Wall of 1000 Vaginas

The rest of my time in Tasmania was spent mainly in Hobart. I went to the MONA Gallery (Museum of Old and New Art). While I was excited to see this controversial gallery, I didn't think it quite lived up to the hype. There were some pieces, ideas and installations that I quite enjoyed but I found a lot of it to be quite disturbing (statues of men with their genitalia torn off, anyone?). I also got to visit the
Salamanca Market and indulge in a few goodies. I must say though, that my favorite part of the time I spent in Tassie was during my first WWOOFing experience. "Wwwoooooo-what" you ask? WWOOF (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) is an exchange experience, where you get food and accommodation in exchange for 4-6 hours of work per day. You get the opportunity to share your culture, knowledge and experience and learn from what your host has to offer.

Hike up Mt. Wellington

I was lucky and had a really good host, an older fellow named Ian, on a property outside the small town of Brighton. The cottage was built in 1846, with a compost toilet (think: outhouse) and outdoor shower. It was a very back-to-basics farm and I really enjoyed it there. It was a stress-free environment without any tv, internet or cell phone reception, unless you stood in certain spot by the sheep fence. I am proud to say that I was the very first Canadian to cross the threshold of the 165 year old house!

Back yard at the WWOOFing house

For work I mostly just did weeding around the property and feeding the chooks (what Australians call chickens). The food was simply amazing; organic and local, coming fresh from the garden and surrounding farms.

From Ian I learned a new appreciation for food and cooking. I spent much of my free time writing down recepies from his old cookbooks that I am excited to make for my family back home (cooking like that in hostels is quite difficult). I am sad to say that, due to a pre-booked flight, I was only able to stay at Ian's for two days. If I ever make my way back to Tasmania, I will surely be giving my friend Ian a phone call.

Ian and I!