2022 Festival Program - Ordered by type of event
( Book here )
Welcome to our 2022 Bruny Island Bird Festival Program, bursting at the seams with bird related events.
Due to the added challenges of Covid we have a more streamlined selection of events and some numbers are necessarily smaller to fit covid guidelines.
Our community celebration of birdlife and nature is now in its 6th anniversary and we are proud of how it has become such a joyful and well loved Australian birding event. Please take time to read through the program and absorb all the fantastic walks, lectures, workshops and events that will be part of the Festival. We have done our very best to allow you to be able to attend a very diverse selection of activities over the 3 days, however you may have to plan carefully to fit in everything you wish to do.
Remember there are many events that do not require a booking, and due to the generosity of our presenters and sponsors, they are often free or 'donation only' to attend. The festival is diverse, inclusive and welcoming to all, no matter what your level of birding knowledge and interest may be. We look forward to welcoming you to our very special Bruny Island Bird Festival on this unique and beautiful island.
Help plan your time at the festival with this Quick View Daily Event Chart - maybe print it out and circle the events you plant to attend to create your plan of campaign. You can also look at the webpage where events are ordered by day and start time rather than by event type.
This will be a Covid safe event with venue check in, wearing masks inside, hand sanitizing and social distancing. It is a Tasmanian Government requirement to be fully vaccinated to enter a licensed event venue where it is likely people will be standing and drinking.
1. Birdwatching Tours
Birding Bruny Island - Inala Day Tour
 Friday 25th: 8:30am - 5:00pm ( Guide Paul Brooks ) - 2 PLACES LEFT
Saturday 26th: 8:30am - 5:00pm ( Guide Ramit Singal ) - SOLD OUT
Sunday 27th: 8:30am - 5:00pm ( Guide Cat Young ) - SOLD OUT
Monday 28th now running 8.30 - 5.00pm ( Guide Nick Mooney ) - 2 PLACES LEFT
Meet at Adventure Bay Hall carpark
$200 pp. Bookings required. Max 6 people
A day tour of Bruny Island with a specialist Inala tour guide at a special festival only price will give you a fantastic opportunity to explore the many diverse habitats of Bruny Island (including a visit to the Inala Private Reserve ) and discover a fantastic selection of birds. You will learn about their calls, their identifying marks, their behaviours etc. The Inala guides know Bruny Island intimately and are overflowing with information about the flora, fauna, history, geology and seasonal rhythms of this remarkable island.
You will be travelling in an Inala vehicle throughout the day.
BYO lunch (Snacks and cold drinks provided)
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Penguin & Shearwater Colony Tour
 Friday 25th 7pm - 8.30pm SOLD OUT
Saturday 26th 7pm - 8.30pm SOLD OUT ( sorry you can't join the penguin tour, but now you can come to the wonderful evening of music at the Adventure bay hall - see the evening events tab )
Location: Meeting at The Neck Carpark
Guide: Dr Eric Woehler
$10 adult, Children under 12 and with an adult $5.
Bookings required. Max 15 per night
Join Dr Eric Woehler of BirdLife Tasmania and an Inala bird guide to visit the Little Penguin colony at The Neck. Learn about and hopefully see Little Penguins as they make their way from the ocean back to their burrows after dark. You will also see the beautiful Short-tailed Shearwaters who breed at this site after their epic migration journey across the oceans from the Antarctic to the Arctic.
Wear weather appropriate clothing. Bring your own torch, red cellophane will be provided. ( will also be available at HQ in Adventure Bay ) NB: No flash photography. |
2. Birdwatching Guided Walks
| WALKS ARRANGED IN ORDER OF START TIME ( Take careful note of which day ) |
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A unique soundscape birding experience during the dawn chorus with Ramit Singal
 Sunday 27th 7am - 9am SOLD OUT
Location: Meet at Inala ( 320 Cloudy Bay Road )
Guide: Ramit Singal
Cost: $25 Adult | $5 accompanied child 12yr and under.
Bookings Required Max 12
Take a walk with Ramit Singal - Inala Bird Guide, photographer and podcast host of Having a Lark who "Communicates his love for nature through guided wildlife tours, visual media, acoustics and the written word."
During this walk you will be engaging with the soundscape and recording birds using multiple tools and best practices, and then preparing sound files for uploads to a platform online.
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Take a walk with Tonia to the top
  Sunday 27th March 8am-11am SOLD OUT
Location: Meet at Inala ( 320 Cloudy Bay Road )
Guide: Dr Tonia Cochran
Cost: $50 Adult | $25 accompanied child 12yr and under.
Bookings Required Max 15
Dr Tonia Cochran owns the 1,500 acre conservation property at Inala. She has lived here for over 35 years and knows every inch of the land. Take a walk with Tonia from the Jurassic Garden all the way through the forest to the very top of the property known as Ben Bullen with a phenomenal view down over Cloudy Bay. Along the walk, as well as birding with Tonia, you will learn the story of her involvement with the land and the diverse work she has done here over the years as Inala has evolved. Discover the parts of the property that far fewer people get to see and be rewarded for your climb with a special view of a unique corner of Bruny Island.
( Suitable for those who can walk up a moderately steep slope on forest trails at a gentle pace) Walk approx. 3hrs ( Bring a drink and a snack to enjoy at the top )
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Beach to Bush Walk with Festival Founder Bob Graham
  Friday 8.30am- 10:00am FRIDAY SOLD OUT
Saturday 26th 8.30am- 10:00am ( also with guide Paul Brooks ) SATURDAY SOLD OUT
Sunday 27th 8.30am- 10:00am SUNDAY SOLD OUT
Location: Adventure Bay start at Adventure Bay Hall
Guide: Bob Graham
$10 adult, accompanied child under 12 free.
Booking required. Max 12
A Festival favourite guided by a passionate bird lover and Bruny Islander. Bruny Bird Festival founder Bob Graham takes you on a gentle walk from the Adventure Bay shoreline through a selection of different habitats into beautiful tall forest. Your guide will help you see, hear and understand the range of bird species to be sighted in each different ecotone.
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Inala Conservation Reserve - Guided Walking Tour including the Forty-spotted Pardalote Platform ( morning and afternoon options )
 Friday 25th, Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th: 8:30am - 11.00am (tour may run to 3 hrs)
AND
Friday 25th, Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th: 1:30pm - 4:00pm (tour may run to 3 hrs)
FRIDAY 8.30am 2 SPOTS LEFT
FRIDAY 1.30pm 6 SPOTS LEFT
SATURDAY 8.30am 1 SPOT LEFT
SATURDAY 1.30pm SOLD OUT
SUNDAY 8.30am EXTRA GUIDE ADDED 10 SPOTS LEFT
SUNDAY 1.30pm 2 SPOTS LEFT
Location: MEETING AT INALA, 320 Cloudy Bay Rd, South Bruny - look for Festival flag and meet at carpark.
$50 adult, $25 accompanied child 12yr and under.
Bookings required. Min 6, Max 12 on each tour
Join an experienced Inala bird specialist for a 2.5 - 3-hour walking tour of Inala.
Inala is a 1,500 acre private reserve and a centre for conservation work for several threatened and endangered species. Inala is home to one of the largest known populations of Forty-spotted Pardalotes, and on this tour you will learn about the conservation efforts undertaken to protect these species, as well as searching for other Tasmanian endemics and specialities. Highlights include the possibility of most of the Tasmanian endemics including Strong-billed Honeyeater and the endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote.
This tour is being offered at a very special festival price. Regular 3hr Inala property tours are $180 per person
* younger family tours may be arranged if sufficient demand - Please ask.
Note: With large enough numbers on any particular tour, it could possibly be split into novice and experienced groups
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Dennes Hill Walk with Sally Bryant
 Saturday 26th 8.30am - 10.30am SATURDAY SOLD OUT
Sunday 27th 8.30am - 10.30am SUNDAY SOLD OUT
Location: Meet and Park at Lauriston Farm, 321 Bruny Island Main Road, North Bruny ( Look for the festival flag )
Guide: Sally Bryant
Adult $25 Child $5 (accompanied and 12yr and under) Max 20
The return of a festival favourite!
Take a walk with renowned broadcaster, writer and ecologist Sally Bryant through some dry Sclerophyll forest and open grassland at Dennes Hill Nature Reserve on North Bruny. Learn about the valuable Forty-spotted Pardalote Habitat on this land, the work done by the community to protect it and the other birds and animals that call this beautiful spot home.
Attendees will need sturdy shoes and a ‘reasonable’ level of fitness to get up the hill which is a steady climb at the beginning and will participate in forty-spot monitoring using the BirdLife Australia Birdata App.
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Quarantine Station Birding Walk with Dr Catherine Young
Saturday 26th. 8.30am - 10am SOLD OUT
Adult $25 Child $5 (accompanied and 12yr and under) Max 15
Location: Quarantine Station North Bruny - 816 Killora Road
Guide: Dr Catherine Young
Take a gentle woodland walk from the Quarantine Station with Catherine Young specialist bird guide and ornithologist with the Australian National University Enjoy a wide selection of bush birds that call North Bruny home including honeyeaters, robins, whistlers, thornbills and the chance of Blue Winged Parrots who live in that habitat.
After the 1.5hr walk you also have the opportunity to visit the Quarantine Station and a local guide will introduce the group to the history of this fascinating site, from prisoner of war camp to medical quarantine station, to plant quarantine laboratory to state reserve.
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Grass Point Birding Walk with Karen Dick
Saturday 26th March 10.30am - 12.30pm SOLD OUT
Location: Meet at the Grass Point / Fluted Cape carpark (Before the Bruny Cruises building)
Guide: Karen Dick
Adult $25 Child $5 (accompanied and 12yr and under) Max 12
Walk the lovely Grass Point trail through varying habitats of beach, foreshore, mixed Eucalypt woodland and open grassland in the company of one of Tasmania's leading birdwatchers. Learn about and seek out the birds that inhabit the area and possibly see some of the seasonal residents of the area such as Satin Flycatcher and Swift Parrot.
Karen is a birding guide with Inala Nature Tours and member of the BirdLife Tasmania Executive Committee.
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Introduction to Shorebirds with Dr Eric Woehler
 Sunday 27th, 9.20am - 10.20am SOLD OUT
Sunday 27th 10.30am – 11.30am SOLD OUT
Adult - $10 Accompanied Child under 12 - Free
Booking required. Max 15
Location: Captain Cook Creek, Adventure Bay. Meet at the picnic area just after you cross the creek. (Heading away from the hall towards the southern Fluted Cape end of Adventure Bay ) There is room for parking at the picnic area.
Guided by Dr Eric Woehler seabird and shorebird researcher from BirdLife Tasmania.
Tasmania is the southernmost destination on a bird migration corridor between Siberia and Australia. These birds use the foreshore and beaches during the summer months to feed and prepare for their northward migration.
Join Eric to hopefully see a great selection of resident Bruny shorebirds, with the chance to view the tiny Hooded Plover. Learn how to identify shorebirds, learn about their seasonal changes and behaviours and how they survive in the challenging habitats in which they live.
Formulate your trickiest shorebird questions to put an expert through his paces.
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Inala Jurassic Garden Walk & Nature Centre self guided walk
 Daily: 9am - 4pm
Inala, 320 Cloudy Bay Rd, South Bruny - look for Festival flag.
$10 adult $5 child No bookings required - Pay at Inala on arrival.
This is a self-guided walk - take as long as you like. Welcome to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy in the Gardens.
The Inala Jurassic Garden is an educational facility highlighting the Gondwanan connections of a range of living plant families whose ancient ancestors thrived in the Jurassic period when the Gondwanan Supercontinent started splitting apart (about 185 million years ago) to form the southern land-masses that we now know as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America and New Caledonia.
Designed across five acres of gently undulating land and accessed by a winding, wheelchair-friendly path, the Garden gives visitors an insight into the ancient connections of species that are planted in family groups to demonstrate the similarities between species that are now found in these geographically-distant countries.
If you take an Inala Property Tour ( see above) you are welcome to explore the garden afterwards for as long as you wish
More information about the Jurassic Garden can be found on the separate website here.
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Mavista Rainforest Birding Walk with Paul Brooks
  Sunday 27th March 12 - 1.30pm SOLD OUTLocation: Meet at the Mavista Rainforest Carpark ( behind Adventure Bay )Guide: Paul BrooksAdult $20 Child $5 Max 10
The beautiful temperate rainforest habitat of Mavista is tucked behind Adventure Bay under the slope of Mount Mangana and it is home to some of the loveliest birds that can also some of the trickiest to find and identify. The three endemics - the Tasmanian Scrubtit, the Tasmanian Scrubwren and the Tasmanian Thornbill all live here and are all very capable of being quiet and invisible when they wish to be. The beautiful Pink Robin is another resident amongst the towering treeferns and can be surprisingly hard to find even with their fantastic colour.
This is your opportunity to look for these wonderful birds with a specialist birding guide who knows the calls, the songs and the behaviours of these birds. While you are birding at Mavista, Paul will also tell you all about the wonderful ecosystems at play in the beautiful temperate rainforest habitat.
We have limited this group to only 10 to give you the best chance of sighting some of these birds.
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Grass Point Birding Walk with Andrew Hingston
  Saturday 26th March 1-3pm SOLD OUT
Location: Meet at the Grass Point / Fluted Cape carpark (Before the Bruny Cruises building)
Guide: Andrew Hingston
Adult $25 Child $5 (accompanied and 12yr and under) Max 12
Walk the lovely Grass Point trail through varying habitats of beach, foreshore, mixed Eucalypt woodland and open grassland in the company of one of Tasmania's leading birdwatchers. Learn about and seek out the birds that inhabit the area and possibly see some of the seasonal residents of the area such as Satin Flycatcher and Swift Parrot.
Andrew is an Adjunct Researcher within the School of Natural Sciences, at the University of Tasmania, as well as a guide with Inala Nature Tours and consultant ornithologist. He has published 38 peer-reviewed journal articles on pollination ecology, invasive species, and the impacts of forest harvesting and fire on birds.
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3. Talks / Speakers
Expert speakers Series - Adventure Bay Hall starting 11am Saturday and Sunday
The lectures are a core feature of the Bird Festival and the topics cover an incredible breadth of subjects across the birding world. We have our biggest festival lineup yet and we are once again showcasing a remarkable collection of knowledge and passion from the cream of Tasmania’s scientists, photographers, rangers, artists, journalists, guides, academics, students and environmental champions.
For a detailed program see the Speakers series page
Thanks to the very generous contribution of time and expertise by the presenters the talks are presented for free - donations at the door are very appreciated.
Please be there 5 minutes before the start time of each lecture.
Booking is not compulsary, however, we do appreciate knowing possible numbers in advance, so please let us know on the booking form which lectures you may like to attend.
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5. Creative Arts
Feather and Botanical Printmaking Workshop with Rhyll Plant
Saturday 26th March one session 9.30am - 3pm
4 PLACES LEFT
Sunday 27th March one session 9.30am - 3pm
1 PLACE LEFT
Cost for participants: $120 per person per workshop - max 8 participants per day workshop. Adults only (15yr and over).
Location: Inala ( 320 Cloudy Bay Road )
Rhyll Plant is passionate about printmaking and the art of natural science.
Researching for a visual arts master’s degree based on her career as a scientific illustrator included exploring traditional methods of printing directly from specimens. Much experimenting over many delightful hours in her studio has led Rhyll to devise new techniques of creating unique images on paper by printing from inked delicate grasses and even fluffy feathers.
Rhyll runs entertaining workshops to share her ideas and all you need to bring is enthusiasm. What better souvenir from Bruny Island, than printing a bird’s nest, eggs and all!
All materials + Tea and coffee provided ( BYO lunch)
Bring along a selection of flattened dried leaves, plants, feathers etc. to use for printing. (Some will be available if you have none of your own) Bring an apron if you wish and don't wear your very best clothes in case of ink smudges.
The workshop is being run at the Inala Conservation Reserve in South Bruny Island and on your breaks between printing you are welcome to explore the Inala Jurassic Garden and gain artistic inspiration from the Gondwana plants growing there and the multitude of birds that call Inala home.
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Nature Journaling for Non-Artists: An Introduction with Prof. Jay Johnston
Saturday 26th March 10.30am - 12.30pm
4 PLACES LEFT
Location: Adventure Bay Hall and surrounds
Cost: $40 per person ( max 15 people )
Nature journaling is a fun, relaxing and creative practice that can build knowledge of species, deepen connection with your own ‘patch’ and those you visit through the practice of close observation. Yet, putting pencil to paper can sometimes be intimidating. This workshop will introduce participants to different types of journaling practice and the wide variety of objective and creative recording techniques available. We will explore different modes of observation and sensory engagement, with a focus on ‘capturing’ birds. Developing skills in nature journaling can be applied in many other settings for example artmaking, creative writing and citizen science projects. The session will include a presentation and activities.
*Some basic drawing material will be supplied but please bring a felt-tipped pen
Prof. J. Johnston is an interdisciplinary scholar at the University of Sydney currently working in the area of sensory ecology. She describes herself as a ‘bad’ (if keen) birdwatcher and a ‘re-emerging’ artist.
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Bruny Island Bird Festival Art Exhibition
Daily: Friday 25th, Saturday 26th, Sunday 27th 10am - 5pm
Location: Dennes Point Hall North Bruny
Free entry, donations appreciated, no booking required
We are honoured once again to be exhibiting some of Tasmania’s finest artists at our Bird Festival Art Exhibition. This year the exhibition will be at Dennes Point Hall featuring a selection of paintings, photographs and sculptures inspired by the birds of Bruny Island.
Take part in the people’s choice award and choose your personal favourite.
To enter your own work see separate web page - Art Exhibition.
Most of the artworks will be for sale, along with a selection of cards and prints by the artists, guaranteed to please any bird enthusiast.
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Artist in Residence - Lois Bury
Friday 25th, Saturday 26th, Sunday 27th
10am - 3pm each day
Location: Dennes Point Hall - North Bruny
We are very proud to have Lois Bury as our Artist in Residence during the Bruny Island Bird Festival. When you visit the Art Exhibition at the Dennes Point Hall you will find Lois working on a bird painting during the festival. She is generously allowing guests to watch her at work and ask her questions about her art and her techniques.
Lois is a self-taught bird artist and illustrator, showcasing her work with large artworks on canvas, miniature oils, posters, cards and (to-date) seven children's books. Her latest illustrated book of ’The Way of the Weedy Seadragon’ author Anne Morgan, publisher CSIRO, won the picture book section of the Whitley Award from the Royal Zoological Society of NSW.
Of particular interest are the 12 endemic birds of Tasmania, all of which are found on Bruny Island.
Lois will have examples of all forms of her art at the festival.
Free - Donations appreciated, bookings not required
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Bruny Island Gatepost Bird Sculptures
All days of the festival, North and South Bruny
Be sure to watch out for the artful and whimsical creations adorning islander's gateposts.
Collect a map at the Festival HQ in Adventure Bay Hall.
Winner announced at the Friday night BBQ
Every festival we are blown away with the creativity of the islanders to upcycle materials and make spectacular sculpture to sit at their gatepost and be enjoyed by festival attendees and the whole community.
BRUNY ISLANDERS
- Join the popular gatepost bird sculpture trail around Bruny Island.
- Create a fabulous sculpture at your gateposts for everyone to enjoy.
- The sculpture has simply to fit a bird theme, but does not need to literally be a bird, it can be a silhouette, a feather, an egg ........ think outside the nest.
- Upcycle and recycle the material you already have around your home / garage / shed / land to create art out of pre-loved materials.
Enter your gatepost sculpture through the form on this webpage
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Bird Beanie Competition - Brilliant, Bizzare, Beautiful Bird Beanies
  Beanies will be displayed at the Adventure Bay Hall HQ throughout the festival.
Beanies will be judged during the festival and winners announced at the Sunday Night event.
Details of the competition HERE including the entry form - last entries by March 11th
Do you knit, felt, croche, weave or sew?
We are looking for Tasmanian Inspired Creative Beanies
Let your imagination run riot
Great Prizes will be awarded to the winners of 4 categories
Categories = Tasmanian Endemic Bird Beanie, Endangered Species Beanie, Fledgling Beanie ( under 16 yrs old ), Wildest Design Beanie.
You can enter from anywhere and send your Beanie entry to arrive by March 18th.
You can enter up to four beanies, ( only one in each prize category ) |
6. Evening Events
FRIDAY NIGHT - 25th March 2022
Welcome Gathering Meal & Festival Opening
Friday 25th from 5pm 
Adventure Bay Hall area
Cost: $20 for a plate of great food.
Licensed event - no BYO. Bookings essential
Join us for the first evening of the Bird Festival and a community welcome informal meal of freshly made pasta or gnocchi options and a choice of sauces with chocolate Panna cotta to follow. This is a lovely time to mill around and banter with a gathering throng of fellow bird and nature lovers. We shall begin with a ‘Welcome to Country’, followed by a brief speech to officially open the festival and welcome you all. A relaxed and informal meal will follow.
Time: From 5pm for the opening,
5.30pm for the Meal
6pm Nightly Bird Count
6.30pm for the book launch of the Inala Nature Foundation "Guide to Birds of Bruny Island ( Our selection of Iconic species )"
7pm A guide to the twelve endemic birds of Tasmania - Cat Davidson ( see below )
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A guide to the Twelve Endemic Birds of Tasmania with Cat Davidson
 Friday 25th March 7pm - 7.45pm
Adventure Bay Hall
Cost: $10 Adult | $5 Child
Licensed event - no BYO.
After dinner, Inala guide Cat Davidson will present a whistle stop tour through the twelve wonderful Endemic Birds of Tasmania. Jump start your festival schedule by familiarising yourself with the diverse and fantastic twelve endemic birds before you head out to see them in their native habitats during the rest of your time on Bruny.
Learn their diagnostic features, their calls, their songs, their behaviours and their habitats. Join in a fast and furious fun group learning session and become more confident as a Tasmanian birder. Suitable for all ages and abilities.
Endemic Bird Images: With thanks to Jennifer Cossins from Red Parka
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SATURDAY NIGHT - 26th March 2022
 Life on Land's Edge | A musical odyssey to the ends of the earth and backThe Bowerbird Collective | Simone Slattery, violin & Anthony Albrecht, cello
Adventure Bay Hall | Bruny Island Saturday 26th of March, 7pm Tickets: $40, U18 $10
SOLD OUTFacebook Event
From the creators of Where Song Began (***** Limelight Magazine) & Songs of Disappearance (#2 on the ARIA Charts), this performance will take you on an epic journey alongside migratory shorebirds as they connect continents and cultures. A cinematic concert experience, Life on Land’s Edge draws on art, science, and music from across the ages. Spectacular footage and soundscapes set the scene for two of Australia's most adventurous musicians. Be immersed in one of nature's greatest stories at the Bruny Island Bird Festival.
The 60-minute performance is followed by a Q&A.
Licenced event - no BYO. Booking required.
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SUNDAY NIGHT - 27th March 2022
An evening with two artists, comics and national treasures ( who also quite like birds )
First Dog On The Moon and Jon Kudelka in conversation
Location: Adventure Bay Hall
Time 7pm - 8.30
Cost: Adult $30 / Accompanied Child $10 ( please note there is the possibility of strong language and strong opinions )
SOLD OUT
Lurking amongst the lush Tasmanian undergrowth are two nature loving cartoonists who display their love and respect for the Tasmanian wildlife and birdlife through their mediums of art and words, portraying their passion through beautiful and poetic images and perfectly crafted words. Their art makes us laugh and cry, hope and despair, often simultaneously.
Join us for an evening of conversation with the legends that are First Dog on the Moon and Jon Kudelka as they rampage through topics of art, cartoons, conservation, nature and politics with possible occasional mention of birds. The content may be unpredictable, we can guarantee it will be memorable.
( You will have the opportunity to put your questions in a hat - no guarantees they will be read or answered )
Licenced event - no BYO. Booking required.
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Inala Nature Foundation Book Launch
Saturday 26th 10am - 4pm
Friday 25th 12-2 @ The Neck
