一到埗，便愛上 Tasmania 。
Tasmania 是澳洲南部的一個島，自成一角，並不是熱門的旅遊地區，我稱之為未被旅遊業污染的世外，保留著它獨有的質樸和粗野，我希望它一直如此，因為它將會是我們日後常到的地方。
I fall in love with Tasmania immediately.
Tasmania is a lovely island in the South of Australia, staying in is splendid isolation from the overwhelming influence of tourism because it is not among the most popular tourist spots. Not just some countryside but a wild land that retains its rusticity and naturalness. I wish it would always retain such beauty because it will be the place we are going to visit from time to time.
有點像電影裡看過的美國西部，天與地連成一綫，一丁點城市氣息都沒有（除了一兩個港口附近比較大規模的市鎮），只有烈日當空、大片的平原、罌粟田、稻麥田、不修邊幅的車道—— Tim 的父親 Moss 特意不走高速公路，好讓我多看自然風景——、路上常會見到被撞斃或野獸噬咬過的動物屍骸，他們稱之為 Road Kills 。 Tim 的父母05年初次來渡假，一見傾心，當即買下一塊地，連同一大片樹林， Moss 親自建了一座小屋（！），每年到那裡小住三兩月。小屋位處山上，面向廣闊的草原和農地，寧靜的 Mountain Roland 座落遠方，守護著這一片風景。屋外鳥聲蟲鳴不絕，晚上還會有野兔、刺蝟、負鼠、沙袋鼠和貓頭鷹四出活動；晚飯後把骨頭丟到屋外，第二天起來已不知所蹤。
Just like the landscapes I saw in some Western movies, there is no trace of city/urban life at all (except perhaps one or two major towns). All that we have are enormous plains, opium fields, wheat fields right below the high noon, alongside the rough and sometimes twisty roads – Tim’s father Moss stayed away from the highways on purpose so that I can enjoy more views - , and road kills are but a casual view you catch every day. Tim’s parents went to Tasmania for the first time in 2005 and fell in love with the place immediately that they bought a piece of land on a hill with a handsome little forest. Moss built a house with his own effort (!) and they travelled down to Tassie for vacations every year. Every morning I woke up to be greeted by a beautiful view of plains, lawns, trees and farmlands with the tranquil Mountain Roland standing at the far end, looking after this beautiful view. The birds’ chirping and the insects’ chanting composed an enjoyable piece of music all through the day and when night fell, little rabbits, echidnas, possums, wallabies and even owls would creep out to enjoy the millions of silver-white stars, if also the food and the bones we left in the bushes, with us.
屋外風景
傍晚（還是清早？），另一景像
屋外的樹林
屋外的樹林
初到埗的黃昏，我們坐在游廊上吃芝士，喝Tim 買的香檳，看日落，我想起普魯斯特在到到巴爾貝克（Balbec）的火車上看到的平靜鄉郊風景。普魯斯特常提到 veranda ，他看海濱少女，他的 Albertine 的地方，我一直當作是陽台，這次去 Tasmania 和 Brisbane ，看過他們的房子，終於知道 veranda ——通常是客廳外有蓋的游廊，在日本房子也常見。有些人家會在游廊封上玻璃窗，變得密不透風，明顯我們並不喜歡那樣做。怎麼捨得把空氣與樹木的氣味，午後的陽光排除在外？在最自然的地方寫作、看書、吃茶、看風景，是我們的 luxury。
We sat at the veranda on the first evening and watched the sunset while enjoying good cheese and Jacob’s Creek rose champagne (which becomes one of my favourite). The view reminds me of Proust’s account of the country views he saw on the train to Balbec. Veranda, veranda is one of Proust’s favorite place in his beloved Balbec where he often settles to look at the shadow of young girls in flower, his Albertine…. Due to my limited experience and exposure I used to imagine a veranda to be something sort of a balcony, only to learn what it is after this trip to Tasmania and Brisbane. Some people like to cover up the veranda with glass windows but Moss and Elsie’s houses all have “open” verandas which are exactly the way Tim and I enjoy. The smell of the air and the bushes and the natural sunlight make it an ideal place for tea, reading, writing or simply being idle.
Tasmania 的氣候變幻莫測，今天萬里無雲，碧日晴空，第二天早上起來卻可以變得濃霧氤氳。那兒的霧卻是清新的，一點不覺霧靄沉沉——或許因為我們身處的地勢高，有一種朦朧的仙氣，那霧濃得觸手可及，四野淡白，美得令人出神。
Weather in Tasmania is capricious, ranging from a chilly cold like the day we arrived to a sweating heat in the day that follows, and one morning after a fine bright day we woke up to find ourselves in the midst of a thick fog gently pervading from the veranda and balcony. Unlike that in London (or in Hong Kong recently) which often conjures up melancholy, the fog - perhaps due to our location in a highland- was light and poetic, and it evokes a celestial lightheartedness.
我們在 Tasmania 住了八天。 Moss 每天駕著一輛七十年代的 Kingswood 汽車，帶我們穿越 Tassie 北部近十個小鎮。 Kingswood 令我興奮的是前座可坐三人，Moss 讓我坐在中間，兩個可愛的男人—— Tim and Moss 在我兩旁， Elsie 則在後排。每個小鎮都有它的特色，規模都很小，只有基本的士多、雜貨店、餐聽，賣日常食品用品，絕對絕對沒有 luxuries 。當然也有一些賣紀念品的店鋪，也有各種古董店，玻璃彩繪店，而且貨品價值不菲，不過你不會見到旅遊城市排山倒海的商業味。
During our 8 days of stay, Moss drove an old Kingswood (which captured me at first sight) to drive us across more than 10 towns in Northern Tasmania. As if in a movies in the 60’s or the 70’s, I was so spoilt they let me sit at the front with two lovely men at both sides, whereas Elsie reigned the back and impressed us all the time with her wits. Moss was a sweet husband he always asked if Elsie is doing fine at the back. Shops are minimal in towns, selling mostly daily necessities and luxuries have absolutely no place here (YEAH). Of course, there are shops selling souvenirs and Moss and Elsie had brought us to some really fascinating novelty shops, murano shops and antique shops where the prices are HIGH, but like I said, there is hardly any disturbing harassment of commercialization and consumerism.
兩老本來有意思把小屋賣掉，已經跟地產商接洽，不過見我玩得這樣興奮，他們說，現在不賣了！
And the most exciting news being, Moss and Elsie has given up their idea of selling this lovely lovely house!
接下來再按圖寫一點點。待續。
To be continued with more stories with pictures.
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