Earnest
“Earnest” is situated on beautiful Brown Mountain in Underwood, Tasmania (approx 20km NE of Launceston). The scenic 17 hectares is approximately half wooded and half native grass pasture, and looks out over the Pipers River valley. After years of moving around Australia and overseas we have settled in Underwood to undertake our “Tree Change”.
The forest on the property consists mainly of White Gum, Stringy Bark, Acacia and Fiddleback. The forest type varies from a dry eucalypt forest at one end and a rainforest at the other. The change in the vegetation in the forest is fascinating. A walk across the property is calming and peaceful, with small clearings along the tracks for us to sit and listen to the wind through the trees, the birds and animals that inhabit the forest, and the dogs crashing through the undergrowth playing merry mayhem with whatever they can chase.
Being 15 minutes out of Launceston allows us to combine the quiet of a country life with the necessity of work. We are attempting to get a little of “The Good Life”, for those that remember the TV series. Our own vegetable garden, chickens, ducks and orchards are providing us with some produce as we look to reduce our food miles.
We have plans to build our small alpaca herd into a larger breeding one in a few years time, but for now we need to learn how to look after these fascinating, friendly creatures. All our initial “boys” are wethers and have been picked for their personality, handling and variety of colour. Basil and Manuel were from separate herds and were not picked for the compatibility of their names.
Sylvite is our first female. From the Classic Park stud near Westbury, she arrived in 2009 with her boy Hilton. We are hoping she is pregnant so she will be due in January 2010. We are still not sure.
