Sassafras the town and sassafras the timber
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325345)
Rockingham, Australia
May 8, 2018 1:21am CST
We are going to Tasmania early in June. Lately Vince has been taking photos at endurance rides so I went online to find out when these are held in Tasmania. Lo and behold, the State Championships will be held about 4 days after we arrive in the town of Sassafras, which is only a short journey from Devonport where the ferry will offload our car and caravan.
So yesterday Vince rang the organiser and offered his services. They don’t have an official photographer which is good as it means we won’t be encroaching on someone else’s livelihood. We can park our caravan at the site for the couple of days while the event is on and hopefully we’ll be able to produce some good photos of the competitors.
Sassafras (Atherosperma moschatum) is also an important timber and black-hearted sassafras is used in many souvenir items. The photo shows a set of salt and pepper shakers which I fell in love with during our last visit to Tassie.
Sassafras is an understorey tree which can be found in mixed forests and rainforests in Tasmania. The black-heart stain is caused by wood fungi. No two pieces are ever the same and the staining can vary in colour quite markedly. I thought the items on offer were very beautiful so I bought the shakers.
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29 responses
@JamesHxstatic (29234)
• Eugene, Oregon
8 May 18
The wood looks a lot like Oregon Myrtle wood which is used to make things like that.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29234)
• Eugene, Oregon
9 May 18
@JudyEv I don't think so from what I read. The differences in the wood are apparently caused by minerals in the soil. Here is a link to some good info and photos.
The Myrtlewood Gallery is a Gallery of Fine Woodworking located on the Oregon Coast. We specialize in bringing you the warmth of wood from the Pacific Northwest.
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@JudyEv (325345)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 May 18
@JamesHxstatic That IS interesting. Thanks for the link. The sassafras displays quite a variety of colourings too. We have other timbers which are patterned but not from a fungus. This one is sandalwood. I think I wrote about it once. It is a hemiparasitic plant.
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@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
8 May 18
Isn't there sassafras tea?
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@JudyEv (325345)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 May 18
He puts a big watermark on them and puts them on the FB home page of the endurance association. He got permission to load the photos as there is bundle although he only puts the best. But sometimes there might be nearly 100 horses competing and everyone likes to see a photo of their horse. The photos are low resolution but if they want to buy a photo he puts his name in small print at the bottom and sends a high-resolution image which they can do whatever they like with. Most people pay by direct debit perhaps by Paypal.
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@JudyEv (325345)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 May 18
@shaggin Yes, that's about it. While there was a lady doing it as a profession he didn't take too many but now she has retired he feels able to take more. His prices are very low as it's just a hobby. What with a raffle we had at one of our concerts we now have enough to pay for a well of our own in Nepal which is really pretty amazing. The money from Tasmania we might put towards the cost of our holiday.
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@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
9 May 18
great souvenirs - hope the competition goes well
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@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
9 May 18
same here, my photos serve as my main souvenirs of my travels @JudyEv
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@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
8 May 18
Congrats to Vince on the photo gig! Those shakers are lovely
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@JudyEv (325345)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 May 18
@FayeHazel We always say that many of the riders would never pass a vet check! 
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@JudyEv (325345)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 May 18
They had a meeting last night and apparently they are all pleased to know he's coming. We will find a place on the track with a nice background so hopefully we'll get some really good shots of the horses. It doesn't matter about the riders - as long as the horse looks good! 
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@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
9 May 18
@JudyEv I agree - the horse is more important in this situation :-)
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@sprite1950 (30453)
• Corsham, England
9 May 18
Those shakers are really unusual and I would love to own something like that. I think I would have them as ornaments and not want to use them for the reason they were designed.
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@sprite1950 (30453)
• Corsham, England
24 May 18
@JudyEv I guess not. Best just to keep them as ornaments.
@Jessabuma (31700)
• Baguio, Philippines
8 May 18
They look very nice... Thanks for sharing
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@Jessabuma (31700)
• Baguio, Philippines
8 May 18
@JudyEv yes they look good..
You're welcome
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