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Why are Australians intrigued by, (what happened to), the thylacine, more commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger?   The thylacine which is also known as Tasmanian wolf, is (most likely), an extinct carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. The animal has a lot of fans.

If you’re not from Australia, you’ve probably never heard of the Tasman Tiger that was last seen alive in captivity in1936. Since then, there have been reported sightings with multiple groups sharing theories and photos, ever hopeful that it still exists.

There’s symbolism, mythology and heartache around the Tasman Tiger? Why is this so?  

Firstly, the thylacine’s extinction is often viewed as a tragic symbol of human impact on the natural environment. We must do better to preserve life.

Secondly, the thylacine was an iconic species in Tasmania and in the broader Australian consciousness. Its extinction left a lasting mark on the national psyche and serves as a reminder of the fragility of Australia’s unique wildlife.

Thirdly, it’s a symbol of hope. Despite being declared extinct, there have been numerous unverified sightings and reports of the thylacine over the decades. These reports keep the mystery alive and fuel speculation that small populations might still exist in remote areas. The possibility of rediscovering a species thought to be extinct is thrilling. It offers a sense of hope and a potential scientific breakthrough that captivates both the public and researchers.

There’s also a great deal of scientific interest in the animal with its extinction providing valuable lessons for conservation efforts. Understanding what led to its extinction can help in protecting other endangered species. Additionally, advances in genetics have led to discussions about the potential for “de-extinction”, i.e. bringing back the thylacine through cloning or other methods. This scientific possibility fascinates many and adds to the intrigue.

The thylacine continues to appear in books, (like my latest novel, Alone with a Tasman Tiger), documentaries, and films, which helps keep the story alive. Its enigmatic status makes it a compelling subject for storytelling.

Taken together, the mystery, scientific curiosity, and desire to right a historical wrong, makes the thylacine a topic of enduring interest. I hope they find the Tasman Tiger and that my novel piques the interest of a new generation.

I love beautiful fabrics and I delight in seeing them transformed into gorgeous gowns. It was why my protagonist Charlotte Wyatt, became a fashion designer because like other writers, I like to live vicariously. You can read about Charlotte’s journey from fashion design student, to model and then body double, in Substitute Child.

While most of the characters in my soon to be released novel, Alone with a Tasman Tiger, spend their time in the bush wearing military disposables or kit from Patagonia, my two leading ladies have the opportunity to don their most dazzling gowns at a fashion catwalk held at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania. The event is called Kaleidoscope on the Catwalk, and it becomes a pivotol location in the closing scenes of Alone with a Tasman Tiger.

I recently attended a staggeringly beautiful fashion display by Iris Van Herpen at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane. The gowns were wonderfully whimsical and definitely not in the wearable category. But they would have been at home on the catwalk at the MONA,

Prologue

Miranda’s screams were peeling paint from the walls of the birthing suite at St Christophers in London, or so Mason thought, while Scott’s cries to hold tight could barely be heard above the thunder and lightning, as the yacht dipped and tilted in the ever-growing maelstrom in the stretch of water that separates Tasmania from mainland Australian. But it was the Tasmanian devil’s manic screeches, in the deep bush of Western Tasmania, that were the most chilling of all, sounding like someone crying out from the dead.

Curious? An Australian mystery. Live on Amazon, Kobo Barnes and Noble and Apple on Friday, September 27, 2024

Have you ever tried to build a raft? I remember being on an Operation Raleigh selection weekend and set this challenge as a member of a team. We had to tie together car tyres with ropes and timber slats, with no instruction. We failed miserably and all went for an unscheduled swim as we tried to cross the pond. The successful crossing was of course the main measure of success. It was one of my many failures during this assessment process. I’m just not an outdoorsy person although I aspire to be.

Like thousands of others, I’m a fan of the TV series alone where participants are dropped in the wilderness and left to fend for themselves with the barest of tools. The one who lasts the longest takes home the prize money. Several participants in the different Alone TV series attempted to make a raft. Some were successful. Others not. The challenge of building a raft gave them focus for a while. It can be boring being alone in the wilderness. And of course, if they were successful at making a raft, they improved their survival prospects.

In my novel Alone with a Tasman Tiger, our hero Seb, sets himself the goal of building a raft. It will allow him a different vantage point for fishing and allow him to explore other areas in his designated area in the wilderness. He has limited tools but access to already felled, huon logs. Long-distance rafts have been constructed using timber and rope for centuries. As a child I was entranced by the 1947 journey of the Kon-Tiki expedition across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands, led by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl. The main body of the float was composed of nine balsa tree trunks lashed together with hemp ropes.  Heyerdahl proved not only these craft were seaworthy but also that they could travel very long distances.

Seb didn’t end up travelling that far, but did end up in a load of trouble. You can read what happened in Alone with a Tasman Tiger.

Snapshots from Byron Writers Festival, 2024

Words can be limiting in describing experiences. I know that’s a strange thing for a writer to say.  It’s how I feel when I try to explain the buzz from the Byron Writers Festival. I’ll try to share a few insights. 

I loved the historical reveals, the clever conversations and the occasional burst of song. Indeed, I was chuffed to join Kate Ceberano, and hundreds of others in singing, ‘I will survive’, when we were exploring The Power of Creativity. Actor, author and all-round-lovable-larrikin Bryan Brown, observed ‘the warmth from the festival that makes you feel good.’ 

One of the hardest things about the festival is choosing between the sessions. There are five events running concurrently across seven slots each day. Topics discussed included: politics, poetry and pain; grief, grace, governance and grassroot activism; media, moguls and monsters. (There may be tautology in this last phrase). Also, writing crime and killing for country, and love, brotherhood and status anxiety, to name but a few.  

Most patrons were grey-haired and left leaning. I was clearly hanging out with my tribe as I sat in in the winter sunshine, on Saturday anyway, nodding gently and occasionally chortling. I loved learning more about other writers’ processes for crafting characters and creating complex plots. As always, it was good to be introduced to authors I’d not yet been acquainted with. My pile of to-be-read books has grown exponentially because of my weekend at the beautiful Bangalow Showgrounds.  It was time well invested and I’m already looking forward to next year’s conversations and to meeting more Australian storytellers. 

Above image taken by Martin Schalter on Unsplash photos

The global popularity of the Alone Tv series, has many folks imagining how they would fare in such a challenging ‘survival of the fittest’ situation.  Would they be able to build a secure shelter and hunt for food?  Would they be comfortable spending so much time alone? Are they closer in character to Edward Michael “Bear” Grylls or Walter Mitty? From the competitions run already we know that some contestations only last a day while others can hold on for seventy days. I’m thinking here about Woniya Dawn Thibeault who survived 73 days by herself, building a shelter out of tree branches, hunting for food with a bow and arrow and surviving fierce winter storms. She survived for 10 weeks on 10 hares, 10 squirrels, one grouse, and quarts of berries. In the process, she lost a third of her body weight.

Obviously if you wanted to enter the Alone competition, or simply to go into the wilderness by yourself, you’d need to give serious consideration to what tools you’d take to support your safety, survival, and comfort. Factors influencing your decision would include the terrain, climate, and weather conditions of your destination. For example, will you be in the desert, forest, mountains, beside a river or in a coastal area.

In Alone with a Tasman Tiger, Sebastian Ward is told he can only take ten items. This is what he selects.

1.          knife with belt carrier

2.          lighter

3.          water container

4.          saw

5.          sleeping bag

6.          cooking pot

7.          head lamp

8.          tarp

9.          fishing line and hooks

10.        axe

You can learn how he, and indeed the other five contestants, go in securing a shelter, finding food and managing interactions with wild animals, when they are dropped in the wilderness in Western Tasmania with their ten items. Did they choose wisely? Will they last longer than a week? The clock is ticking for them all.

Night sky image from Joe Leahy on Unsplash

Available for pre-order here.