The Exploded Life of Tiny Orchids (Part 2)

Last time we spoke, my bike was spilling its guts across Deborah Wace’s doorstep deep in the Tasmanian bush. Deborah is an orchid expert. Luckily she and her husband Laurie are resourceful folks, used to making and mending what they just can’t run into town to buy.

Deborah Wace with one of her orchid prints

And so it went with my bike repair.

On a bike, the bottom bracket is the unit that helps the crank spin freely. On older… Continue reading

The Exploded Life of Tiny Orchids (Part 1)

I feel sorta like the tiny Tasmanian orchid. The plan was to tour Tasmania mounted high on a flashy charger. Women would pull nursing babes from their breasts, men would stop their road graders. Hell, folks would pull over to the side of the road just to look at me and say “wow, look at that guy!” Instead I ended up on a ten-dollar bike from the junk shop. And folks don’t stop their daily routine to admire me.

Razor the Amazer

Razor the Amazer and son Darcy: you’ll hear more from Razor in a minute (Southport, Tasmania)

My original plan to explore Tasmania ran along my ideas of freedom – visit the island under mainland Australia by mule. I couldn’t find one, ditto the horse, and found myself tackling the island state with a ten dollar junk shop bike. Not the flavor of freedom I was originally going for….

Because my bike can’t carry much weight, maybe twenty five pounds, I… Continue reading

Stan West Plays a Tune From Tasmania

A man never knows where he’ll find a horse to buy. In this, my third week of Tasmanian horse hunting, I visited the Cygnet History Museum on a whim. Like I said, you never know….

That’s where I met Stan Watts. Stan is a museum volunteer. And while he couldn’t put me onto a horse, he did offer to play me a tune on the museum’s harmonium.

Stan Watts seated at his organ

Built by Stan’s reckoning in the 1920s,… Continue reading

Postcard from Southport Tasmania

Call it a banner day. Not only was I able to enjoy a beer at Australia (and Tasmania’s) southernmost pub, I was able to send out some postcards – all from the same building. What makes these cards especially unique are they were posted from Tassie’s southernmost post office agency!

There’s no wrong place to write a postcard – or put down your beer glass for that matter….!

I know, I know, these cards should show up in your letter… Continue reading

Seth and the Crayfish

Funny how things work out. I rode to Australia’s southern-most pub on my $10 dollar bike looking to drink a beer- and learned about crayfish.

Seth and the crayfish: Seth Adams of the Southport Settlement Pub showing off a big crayfish one of his patrons caught (Southport, Tasmania)

Crayfish, or just plain “fish” as they’re called by the Tasmanian fishermen, are what, back in the states, we would call “spiny lobster”. Lacking the great claws known to Maine Lobster eaters,… Continue reading

Woody and Maggie Walk Across America Original

Woody and Maggie Walk Across America

“Woody and Maggie Walk Across America” is an account of Bernie’s cross-country mule and pony adventure. The 40-page, full color, hard cover children’s book is written for 5 to 10-year-old readers. Join Bernie, Woody and Maggie to discover:

  • What Bernie found unusual about each state
  • What Woody and Maggie imagined about each state
  • How the three lived from day to day.

Exercises at the end of the book help children find their way across… Continue reading

Postcards From Tasmania

PostCards From Tasmania

SOLD OUTSOLD OUTSOLD OUT
(The “Postcard from Tasmania” series has sold out. Check back to receive a postcard from one of Bernie’s future adventures.)

Look here Bucky… no one writes you anymore. It just ain’t right. All ya get are emails from friends that can’t write more than 7 words – and 4 of the 7 are abbreviated. Damn. Your mailbox just has a phone bill and and a cable TV offer. Gheezuzzzzzzz.… Continue reading

65 Days At Sea DVD Original


65 Days Alone At Sea DVD
In 2003 Bernie completed a solo circumnavigation of the globe in a 35 foot steel cutter – "Sea Bird". During this voyage Bernie filmed what life at sea was like during the long passage (over 6,000 miles) from South Africa to the US Virgin Islands. Bring Bernie’s positive spirit and life at sea into your living room with this one hour DVD.

Format: SD (Standard Definition)

Order online with MasterCard, Visa or PayPal… Continue reading

Tip Shop Bike

To tour Tasmania by horse, which is my dream, I need a horse. Getting one, now that I’m here in Tassie, hasn’t been as easy as downing a Cascade ale, getting rained on or spotting a wallaby at night. After almost three weeks of searching, I still don’t have a Trigger to ride among the gum trees.

So I’ve decided to visit Australia’s southern-most pub on a “tip store” bike. You know, nothing diverts like a diversion. My thought is… Continue reading

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