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I've started to post some photos on RedBubble, where they can be purchased as cards, prints, tee-shirts and calendars. I'm not going to get properly rich from this unless half of the Australian population buy a greeting card in any given year, but maybe I'll get some warm fuzzy feelings from knowing someone liked a photo enough to pay a few dollars for it. If there is any specific photo you'd like, let me know and I'll see if we can get it up there.

Scooter still developing

Saw the swans briefly last night in failing light. Scooter continues to develop.

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Friendly Beaches

Had a somewhat leisurely visit and walk at the Friendly Beaches just north of Coles Bay at the weekend. The camping are here is quite nice, with well spaced campsires, mainly occupied. I got the last one that I could see when I got there. The toilet near my tentsite was somewhat less salubrious, but tolerable. It's nowhere near as bad as the one I once used at Hammersley Gorge in WA - a former long-drop, which had become a short-drop. I'm not sure why they haven't replaced the toliets here with composting ones, as they must get a lot of use.

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Had a few swims, and the water was really warm for Tasmania. Lovely place, well worth a visit. Walking north along here you could probably get to Bicheno. There might be some tricky rocky sections as you approached Cape Lodi. A few kilometres north of Isaacs Point (where the road accesses the beaches) you come to what appears to be private property. There were trail bikes, 4WDs and a shack/campsite here. A walk to the south might be better, and next time I'll try that.

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These bluebottles (PDF, 1MB) (Physalia utriculus, I believe) were washed up all along the beach. Didn't strike any in the water, just lucky I guess.

Scooter still scooting

Scooter seems very settled with his family at the moment. He's obviously delayed developmentally compared to his siblings, but he gets about quite happily. Just a couple of photos today. I'll post some other showing his siblings and their showing off etc when I find time.

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That's Scooter's dud leg waving behind him. I noticed that he does seem to use it as some sort of steering mechanism when he drags it in the water, but he often keeps it out of the water as well.

Scooter can stand

Found the swans along the Franklin foreshore today. I almost missed them, looking across the river with binoculars, when they were swimming about only a few metres from me. Just need to look down sometimes. Scooter seems well, and I watched him stand in the shallows on his one working leg. He had occasional balance problems, but otherwise seems to manage this OK. I still haven't seen him fully out of the water, and I don't know if or how he would do this. All the cygnets are getting darker and larger all the time, so it can be hard to tell whether you're looking at a juvenile or an adult depending on the light.

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Water Quality should sink this government

Shocking and occasionally hilarious program on Australian Story tonight. How a government becomes so beholden to vested interests that it refuses to even try to look after the people who elect it, own it and should be protected by it. Dr Alison Bleaney was profiled, along with her story of the contamination of water in the Georges River in NE Tasmania. we can hope the transcript isn't far behind. Amongst others presented as speaking for the Tasmanian "government" were Steve Kons and Bryan Green, showing a (for me) hilarious contrast in credibility with Dr Bleaney and her partner-in-subversion, Dr Marcus Scammell. Another episode to come next week apparently. Just like Dr Who! The Master has replaced all the inhabitants of Earth with himself, creating the Master Race. If only little Davey Bartlett had a machine like him....

The swan family make a visit

Since I don't watch for them continually, but visit Franklin every two or three days to see if they're about, I don't know how often they now visit the Franklin foreshore. They have often been absent, presumably because they have a need to be elsewhere on the river. This evening though, they were around, and all looking very well. Scooter is the smaller, lighter and fluffier cygnet. His single-legged swimming appears to work quite well, and I didn't see any bullying from either his parents or siblings. Maybe he's learnt to "fit in".

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