It is cold. Snow is on the hills down to the 600 metre level and fog wraps itself around hollow and contour alike.

Sometimes the cold fog just gives it to you, nature in the face, take it or leave it. This is winter doing what it does best.

Winter in Tasmania is about looks. The look tells you what you may be in for and what you will get if it does become real. The night, before it snows seems warmer than the day before, mist swirling close to the ground telling all what is going to happen on the morrow.

Weather in Tasmania is different than that on the North Island. It is a constantly changing entity season by season, day by day, guiding a way of life and such a life is spent observing weather that changes hour by hour.

Call it instinct but it is more likely to be knowledge gained from observing the environment.

Everyone participates in this great community activity and it is surprising how good you can get at it, schoolchildren do it in Tasmania to perfection.

Stanton guests have been known to embrace weather predicting in the morning with a passion and mused over their success upon returning later that evening.

June at Stanton is the Hawthorn tree. Hawthorn trees are sturdy, defiant, hard, and absolutely gorgeous. A kindred spirit with the Irish nationals who gave their love to a new land?

A stretch perhaps but these trees are everywhere in the Derwent Valley and the Southern Highlands, and if Tasmania’s famous Irish political prisoners were to come back they would be engaged in chatting about the frost and the Hawthorns.

Stanton’s Hawthorns are on the National Register. The house by now is probably comfortable with their changing moods; green in summer, red berries in Autumn, cold bare limbs in winter, and white blossoms in Spring.

Companions who are going to be around for a long time fit with the Stanton ethos; Hawthorns are here to stay.

June is the working month at Stanton. Each year our cabinet maker, Nathan Stewart applies his craft and adds to the built environment so continuing a seasonal programme that goes back a bit now.

His most recent achievement is the building of a door, not an ordinary door but something that allows the world to enter Stanton, keeping things out is not what Stanton does best.

Motivation is high at Stanton during June despite winter setting in and early evening feeling like the middle of the night. A trip through Bushy Park to Maydena and the South West is a must but it will not be happening early and definitely will not be fast and furious.

Rain is not likely to be your companion in June, bidding you keep head down in a huddle of concentration. More likely the fine cold air will lift your eyes to view beautiful snow-tipped mountains and so make a day out longer than intended.

Coming home to Stanton and its log fires will compensate for extra time outside.

Winter in Tasmania is always bracing, invigorating , and definitely illuminating.