Tassie

Tasmania has been great. It is a beautiful island, and small enough to get around easily. The 5-day overland track was a lot of fun. I met some nice people and saw plenty of wildlife, including leeches, snakes, wallabies, a wombat, an echidna, and pademelons. Cradle Mountain was particularly good because of its odd shape. I found a fellow American, Dan, and we travelled together after the hike. We rented a car and saw the east coast. The water is a gorgeous clear turquoise color and the sands are white and very fine. I walked to wine glass bay, which is on postcards from the area. Dan and I camped for free on the beach for a few nights, went wine, cheese, and beer tasting, and enjoyed the country roads in our tiny Hyudai Getz. I wish I could stay longer, but I have to start work soon, so updates may stop for a while. I'll be working in the Barossa Valley next week.

The road to Tasmania

After leaving Canberra, I had a few setbacks. I visited the highest point in Australia, Mt. Kosciusko (6,800 ft). About ten minutes east of that spot, my car broke down. It is in a town called Jindabyne where the vacuum advance is being fixed. From there, I decided to try to hitchhike down to Melbourne instead of taking the bus. I figured it would be a good experience. It was an interesting one. I told a driver I was headed to Melbourne, which was to the Southwest. He thought it was a good idea to take me 4 hours (he got lost) North to the main freeway between Sydney and Melbourne. I had low spirits at this point, but a very friendly college student picked me up and offered that I could stay at his place for the night, so I slept on a spare mattress on his floor in Wagga Wagga. It is out in the country and is very hot. We had a night out on the town, which wasn't very impressive. The next morning he made me breakfast and took me to a good spot to catch a ride. I made it to Albury on the border of New South Wales and Victoria. I waited over an hour for another ride, but the guy that stopped was very nice and we had a good conversation while he drove to Melbourne. He dropped me off at the door of my hostel, and even brought back my aluminum water bottle that I left in his car. I liked what I saw of Melbourne. It is more orderly and cleaner than Sydney. Also, there's good beer. I went to James Squire and Little Creatures brewery while I was there, both of which were delicious on a 100 degree day. The architecture was very interesting, especially in the larger buildings, but it is a bit difficult to explain. I made the short flight to Tasmania, and so far it is beautiful and cooler. I have to get prepared for my week long hike on the Overland Track. To help me prepare, there is a brewery across the river from my hostel.