the isle of thrift

Eight days in Tasmania.

What did I do?

I decided to forsake culture and history and opt for the op.

I've decided that this is the way to actually get to know a place.

'By my op-shops, you will know me.'

Tasmania is a strange ol' place. So informed by its landscape and isolation (a lot like New Zealand so I've heard!), it's bountiful and wildly extreme at the same time. It feels as if you open your backdoor and the wildness is right there. There are lots of people 'tree-changing' and involved with the tourism industry and, at the other end, there are lots of people on welfare. For a place of 500,000 people there is more op-shops per head of population than I think I have ever experienced. Even the smallest town will have a Salvo's (red sign) and a Vinnie's (blue sign) and, perhaps, a Lifeline or City Mission.