## I went to Van Demons Land, TRUE ##  

I went to Tasmania few years go (I was a volunteer and we took some clients on a holiday there so I paied nothing). It is so wonderful for a holiday there. Some places are like they never have been set foot on. I would not live there, but for holiday I love it.
I am glad you had fun there and learned a lot from your trip.

Wow! it sort of looks like a business of some kind now. To me it resembles a country store. Is the house still owned by family? It is really amazing that you found so many long lost relatives. I am very happy for you, Hiccup. The house is a very beautiful building. It looks inviting with the potted plants outside.

WOW!!! What a trip down actual history. How did you suddenly come up with this idea? It must have been so wonderful (goosebumps at the back of your neck??!!) to be actually walking the same path, the same house your ancestors (about whom you never knew) roamed about. Very thrilling.
We Hindus cremate the dead so there’s no graveyard to do research on but in Varanasi it is said that there are priests who do keep records and family trees of many people. I too plan to visit Varanasi some day and try and find out something about my folks.

BTW why is Tasmania called Van Demons Land?

And the house’s so picturesque…who lives there now?

Tasmania is one part of Australia that I have never been hiccup and I really do want to get myself down there. Finding the house your Grandfather was born in must have been an amazingly sentimental experience. And all that extra history you discovered as well! Being able to determine so much about who you are and where you came from in a single trip like this must be indescribable. I have always been intrigued by the historical sites of Tasmania and would love to see the bush and animals there as well one day. Especially the Platypus and Tassie Devil in their natural habitat rather than at a zoo like I have seen them before. I have a very close friend that moved to Tassie about 6 months ago and he is now married and working there and he absolutely loves it. The only thing that concerns me a little though is the cold weather.

Is that the ocean in the background, a beach house? It's hard to tell if it's water or something else. I'm always interested in a house's surroundings.

What a wonderful trip you had!! I wondered what you'd been up to-I've been working and I'm way behind in my replies, too. I knew yours would be interesting!

How great to meet family and get to know about ancestors! We've all heard how the British sent their prisoners to Australia and New Zealand in order to be rid of them. They thought they would die there but just look at what they accomplished! Did you find out what crime your great uncle was supposed to have committed? Back then it could've been no more than stealing a crust of bread.

An interesting trip for you hiccup. Great that you were able to find out some of your family history and of course meet some relatives. I would say the fact that these relations are still living in Tasmania means they know first or maybe second hand a lot of the family history. It was good that you could connect up with them and spend some time gathering the knowwledge that they had? How long have you known that you had some living relatives still in Tasmania after all this time?

One day we might get to go to Tasmania or Van Diemens Land but for the present it is not something on our agenda, due to financial as well as time constraints but who knows what the future holds. My partner has never been to Tasmania at all, or most of the other states of Australia for that matter. I have been there way back in the late 1960's and we were there for a couple of days only. At the time I was about 21 or 22 from memory, single, with the military and my mates .. all of us intent on enjoying ourselves. I am sure you will understand that sightseeing was not uppermost in our minds for those few days before we were off to sea again.

Good luck and I hope you can get back to Tasmania to spend some more time talking to yoiur relatives and gathering more information on you family history.

Wow, this is um...
As you know, it is really...
Sorry, I don't quite get it for my different culture! Have a great day!

It's about time you showed up! I missed you!

But, I'm glad to hear that you were enjoying yourself. Genealogy is fun, isn't it?

So, you're originally as Tasmanian, huh? You devil, you! That's really cool to learn where our roots are. My mother was very much into her genealogy before her death. She had grown up believing that she was of Scottish descent but learned that her family was from England (on her father's side) and Germany (on her mother's side).

When I was growing up, she would tell us about her family castle in Scotland. All of a sudden, it changed to her family castle in Germany! Who knows whether this is true or not. Honestly, I don't believe so.

But, I'm so happy to hear that you've been enjoying yourself. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures!

I lived in Van Diemen's Land for three years early this century, in Launceston, a far flung suburb of Hobart (lol - I jest). Nice place, but the drivers would drive you to drink, they're as slow as a wet week, and they tend to be very parochial down there. But nice place, nice people once you get to know them. Full of history, of course. And still some very good fishing if you're that way inclined. The road kill took a bit of getting used to - Tasmanian Devils instead of rabbits. And going over the Western mountains was like seeing Mars with an atmosphere in places, so severe and stark.

Lash

Excellent! Sounds like you had a wonderful time and will soon post some delightful new photos. Carry on, then...