Well, I return from the wild! Not from Tasmania (not till Friday) but I'm back in the relative civilisation that is Hobart.

I can't remember where I was when I last updated... Deloraine I think. Wow, long time ago. Internet's not such a big thing out there.

From Deloraine, my stops have been:

• Gowrie Park
• Cradle Mountain (woot! Much updatage when I get back about this!)
• Rosebery
• Strahan
• Queenstown
• Lake St. Claire
• Miena
• Bothwell
• Mt. Field National Park
• Strathgordon
• Mt. Field National Park (again, because there's only the one road leading to Strathgordon)
• Hobart (didn't have time to update - sorry!)
• Tahune Forest
• Hobart: tonight and tomorrow night.

All up I've covered around 1,700km so far. I've got a hurt ankle (not too bad) two very sore legs (that will survive) and a gum infection (yay! I've been on painkillers and antibiotics for the past week! And what's better, I get to have root canal therapy on my birthday!!! (for the record, I wish the Gods would listen more carefully when I give them my birthday wishes!!!)) Fortunately, I haven't needed painkillers since this morning, although the area between my lip and my eye is a bit swollen... yeah, fun.

Medical problems aside, it's been an amazing ride, possibly even better than I'd hoped.

Tomorrow, as the big finale, I tackle Mt. Wellington. At 1270m, this is gonna be a bitch... I've already ridden up the first 430m on my way through to the Huon Valley (going to the Tahune Forest) and while it was a long, slow ride up there it was certainly not unrideable, but the real mountain doesn't start until after that... yeah, it's gonna be a bitch. But I'm planning an early start, I'm only taking some warm clothes and some walking shoes (and a whole heap of water and snacks!) and worst case scenario, it's about 12.5km from Fern Tree (where I rode to before) to the top, and I walk at about 5km/h... so even walking the entire way up, it's 2 1/2 hours. I'm planning on riding at least some of it though ;)

And then Friday I fly out. Plane is booked, picked up a bike box today, found out the deal with the shuttle bus out to the airport... really not much left to do.

Well, time to go find some dinner! There will be a HUGE series of updates when I get back (and can finally get them all off my phone!)... it's going to make quite a book, I think *grins*