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Donald Knowler

Dancing on the Edge of the World

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Don Knowler

A shot of Mellowood

May 14, 2012 Don Knowler

A streaker dashed across the pitch as Don Bentley and his colleagues watched cricket on television late one night in the newsroom, after the first edition of the Chronicle had been put to bed.  “Haven’t see a streaker in years,” said the sports editor. Don Bentley wasn’t listening. He was thinking of a streaker from years gone by, long ago in the city of Johannesburg. After the next over, he told the story.  “It was early in the morning, before the African sun had risen … [Read more...] about A shot of Mellowood

The Chronicle

Cool reception for a new recruit

May 14, 2012 Don Knowler

The editor and his deputy sat in the bar of Port Moresby airport. What was usually a chore, an obligation, had turned into something else – an outing, an escape from the office on an impossibly hot and humid day to the comfort of a lounge that offered impossibly cold beer.  The bar of the Port Moresby airport was in fact known to be the only air-conditioned space in the whole of the country and the editor and his deputy had up until that point not recognised its … [Read more...] about Cool reception for a new recruit

The Chronicle

Firetail steals the show

May 12, 2012 Don Knowler

The sea eagles ruled supreme at Eaglehawk Neck, but it was the beautiful firetail that stole the show. The white-bellied sea eagles had thrilled a party of bird-watchers on one of BirdLife  Tasmania’s regular outings with a display of aerial prowess over the fishing trawlers moored in Pirates Bay. The firetail simply let its stunning plumage do the talking. Before the firetail had turned up it had proven a pretty unremarkable birding trip, although a fine sunny day had put … [Read more...] about Firetail steals the show

On The Wing

Tension in the avian war zone

May 6, 2012 Don Knowler

Eastern spinebill

THE battle for the banksias and bottlebrushes takes place every autumn as soon as temperatures start to drop, and the smoke from wood stoves spills from household chimneys. The chill winds blowing off the high country carry with them the calls of the spinebills and crescent honeyeaters, the birds making their way down from breeding grounds to warmer areas closer to the coast. In the process, however, they clash with resident species like new holland honeyeaters, incensed by … [Read more...] about Tension in the avian war zone

On The Wing

A lesson in nature study

May 1, 2012 Don Knowler

Black cockatoo

The excited chatter of schoolchildren could be heard from along the lane, drowning out the call of the scarlet robin and the crescent honeyeater. Two dozen pupils from Margate Primary School were on their way for a lesson on  birds and the wider world of nature. It was a crisp, autumnal day, the sun burning off the last of the dew from paddock and hedgerow; the sort of day you can’t invent, a sparkling, magical day that would hopefully  linger in the minds of a future … [Read more...] about A lesson in nature study

On The Wing

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PUBLISHED BOOKS

The Shy Mountain

shy mountain

Silent and brooding, the Shy Mountain does not have to speak her name. We know she’s there, watching … [Read More...]

The Falconer of Central Park

Although written more than 30 years ago, The Falconer of Central Park has remained popular ever … [Read More...]

Riding the Devil’s Highway

Tasmania might be known internationally as the home of the Hollywood cartoon character, Taz, based … [Read More...]

Dancing on the Edge of the World

Dancing on the edge of the World by Donald Knowler

Dancing on the Edge of the World is a collection of essays that had their genesis in the “On the … [Read More...]

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Recent Posts

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  • Crescent honeyeaters emerge from the shadows
  • The seasons are a-changing

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