurant in the main street of a small town called Ulverstone. It's the stem of the apple Isle.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Archie-Secret-Cafe/192300350796033

There are the entrepreneurs, and without these people, there'd be even less jobs in economically tough times like now.
No, not all the Freesias are freezin' in Tassie.

http://www.latrobe.edu.au/be-the-difference/maarten

You can go on a river cruise, a top value experience, with a gourmet Tasmanian specialty food lunch provided, like you've never tasted before. This is one thing not to be missed. Sure, there are the more well known destinations, but these are just a couple of those enjoyable ones known more so by the locals. And that's the holiday you want isn't it? One with local flavour and value, not just a plastic, routine, usual tourist trap rush that everyone else does?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Discover-The-Leven-Ulverstone-Tasmania/1875858646...



There's fishing, and snow at the lakes. You can stay in a shack for a few nights- wood heater, generator, bushwalking, or just...writing?



And, it's amazing what you see when Targa Tasmania is on, the world famous local car race. (Peter Brock RIP)



Well, that's it. Idea time for holidays is over. Back to work.

Sparky