Pilot’s view an awesome sight
THE photo of Tasair’s Piper Comanche on the beach at Lake Pedder in Tasmania’s South-West Wilderness in 1972 is an absolute gem and Charles Wooley’s great article “Pulling the plug on Pedder” again raises the question of whether sacrificing such a special part of our world heritage was really in the best interests of our state (Mercury on Saturday, September 12).
The sight of Pedder from a pilot’s and passenger’s perspective on approach from Cambridge was one of awe and to view this magnificent white beach from the air before landing on it was nothing short of awesome. I was one of the very fortunate to have gained my pilot’s licence before the flooding. A barbecue or picnic, swim and stroll along the beach was common practice. Whether future generations can experience what we did remains to be seen. The devastation of such a unique and fully tidal beach 1000 feet above sea level high up in the mountain ranges in hindsight just seems so surreal.
Chris Davey Lindisfarne
Linda hotel memories
I WAS interested in the story about the old Linda Valley Hotel on the rugged West Coast. It appears there is again an expression of interest to refurbish it to its original status as a watering hold for miners, workers and tourists It must go hand in hand with the Abt Railway’s amazing rebirth at Queenstown I recall my father telling me of a football match he played on the Linda oval that was like quartz rubble, Ouch. I had relatives in Queenstown, now unfortunately deceased, Uncle Lyell Hales and Auntie Bell Hales. She was named after the silver bell smelters. I remember admiring Uncle Lyell’s immaculate Indian motorcycle. He was employed at the school of mines Queenstown as a teacher. I am now in my early seventies but I hope it sparks some further readers to respond.
David Lidster Pontville
Treading on flowers
IT is a good time to see the Styx forest coupe about to be logged. Be careful though. On your very first step inside the forest you are likely to step on a flower that has fallen from the tall sassafras above. They lie everywhere in gay abandon, resting on soft mossy debris. Not quite a fruit blossom, or a teatree, but a cheerful hybrid of the two.
Their secret is the perfume that purifies the air. If you’re lucky a fallen branchlet will bring this scent closer still.
Just take the fresh gravel road opposite the one sign-posted Mueller. This is your last chance of course because soon the forest will be a soil bed for a crop of timber trees. Then, no more sassafras flowers for you or the insects humming up high. Erica Nathan
Glebe
Eating North Hobart
NORTH Hobart has a dynamic vibe and diverse venues which attract a wide demographic. However, businesses recovering from COVID-19 are further challenged by the severe shortage of parking. Sit-down diners need to repeatedly move their cars or face fines while Uber drivers park in prime spaces (“Drivers deliver no joy to NoHo,” Mercury, September 18). Hobart City Council has attempted to solve the problem and is now handballing it to state government. While it is unresolved, the vibrant street suffers. Is there a solution or will Ubereats devour North Hobart? Elizabeth Osborne
North Hobart
Bring them home
LABOR supported subsidised flights put on to assist exporters because it was a sensible decision that helps producers. Surely if we can put lobsters on planes we can do at least the same for stranded Aussies. More than 25,000 want to come home but flights have been cancelled and fares jacked up. We can’t leave them behind. No-one’s interested in a blame game between Prime Minister and premiers. Get your heads together and get them home.
Brian Mitchell Federal Labor Lyons MP
Bland and homogenised
I lOVE this beautiful, quaint heritage city. I put down roots in 1983 because it was so wonderful to live here. It saddens me to see Hobart becoming like so many bland homogenised cities, losing its character and its heritage dwarfed by inappropriate development, and the threat of more of the same. The Major Projects Bill will take away councils’ role. The Wellington Trust’s authority has already been overridden by state government, including on the cable car, and profits of a few will be prioritised over community and our welfare. Our views of mountain and river, people-friendly streetscapes, our heritage and the home I so love are all at stake. Cathleen Hutchinson
West Moonah