Four young hikers stranded by bad weather at Melaleuca in the far south-west pondered how to spend their time before a delayed flight arrived to ferry them back to Hobart.
They had run out of food and booze, and there was no internet connection. All they had was a pack of cards with pictures of birds.
As they waited for the weather to clear, they set out to devise a card game of their own based on their knowledge of birds, coincidentally a game also in keeping with their surroundings as they were in the last stronghold of the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot.
From what started as a means to while away the hours has now been developed into a fully-fledged amusement which incorporates elements of both card and board games.
Artist Chris Bury, one of the four inventors, earlier this month ran me through what is intended to be not just a popular game but an educational and conservation tool.
A Game Called Birds offers a blend of strategy and creativity. Players strategically choose birds from their hand to play against opponents’ birds, contending with “power” birds and ultimately a spinning wedge-tailed eagle device that introduces an element of chance.
Unexpectedly, as Chris was laying out the cards on a table at a Battery Point eatery, he looked up to see one of the 60 birds featured in the game – a silvereye – perched just outside the window.
“A beautiful bird and one which would score extra points if it was drawn,” said Chris.
It is difficult to explain the reach and complexity of the game, especially in print as with this column, so it is being launched with a demonstration at Good Grief Studios in Hobart on July 29, from 3-7 pm, with the actual launch at 5pm.
The four inventors hope the game will become popular when word of it spreads, not just among nature lovers but those who enjoy board games.
The game’s photographs of Tasmanian birds by local photographers add to its visual appeal and aim to foster awareness of Tasmanian birds but specifically the endemic and endangered species, including the orange-bellied and swift parrots.
“We never set out to create a game. We were going troppo in this little cabin using a Trangia as a heater and then at one point we started making bird noises to pass the time,” said another of the inventors, Corey Graham.
“Creating rules kept us entertained, we had a wedge-tailed eagle card speared through my Leatherman [a multi-tool device] and that was when we first started ‘spinning the wedgie’.”
The other inventors are Leigh Ellis and Thomas Friend.
Recalling the experience at Melaleuca, Christ said while they were stranded a ranger on a bicycle came to their aid, bringing food from his quarters.
“He looked a bit non-plussed when we said, ‘Want to come and spin the wedgie’.”