Tasmania is Australia’s most southerly state. It is such an interesting place to come and visit for me as it is very Australian, but with the rain of my childhood in the north-west of England.

It is winter in Australia at the moment and in Tasmania there is a lot of rain. It’s also cold, just like England and reminds me of my childhood.

On a walk between showers, my husband and I had to have a laugh because we saw lichen on the footpath. We haven’t seen this for a long time-certainly not in Sydney!

There is the contrast of this cold weather with plants that I see in Sydney. There are many gum trees, of course, but I saw some pig face on our little walk, which I wasn’t expecting to see.

I thought Tasmania would be too cold for this lovely plant, but it clearly isn’t! It’s a shame that there were no flowers open today, but I can’t have everything!

It’s been a funny day, like I have been in England and Australia at the same time. The weather is very English and the plants very Australian.