An Island Off an Island

Such a radical move. Uprooting on a whim. Bruny Island – yes, a beautiful paradise, but so far away – about as far south as is possible to be and still claim Australia as home.

To date it has been an experience filled with awe and wonder. A view in all directions to die for, an amazing house, first sighting of a quoll, an unexpected echidna and the privilege of watching four yellow-tailed black cockatoos rip apart one of our casuarina trees.

On a more human perspective, we have been welcomed warmly by several of our neighbours and fellow Dennes Point residents.

On a more personal level, once the majority of the unpacking and arranging has been sorted, there is a plethora of exciting new projects in the garden and surrounds that I can’t wait to get started on. It’s a case of too much to contemplate – where do I start? Priorities? Just as well I love the art of making lists!

With a change in location comes a mountain of unwanted rubbish and, in particular, packaging materials. With rudimentary garbage collection (entailing one black garbage bag with $3.00 attached mysteriously disappearing on Monday mornings), it was with great interest that we made our first visit to Bruny’s tip. Having been spoilt by excellent facilities at both Blayney and Orange tips over the last thirty years, it was with trepidation that we approached the rather grandiosely named Bruny Island “Waste Transfer Station” What a pleasant surprise! Bruce, an amiable character with a reputation as a sculptor of some note, greeted us to the strains of heavy rock blaring from the sound system. The WTS is a triumph of order, cleanliness and function. Having placed our offerings in the relevant bins and receptacles, we concluded our visit with a chat with Bruce and a feeling that subsequent trips to the WTS will be something to look forward to.