6th Eastern Link June 2010 - Province 20 Catenians of Western ...

I spent another week in Tassie. I hired a car in Hobart and slowly made my way back toLaunceston for the flight home. I stayed in dormitories in youth hostels. Why pay $125 for a hotelroom when you get a hostel bed for $25? Besides, hostels are far more interesting places to stayfor the people you meet. Usually, I would give 50 years or so to my room mates but, this time, theywere older. Hans, a German who was cycling around Tasmania, was probably my age. Mets, fromSweden, had motor cycled around Australia several times. Sylvain, a French Canadian fromMontreal, was a former professional tennis play and was now teaching phys. ed. in a Frenchspeaking school. Jerry, from New Jersey, was teaching English in Korea. Francesco was theyoungster, an Italian with dreadlocks, who had run out of money and was desperately following upvague job prospects picking strawberries. John was the only other Australian. He was fromAdelaide and was about to join a 12 day trek through the South West.I stayed two nights in George Town with Gerard, a friend of my son Stephen. George Town is veryclose to Bell Bay, an industrial area which is the site of the Gunn’s controversial pulp mill. I waskeen to see the site as I have donated regularly to the Wilderness Society’s campaign to stop themill. What a contrast was the man made ugliness of Bell Bay to the beauty of the Tamar Valley!God’s creation brims with beauty and man messes it upBack home, I thanked God for the health and fitness that allowed me to cycle up to 50 kilometres aday. I was grateful for the people I met and the opportunity to share, however briefly, something oftheir life. I marvelled at the beauty of Tasmania. When you cycle or walk, you have a greateropportunity to appreciate the beauty around you. You feel closer to God’s creation. You are part ofit. You insulated yourself when you flash by in a car or coach.I’m glad I had my moment of madness.Noel BraunIn Our Next Edition!!!A REVIEW OF THE LATEST BOOK WRITTEN BY NOEL BRAUNNo WayToBehaveAt aFuneral27EASTERN LINK NEWSLETTER 27 JUNE 2010