Tasmanian News

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Tourism Delight. North-West Tasmania

Situated between the cities of Devonport and Burnie on Tasmania's North-West coast is the town of Ulverstone, home of 'Leven River Cruises.'

'Leven River Cruises' offer three types of cruises. The first is the 5-hour cruise where you can view the Leven River sanctuary, stroll through the 500 year old man fern trees, blackwoods and eucalyptus trees and enjoy a scrumptious 3-course meal served among the blackwood forest and fern surrounds.

The second cruise on offer is a 2-hour where you receive commentary on the local river history, river environment and surrounds where you will have the opportunity to spot Sea Eagles, the very rare Azure King Fisher, the Goshawk, Brown Hawks along with many other species of birds and you may even spot the elusive platypus in its' natural surrounds.

The third cruise is a bay cruise with commentary on the local and military history of the bay, its' river edge and surrounds.

Further in-depth information can be found on 'Leven Rivers Cruisers' website.

The tours are conducted by owner/operator, Kim Haines.

Having spoken with people who took the 2-hour cruise was nothing more than uplifting and inspiring as far as highlighting small businesses in Tasmania. I am more than happy to endorse 'Leven River Cruises.'

People who are well-seasoned travelers and have been on cruises all over the world, could not speak highly enough of 'Leven River Cruises.' They commented on how Kim they spoke of how she entertained them with her knowledge, intertwined with humour and unfortunate tales of the rivers' history. She backed her commentary up with photographs and literature from that bygone era. Not only did passengers learn about the river. They were fortunate enough to see huge Sea Eagles and a Goshawk. Additionally, Kim also named the numerous wild birds that dotted the sand banks on the way up and down the river.

Kim has a delightful disposition while answering all passenger questions. This was greatly appreciated by one Scottish passenger who stated; "Now that's what you want when you're on holiday. She (Kim) is a wee treat."

Kim keeps referring to 'her little boat' as if to apologise but as far as the passengers were concerned, the personal touch that she bought to them brightened up their day.

From all accounts, the passengers could not speak highly about 'Leven Rivers Cruises,' making special reference to Kim and how she kept them captivated for the entire cruise.

For further information, visit 'Leven River Cruises'

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Royal Hobart Hospital Woes

The $586 million redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital is almost 18 months behind schedule, says Denison MP Andrew Wilkie.

Mr Wilkie has raised concerns the lead contractor on the site has already started looking at interstate workers for the job, one of the biggest in Tasmania's history.

"The tender for major expansion works milestone was due October 2011," he said.

"This slippage in the timeline does not mean that the rebuild will not be achieved.

In fact, achieving the timeline for a complex job like this was always going to be difficult, and, indeed, quite a bit of preparatory work has been undertaken already.

"But the slippage by nearly 18 months after just two years is entirely avoidable and unacceptable.

The [State] Government needs to get a grip of this project immediately because, by allowing such a delay, it has managed to put the whole of Tasmania on the Royal's waiting list."

The State Government said the work was going to plan.

Mr Wilkie said he had a major concern about bringing in workers.

He said the company chosen to be the managing contractor had already been putting out expressions of interest for subcontract work from mostly mainland firms.

"This is simply not good enough from a Labor-Greens State Government, which really should be putting the interests of Tasmanian firms and Tasmanian workers ahead of mainlanders," he said.

Mr Wilkie said many local businesses had raised the issue with him.

Health Minister Michelle O'Byrne said the project was already improving services and creating jobs.

Ms O'Byrne said discussions were continuing with the proposed managing contractor and it was wrong to suggest they were seeking to export jobs.

"The project is creating hundreds of jobs for Tasmanians right now," she said.

"Anyone who drives past the Royal will see it is a bustling construction site.

"During 2012, more than 175 tradespeople have been employed on the project, the vast majority Tasmanians. We expect double that number on the site during 2013."'

Monday, February 25, 2013

Mytserious Disappearance Still Running Hot

Arguably Tasmania's most infamous missing person case, the disappearance of German backpacker Nancy Grunwaldt 20 years ago continues to baffle police.

And to mark the 20th anniversary of her disappearance on March 13, 1993, Ms Grunwaldt's mother, Helga, and sister will fly from their homes in Germany to meet investigators in Launceston next month.

A coronial inquest held several years ago into the deaths of Ms Grunwaldt and stabbing victim Victoria Cafasso found the 26-year-old travel agent had most likely been the victim of a homicide, committed somewhere between St Helens and Bicheno on the day she was last seen, with her hired bicycle heading out of St Helens.

But retired police detective Bob Coad, who worked on the case at the time, spoke out two years ago, revealing he believed Ms Grunwaldt was killed in a hit-and-run by someone who threw her body into bushland and later made a desperate call to a Hobart lawyer, then Crime Stoppers in Queensland.

--> Mr Coad said he believed there were several people who knew how, why and where Ms Grunwaldt died and the place where her body was disposed of.

He said he thought these people were in this state and Queensland and he wanted indemnity to be offered to anyone with information.

Mr Coad's revelations led to Launceston detectives making a renewed effort to find the tourist's body, digging up excavation sites at the Bicheno refuse centre twice last year on information from a source not publicly named.

Nothing was found.

Lead investigator Detective Inspector Scott Flude said police would never give up, but he had no concrete information to offer Mrs Grunwaldt and her remaining daughter.

"We've kept in touch with them over the years in Germany and it would mean a lot to us to be able to offer them some closure," Insp Flude said.

--> "But as it stands we've got no specific evidence of what's happened, as to whether her death was by misadventure or an accident, or whether it's still a missing persons case.

"There are a lot of rumours out there and the work we've done last year has generated a lot of information, but at this stage it remains a mystery."

He does not believe the death was linked to that of Beaumaris Beach murder victim Ms Cafasso, of Italy, but admits that Tasmania's bushy terrain makes it close to impossible to locate any remains left above ground for many years.

"We're 48 per cent bushland, so to hide a body or piece of evidence is easier in this state, and the chances of finding remains can be low," Insp Flude said.

"If she was buried we'd have a chance, but if she was left above ground it would be incredibly difficult."

Monday, February 18, 2013

Still Feeling The Heat In Tasmania

Only a cooler spell expected this week will stop Hobart having its hottest recorded summer. The mean maximum temperature for Hobart since December 1 is just over 23.5C, topping the record 23.3C of 1899-90.

If temperatures stay close to forecast next week, the capital will come in just under that mark.

"We'll be up there. We are tracking very close to the record," weather bureau climatologist Lorien Martin said.

Yesterday's top was 35.7C, the season's ninth day over 30C. Other parts of the state have also come close to their hottest, although the data does not go back as far as Hobart's. Hobart has also had its driest summer since 2002, when only 26.8mm fell all summer.

"The significant thing this summer has been the 41.8C on the fourth of January," Ms Martin said -- a whole degree leap on the previous mark." The average year has six days over 30C, not nine.

"That's only three more but we had a lot of warmer-than-average days."

Since December 1, only 45.8mm of rain has fallen, about a third the usual. January received 11.4mm, against a 47.3mm average. February has averaged 12.4mm so far against the usual 40.2mm.

Launceston has also had a hot summer, with a mean maximum of 26.2C so far in February and with just 8.4mm of rain, but no days above 30C this month. It received 14.8mm in January but 63.5mm in December.

People in southeast Tasmania were working in the heat and others working to keep cool. Valley-View Roofing owner Joshua Cook said staff let him know when it's too hot to work.

"We just keep going until it gets unbearable. Someone says 'I've had enough' and it's a bit of a chain reaction. They knocked off about 3 and the boys up at Orford at 1pm," Mr Cook said. His Hobart team were doing ground work and not roof work yesterday.

"It's still not very pleasant. If you don't work you don't get paid."

Glenorchy Pool manager Simon Marsland said the pool filled up fast after school.

"It's really busy today. We have about 300 now," Mr Marsland said just before 4pm.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Supertrawler Blocked From Tasmania

PLANS to use a supertrawler as a freezer ship collecting fish from surrounding smaller vessels will be rejected by Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke.

Mr Burke said he would bring in a new declaration under environmental law that would prevent the Abel Tasman operating as a mother ship for six weeks and as muchas two years.

In November he knocked back operator Seafish Tasmania's trawling plan which would have based the ship in Tasmania for up to two years.

Last month, Seafish revealed a proposal to work with a flotilla of smaller fishing vessels.

"While from the company's perspective what they have put forward as a compromise on their fishing method, the environmental consequences are similar to those which concerned me with their first proposal," Mr Burke said.

He said the company had the right to respond during the six weeks.

"At the end of that period, I reserve the right to bring in a final declaration which would prevent the vessel from operating in this way for up to two years while scientific work is carried out on the environmental impact of this new method of fishing."

The Abel Tasman, formerly the FV Margiris, created a storm of protest when the original plan for it to fish off Tasmania was revealed.

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority had approved the project.

Mr Burke's move is likely to be met with extreme disappointment from Seafish Tasmania.

The plan would have involved purse seine and midwater trawl boats transferring fish to the Abel Tasman to be processed, frozen and stored.

Mackerel and redbait were targeted.

Seafish director Gerry Geen has argued that one big trawler is no different to many small ones.

Years of work had gone into negotiating operating rules for the trawler in a small pelagic fishery.

Seafish and its Dutch partners had lost millions of dollars bringing the trawler to Australia.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Cruise Ship Tourists Brave Bushfires.

Hobart will be awash with 16,500 seafaring tourists during the next five days who face altered sightseeing plans because of bushfires sweeping the south.

The Crystal Symphony will dock today followed tomorrow by the Voyager of the Seas, bringing to 5786 the number of people landing this week.

Another three ships will arrive by Monday, taking the total number of passengers past 16,000.

Hobart Lord Mayor Damon Thomas said the concentrated number of arrivals was unprecedented.

He said Hobart City Council's Tasmanian Travel & Information Centre had been liaising with the cruise lines on the state of the bushfires.

"It is also co-ordinating tours, buses, facilities, retailers, volunteers as well as services and activities for crew, aiming to make sure the experience for our visitors is ... organised and valued once they leave," he said.

Alderman Thomas said alternative shore excursions were being organised to compensate for the unavailability of short tours, because of the fires, to places such as Port Arthur and Mt Field.

"The Centre is now assisting the cruise lines to find alternative shore excursions to ensure passengers can see and do as much as possible during their short stay in our city," he said.

Port Arthur is one of the most popular destinations for cruise ship visitors but the historic attraction is off limits as bushfires continue to burn on the Tasman Peninsula.

Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said on Monday 80 per cent of cruise ship passengers with the Diamond Princess booked to go to Port Arthur were happy with an alternative tour.

He said tours to Richmond, the Huon Valley, Bruny Island, Mt Wellington and MONA had been popular alternatives.

He said on Sunday the Diamond Princess and Celebrity Solstice would arrive with a further 5550 passengers and 2600 crew.

And on Monday the Oosterdam will dock with 1848 passengers and 812 crew on board.

-->

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Hello World, It's Tasmania Calling

"A MILLION likes would be great ... but paying us a visit would be even better."

That's the message tourism officials hope will spread around the world, through a social media campaign to arrest the tourism downturn in the bushfire-stricken Tasman Peninsula and elsewhere in the state.

The Sunday Tasmanian today partners tourism authorities to launch the campaign and drive tourism traffic back to the state.

For many operators it should be their busiest time of the year but accommodation houses are battling for business.

Guests have cancelled holidays or asked for discounts of up to 50 per cent to stay at venues on the Tasman Peninsula or East Coast.

Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said it was too early to tell just how much the bushfires would cost the state's tourism industry.

But operators and regional tourism groups want to take action to limit the impact and let the world know they're open for business.

--> Mr Martin said they wanted to send the message viral, and they needed help from everyone.

He pointed Tasmanians to the Port Arthur & Tasman Tourism Association Inc Facebook page and urged them to click "like" on the Open For Business campaign.

"Then make sure you share the post with family and friends," he said.

People are being urged to post on social media with the tags #tassiecalling and #openforbusiness.

Similar campaigns have been run in Australia and overseas with overwhelming success, sharing thousands of photographs, videos and experiences through social media to boost tourism trade and bolster local economies.

Fox and Hounds Resort owner Jo Dias was concerned it could take a long time for local tourism businesses to recover from the bushfires.

"We were into the first week of the busiest three weeks of our year [when the bushfires hit] and it just disintegrated," she said.

"Apart from the [hotel] rooms, our restaurant normally does upwards of 150 people a night. It's gone from that to zero.

--> "There are people worse off than we are, but in order to keep the [region] going businesses need to function."

It was a similar story for Wally Lyne from Port Arthur Villas who said guests had cancelled bookings for coming weeks, demanding full refunds, while others had offered to stay at heavily discounted rates.

"The next week or so I'm down to one or two people [staying] a night and this is a period when we're normally fully booked out," he said.

"This is the time we normally get our reserve to carry us through winter."

Tourism Minister Scott Bacon encouraged Tasmanians to support by visiting the Tasman Peninsula or East Coast for an overnight visit.

"One of the best things we can do is spend a night or two in those parts of the state that have been affected by the fires," he said.

Find more holiday and travel ideas and information on theDiscover Tasmania and Tasman region websites.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Tourists To Tasmania Urged

TOURISM operators on the Tasman Peninsula say spending time and money in the area is the best donation people can give as they try to counter perceptions that the bushfire threat is unabated.

The Arthur Highway is open, the Port Arthur Historic Site is operating and boats owned by Tasman Island Cruises are back on the water.

Now businesses hope the recent spate of visitor cancellations is over.

Karen Gowlett-Holmes from the Eaglehawk Dive Centre said the perception that the Tasman Peninsula was still under threat from bushfires had caused cancellations.

The situation is similar on Tasmania's east coast, where tourism operators are trying to get word out that it is safe and visitors should return to enjoy the rest of summer.

"The last thing we need now is for business to falter in our peak tourism period," Ms Gowlett-Holmes said.

"A lot of businesses went bankrupt after the Port Arthur massacre because people stayed away.

"We need people here again and we need them now." Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said the Tasman Peninsula and Bicheno had been hit hard by a downturn in visitor numbers in the wake of the bushfires.

"A lot of businesses were getting cancellation calls last week," Mr Martin said.

"The key message we need to get out is that Tasmania is open for business and the visitor experience is just as it was three weeks ago.

"The great attractions which bring people to these regions are still there and have not been diminished."

TICT and Tourism Tasmania have launched a campaign to try and stop international and national travel agents cancelling bookings or changing itineraries.

Tourism Tasmania chief executive John Fitzgerald met with regional tourism organisations yesterday to establish a recovery plan for the sector.

"It is a collective approach with agreed actions in the weeks ahead." Mr Fitzgerald said.

Meanwhile, staff at the Port Arthur Historic Site, which was closed for eight days during the crisis, said a big crowd toured the site yesterday.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Tasmanian Tourism Short On Funding. Why?

TASMANIA'S key tourism body has slammed the State Government for failing to provide adequate funding to promote the industry.

Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chairman Simon Currant said more needed to be done to stop the decline in visitor numbers.

Mr Currant was speaking to more than 350 tourism operators at the seventh annual Tasmanian Tourism Conference, being held at the Country Club in Launceston today.

Tourism Minister Scott Bacon officially opened the conference this morning and said the State Government had "quarantined" Tourism Tasmania's marketing funding from recent budget cuts. Mr Currant said it wasn't enough.

"The forward estimates are reducing the expenditure of Tourism Tasmania this year and next year," he said.

"This has to be arrested; the Government has to invest in this industry."

Mr Currant said unless the State Government increased funding for the state's peak tourism marketing body, there would be job losses in the industry.

He said this was despite the fact that Tasmania had a strong tourism product, as shown by five wins at the Australian Tourism Awards earlier this year.

"(The tourism industry) offers the answer for our state," he said.

"We've got a natural asset here that everyone wants. We've got to tell people about it."

But the state's share of the national domestic tourism market was slipping.

Mr Currant said the number of visitors from Melbourne -- traditionally Tasmania's core visitor market -- was dropping drastically.

Despite this, Mr Currant said operators should be "optimistic" about the future and invest in ways to improve the state's tourism product.

Business futurist Morris Miselowski was the keynote speaker at the conference this morning.

He urged operators to harness the benefits of social media for their businesses.

Mr Miselowski said it was not enough for operators to rely solely on the marketing initiatives of Tourism Tasmania.

He said operators need to embrace new technologies and have a presence on social media sites such as Facebook, Pintrest and Tumblr.

TICT chief executive Luke Martin said the sites offered "unique and creative marketing options" for operators constrained by small advertising budgets.

"People have to be responsible for their own business and look at it as part of their own marketing activities," Mr Martin said.

"It's no different from the past where you look at buying an advertisement or paying for marketing information in a booklet."

He said workshops at the conference aimed to lift the skills of operators across the industry.

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Monday, June 25, 2012

Police Shooting In Tasmania 'Lawful And Justified'

Tasmania Police (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A Tasmania Police Professional Standards investigation into a non-fatal shooting at Beechford in March last year has cleared the male officer who fired the shot - saying his actions were both lawful and justified.

According to police, Daniel Sowden, who was armed with a knife and a builder's gun, was shot by the officer when he arrived at a Beechford property in the early hours of March 14 last year. When police were called, Sowden threatened them with a knife. Sowden, of Westbury, later pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was jailed for 12 months.

Deputy Commissioner Scott Tilyard said officers attempted to negotiate with Sowden for almost an hour.

"In that time, Mr Sowden spat at police, threatened he had a gun, menaced police with the knife and endeavoured to incite police into shooting him by threatening them and lunging at officers with his knife," Mr Tilyard said.

Sowden was shot in the stomach by an officer after he advanced on him with the knife and ignored warnings not to come closer, Mr Tilyard said.

"The officer had retreated until he was against a high fence; he fired a signle shot at Mr Sowden as he advanced to within two to three metres. "Police had an obligation to contain Mr Sowden due to the threat he presented to residents in the area.

"It is clear the officer believed Mr Sowden was intent on stabbing him and he acted in self defense."

Mr Tilyard said that he wanted to acknowledge the judgement, sound decision making and professionalism displayed by the officers in dealing with a "high-risk incident" over a protracted period.

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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Tasmanian iPad Gamer Beats Tourette's

By launching a game for the iPad, Tasmanian Tourette's sufferer Paul Wilkinson has done what he thought the disease would never allow him to.

In September 2010, Mr Wilkinson had electrodes inserted into his brain to control the debilitating and potentially dangerous tics that Tourette's triggered.

Since the treatment, the 29-year-old has started Subspark Entertainment, which launched its first game on Apple's App Store in March.

AstroPlasma is a digital version of air-hockey that gives the player a first-person, rather than top-down view, of proceedings.

"This game is the first to utilise so many of the iPad's features and it truly redefines our genre," Mr Wilkinson said.

"Multiplayer allows people across the world to challenge one another."

The game took nine people six months to make and since its launch it has received five-star ratings in Australian, American and Polish App Stores.

Mr Wilkinson said Tasmania was a great place to do business and

hopes to establish a full studio in Hobart.

He has co-ordinated with staff in and out of the state to create the game.

He said the only challenge was to find people with the right expertise in Tasmania and he hoped to work with the education facilities in Tasmania to tailor a course to suit.

"There isn't a fully integrated course to produce the kinds of skill needed," he said.

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Sunday, June 17, 2012

Liberals To Block Forestry Tasmania Funds

THE Liberal Party will refuse to authorise a "blank cheque'' for Forestry Tasmania in a move designed to drive a wedge between minority government partners Labor and the Greens.

The Liberals will this week try to amend the 2012-13 budget to block the $35 million set aside for the struggling government business.

The state government has described the money as a contingency fund which may or may not be needed depending on the outcome of a strategic review of Forestry Tasmania.

Opposition Leader Will Hodgman said he would not support the allocation without knowing exactly what it was for. "Why can the Premier get away with being so deceptive when it comes to such a significant amount of money?'' Mr Hodgman said yesterday.

He suspected the fund was a "back door method'' of shutting down Forestry Tasmania, as the Greens want. "This is a very clear attempt by us to get some honesty in the debate and also to find out exactly where both parties stand on that issue.''

The Greens quickly ruled out supporting the Opposition's amendment.

Lyons Greens MHA Tim Morris said it was irresponsible to suggest altering or blocking supply which would put teachers, nurses and police officers' wages in jeopardy.

Mr Morris said the money was not a hand out to Forestry Tasmania. "Until we see the URS report and what's recommended then we won't know how much of a hole there is in Forestry Tasmania and given the changes that almost certainly will need to be made, as to whether there's going to be public funds required,'' Mr Morris said.

Deputy Premier Bryan Green said the stunt showed the Liberal party was more interested in promoting division than supporting Forestry Tasmania. Mr Green said the contingency fund would help the organisation survive the market downturn. "It's about supporting Forestry Tasmania and its workers, not shutting them down,'' Mr Green said.

Mr Green said the government had not yet received the final report into Forestry Tasmania from URS. "We expect to receive this report in the near future, and we have committed to releasing it publicly, along with our response,'' he said.

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