RACT memories

IT was wonderful to participate in the gathering at the casino commemorating 50 years of continuous RACT membership. The hundreds of people present represent countless phone calls over the years requesting urgent roadside assistance. Those delivering roadside service must have a wealth of stories — poignant, dramatic and humorous — of distraught motorists marooned on roads, carparks and

Not so buttery

HOW stupid do the big two supermarkets think we are? I’m sure we’ve all noticed the massive increase in prices of butter and decent butter-blend products. Even reasonable home brand options have been bumped up to premium prices. Imagine my glee when I saw last week the Coles Buttery Blend had been reduced close to original pricing of a year or so ago. But hang on … exactly the same name, exactly the same packaging, but entirely different product! Containing exactly no butter! The original ingredients were as follows: butter (65%), (cream, milk, water), canola oil, (26%), water, salt, milk powder, vitamin A and D. The new product lists these ingredients: butter oil (40%), water, canola oil, salt, buttermilk powder, emulsifier (47), food acid (27), natural flavouring,

Joy of farm hikes

WE were interested in Simon Bevilacqua’s article about walking on private land ( Saturday Mercury, July 21). Being Poms, we are very aware of the benefits of footpaths across farmland as in the right-of-way system in the UK. This has been enhanced by Tony Blair’s Freedom to Roam legislation, based on the Allemansratt in Sweden. There are also a large number of “permissive” paths in England, in which private landowners allow walkers on their land in exchange, I think, for government tax or rate reduction and insurance support.

Oh that we could have such a system in Tassie! Even though our national parks and public land are a first-rate resource for walkers, I’ve often thought how good a walk/cycle/bridle path from Launceston to Hobart via our lovely towns (Campbell Town, Ross, Tunbridge, Oatlands, Kempton, etc) would be. As members of a local walking club we are lucky to have landowner contacts who allow us access. Club liability insurance removes any problems with member accidents and we wash boots and poles if there is a danger of weed infestation. Most areas are near Hobart for day walks: Fern Tree, Bridgewater, Richmond, Dunalley, Dysart. Unfortunately, interstate and overseas purchasers of land here are not so keen to allow access.