Well I'm in Launceston today. Arrived last night, having a day off today and leaving to head... west, somewhere... tomorrow. Haven't quite worked out where yet, but I doubt it will be much of a ride.

The mobile problem has been solved!!! Well actually it's been botch-fixed because of the FUCKNUCKLES at Crazy Johns... their "national roaming" actually only works in two places in Tasmania. Fuckers... I'm really pissed off about this. When I originally signed up I told them outright that I was planning a trip to Tassie and that this phone was being chosen specially for it, and the only reason I agreed to sign up was that I was assured that for an extra cost, I'd have full access to the Telstra network. Then it's only once I get down here that I find that's not the case at all. Anyway what I've done is bought a telstra pre-paid card. This comes with a new phone number: 0458 182 635. I will be using my normal number until I leave tomorrow, then will be using this until I reach Hobart.

Also got my bike fixed today - woohoo! One new brake disc, plus a couple of new spokes. God damn Tassie's a bitch as far as spare parts for bikes go - I've only found a real bike store in Hobart and Launceston. Let's hope everything's mechanically settled down now...

I can't work out how to transfer my updates from my phone to the PC (grrrr!) so I'll just have to summarise. Also because this net cafe SUCKS they won't let me upload photos.

Okay, the route so far has been:

Day 1: Brisbane to Hobart
Day 2: Hobart (no riding)
Day 3: Hobart to Eaglehawk Neck
Day 4: Eaglehawk Neck through to Port Arthur, round and back to Eaglehawk Neck again
Day 5: Eaglehawk Neck to Orford
Day 6: Orford to Coles Bay
Day 7: Coles Bay (16km of riding plus a 2 1/2-hour walk to Wineglass Bay)
Day 8: Coles Bay to St Mary's
Day 9: St Mary's to St Helen's (plus a 24km ride to Binalong Bay and back)
Day 10: St Helen's to Scottsdale
Day 11: Scottsdale to Launceston
Day 12: Launceston

All up I think I'm up to around 550-600km so far.

Have booked my plane ticket for the 20th, so it's settled now. I just hope I can get everything I want done (haha, okay well the bits I REALLY want anyway ;) ) before then. The plan is to head from here out to Cradle Mountain, through to Strahan, then back towards Hobart, heading first a bit north to the Great Lake and then west out to Strathgordon before returning to Hobart. Then if time permits I'd like to go down to the Huon Valley for a couple of days, plus of course the second-last day for Mt Wellington (and hope like hell the weather's good).

It's gonna be tough to fit it all in, but I'm trying!

On a side note, does anyone (mainly Jen here, not sure if anyone else knows her) know Tatia's (Garnet Winddancer) current email address? I tried emailing her for her birthday and the email bounced :(

Well, gotta go! Time's nearly up!