New Tweed Hat Direct from Outer Hebrides

A few weeks ago I lost my tweed hat at the CeBit exhibition in Sydney. So I ordered a new Harris Tweed Grouse / Fishing Hat online on the Isle of Harris. This location in Scotland, about as far away from where I am in Canberra as you can get on the planet, but even so the hat took only two weeks to arrive (in time for the Fly Fishing Film Festival)

These hats are also called fly fishing hats or less poetically "bucket" hats. They have a small brim and a cylindrical crown. The brim is enough to keep rain off while fishing (I have used my trout fly fishing in the Snowy Mountains). They can be rolled up to put in a pocket. When made in tweed they are very warm, even when wet. Over time the tweed softens and also hides dirt.

How to go about purchasing a new tweed had proved a challenge. I purchased my previous one for ten pounds on sale at Stow-on-the-Wold (near Oxford) in 1994.

Strand Hatters in the Strand Arcade and the Irish Shop in Paramatta Road, Sydney, have tweed hats for under $AU100. Searching on-line I found The Spectator offering a Harris tweed hat similar to the one I lost for 35 Pounds (about $AU62). There seemed to be numerous similar offerings for around this price.

Looking further I found hats for 26 Pounds (about $AU46), including delivery (the included postage was 6.63 Pounds). This was less than I could buy one locally. But there were some catches. This was described as a "sale", but the web page seemed to have been unchanged for years, so were these still on sale? The web site offered only Pay Pal for payment and the Pay Pal system refused to let me use my credit card, which caused some suspicion.

There were three colours of hats offered, but only tiny photos of each and no text description as to which colour was which. The Spectator included a useful photo with three different colour hats in it with each colour labeled: Loden Green, Gunmetal, Brown Grouse. I wanted a Brown hat, but ended up ordering a Green one (Ref G102) from Harris Tweed and Knitwear as I could not tell one colour from another.

Hat sizes is also a complex issue. Different countries use different measuing systems, so working out exactly which I needed was difficult. I ended up choosing "Medium" which was fine.

I ordered the hat and it arrived. It is much the same as my previous one from 16 years ago, complete with a quilted interior. While I wanted a brown one and got a grey-green one, it looks fine, fits well and is perfect for wet Canberra wintry weather.

ps: Tweed hat makers might like to consider a model with a brim 10mm wider, similar to the "boonie hat" (giggle hat or bush hat), issued to US and Australian troops (I borrowed one to go on a military exercise). The extra shade would be particularly useful in the Australian Alps and in Northern Europe, where there is increased risk from UV radiation, even in winter.

Australian Alps in Summer

Just back from new year's at Thredbo in the Australian Alps. The weather was fine most days. The most popular activity in summer is walking to Mt Kosciuszko (Australia's highest mountain).

But as I had done that before, instead went up the gentle walking track beside the Thredbo River river 4 km to Deadhorse Gap. There were many wildflowers in bloom along the river. Then back up Ramshead Range and 4 km back to the chairlift at Thredbo. At this point it would have been a good idea to take the chairlift down, but instead walked.

There are what seem like thousands of stairs down the range to Thredbo village. At several points the walking track crosses the mountain bike track and you have to be careful of the cyclists coming down at breakneck speed.

There is a web cam and automated weather station on top of the chairlift. But keep in mind that conditions are generally much warmer, calmer and clearer in the valley where the village is, than on top of the range.

The village is equipped for summer and winter sports and all conveniences, including WiFi access (buy a card with time at the gift shop).

Accommodation ranges from luxury hotel style (where I stayed last time) to self catering apartments, to ski club lodges. If you are on your own or with a small group and willing to share facilities, the ski lodges are good value and good fun. The Currawong Lodge was basic but comfortable and similar to lodges I have stayed in at Charlotte Pass. You can use the central Thredbo booking system if not sure what you want, or save a few dollars and book directly with the lodge.

There are Trout in the river and you can fly fish with a licence (available for a few dollars from the chairlift shop). You can fish a few dozen steps from the bar of the hotel or find a more secluded spot. I used a $20 fishing kit I got at the supermarket in Canberra, complete with a telescopic rod and tackle box. You may want to buy a local "fly" (live bait is not permitted). Fishing is a wonderful excuse for not doing anything of the more active mountain sports.