The big thing for 2026 is the release of a new book! Islands of the Islands State has been a lot of fun researching and writing. It is a celebration and exploration of Tasmania’s off-shore islands; a narrative non fiction, a richly illustrated love story of place, multiple mini-adventure and wild food guide.
I visit 40 of our off-shore islands – some wild and inhospitable like Pedbra Branca in the southern ocean; and some you can walk to like Goat Island on the NW. How we get there is part of the adventure – we’ve used kayaks, planes, boats, walked. swam… Each island is explored, and I tell of it’s history, geology, flora and fauna. The geology alone has been fantastic to learn about and describe. Often I focus on a couple of the edible native plants on that island, sometimes the plant or animal weeds; then there’s a recipe of something you could eat if you were marooned there! While all the recipes are real and tested, sometimes I require you to have a pantry item or two to make the dish.
There are over 600 photos, including of the 50 + recipes.
COME TO AN EVENT :
WYNYARD: Party launch at The Don (Hogg St) 6pm Fri 11th September with speakers Christina Schleich from TAC, and Cass Wright from NW Tas4CO
ULVERSTONE: In Conversation with Chris Mead at Hive, (50 Main St) 1:30 pm Sun 11th October
BURNIE: In Conversation with Tan Linden and ??? (UTAS) at Cradle Coast Campus 6pm Thurs 22nd October tbc
DOVER: In Conversation Venue and speakers tbc Sunday 15th December
Email me at reescampbell1@gmail.com for more information
Islands of the Island State will be available from most good bookshops in Tasmania, but also directly from me (which is much better!) Signed copies are $70 from me plus $14 postage, and RRP is $75 + from bookshops.
In the last couple of years Col and I have visited all sorts of islands; and some of the stories are from when I sea-kayaked all around the NW tip in the Hunter group. I reckon they’re my favourite islands – some are tiny, but they’re all so different.
As many will know, a couple of years ago I released another small book – The Seaweed Supplement; to inform and encourage people to use the free, accessible and wonderfully nutritious food source of beachwashed seaweed. All Tasmanian seaweed is edible (but not necessarily palatable). It is legal to forage for beachwashed seaweed on Tasmanian beaches; but not to pick any living seaweed from rockpools etc. You’re limited to 100kg a day – for personal use. Now that’s a challenge if I ever heard one – try and munch through that!
This book is now sold out – but I might re-print a few copies this summer if there’s interest in getting more copies. It has been particulalry satisfying to see how many people have foraged for and used our seaweeds.
I often ask the question…where would you rather eat seaweed from Tasmanian or Asian waters? We might have some pollution problems here; but certainly nothing like the level of most of the more populated areas of the world.
One of the most recognisable, easy seaweeds is Ecklonia radiata, or golden kelp.
Feisty Tasmanian - the home of Tasmanian edible native plants 