The first time I went to Australia I noticed how many men were wearing pull on boots out in the backabeyond bush of the Cape York Peninsula.

When I asked about them it kicked off a rousing conversation about the manufacturer and the quality of the homegrown company that my bushy mates were touting.
After a couple of weeks of dealing with my lace up boots I determined to buy a pair of Blundstones as soon as we came out of the bush and re-entered civilized society in Cairns.
After showering off days of sleeping on the ground I headed to a shop near the wharf, where the tour boats take thousands out for a day on the reef, to buy myself a pair of boots.

Within minutes I was comfortably walking down the parade in my new pair of 550’s.

I’ve been back to Australia a number of times since that first encounter. I always wear, or carry, my boots for whatever my feet might encounter out there beyond the black stump.

Blundstone was established in Tasmania in 1870 and despite growing to become one of the world’s most recognizable boot brands the company remains Tasmanian to the core. Their head office and manufacturing base for all their gumboots are located in Hobart, in Tasmania, Australia’s island state.

“Tasmanian history, heritage and its people have helped shape the way the boots have evolved; perhaps it takes a unique place to inspire the development of a unique boot.”

Here are a few of the reasons as to why Tasmania is so special.

Tasmania has the cleanest air recorded in any populated place by WHO monitors.

Tasmania is the second most protected landmass in the world after Antarctica.

Huon pine trees, which only grow in Tasmania have been shown to be 38,000

years old.

90% of energy generated in Tasmania is renewable.

Tasmania has over 8000km of coastline, more than Victoria & NSW combined.

The Tasmanian mountain shrimp has survived unchanged in the highland streams

for at least 200 million years

Tasmania has three unique timbers found nowhere else in the world – Huon Pine, Sassafras and Myrtle.

So, if you want to enjoy “Good News” Wednesdays everyday, get yourself a pair of fine Australian boots.

Aroo