Did I say 'small island of Tasmania'?
When I was planning this sector, I checked on a map where Lyn – my next Couchsurfing host lives. It's just north of Launceston, which in turn is just north of Hobart. This is where I'm at right now – Hobart Airport, perusing a roadmap courtesy of the rental car company and wondering why I have a 250km or so drive north – and won't drive off the edge of Tassy's north coast.
Looking at Tasmania on 'googlemaps' – sitting in the comfort of my apartment back in Spain months ago, Tasmania is a little island south of Australia. A bit like looking at a map of Britain and knowing that the Isle of Wight is that little island off the south coast – right?
Wrong! This is my first real experience of distance here in Australia. The flying between Melbourne, Adelaide and Tassy doesn't really allow a sense of distance. Tasmania alone is 26,400 sq miles, that's not much less than the whole of Scotland.
So, I have best part of a four hours drive up the 'Midland Highway' – not a highway in the sense of being a dual-carriageway or anything like that. Just a main road with overtaking lanes every four of five miles.
Lyn has given me precise directions to her house. From the main road it's nearly 10km up a mountain track, then I have to watch for a tiny driveway on the left. It's pitch dark now, it's a dirt track road, all forms of wildlife are running around – including suicidal Wallaby's.
I really need a 4x4 car rather than my little Suzuki Swift. I'm worried about hitting any of the animals – not that I care about their wish to prematurely 'end it all' – but I have a $AU1000 excess on my rental car and I can see some serious damage and cost occurring if I hit something.
A few three-point turns later (really not funny in the pitch dark on a narrow track), I find the house. I make my introductions to Lyn and Sirus and ask if they're offended by me bringing Barossa wine to Tassy?
“Oooh, a nice 'sticky'” says Lyn, “better try it and see” she adds. It is an impressive wine and they don't appear offended at all. We save some for tomorrow. Out comes a bottle of vodka – and orange juice – how did they guess?
Oh man -what an evening. What great company they are. I'm really starting to love the Aussie sharp wit – it suits my style. This is going to be yet another great destination...
In daylight I can see where I'm at.
Halfway or so up a mountain, in an amazing house in a rainforest.
Beautiful views all around. The water in the taps comes direct from a
mountain stream, there's a big 'Rayburn' log-fired range cooker in
the kitchen, the sun is out – life is good.
We're sat in the garden chit chatting. I feel something by my foot. It's a leech, just trying to slither between my shoe and sockless foot. I'm hopping around like a right idiot. Lyn is in stitches. “Don't get many of them here – a bird must've dropped it” she says between chuckles. I'm struggling to see what's funny – although I must admit, seeing me hopping around like a man possessed is possibly quite an event.
Still I shook it off, grabbed it and sucked the blood out of it. Well, I didn't really – I was just glad to see Lyn carry it away and carefully place it in the bush. That's because I wouldn't pick the little bugger up.
We're off on a road-trip the next day. Up around Scottsdale and over to the north east coast to visit a couple that Lyn is good friends with. Tasmania is a beautiful place. Lyn tells me quite a bit about the geography of the island. The differences on opposite sides of Tassy sound impressive. It's another place I should have spent more time exploring.
That evening, more vodka – Lyn grabs
a guitar. She's a music teacher and a very good musician – and
singer. The four of us sing along – well, she sings – we make a
noise. A sort of 'live karoke'.
It's an overcast morning – we're heading back towards Launceston for a look around. We're there all day – meeting another Couchsurfer who's also going to staying at the house.
I'm leaving the next morning – I have that long drive back to Hobart to catch my next flight to Sydney. Lyn still finds time to write down some music theory notes to help me with my Sax practice. I'm finally starting to understand keys, scales, arpeggios and the 'circle of 5ths now! What an amazing person she is.
I make it in good time back to Hobart, although I didn't have time to see much there. I'm excited about going to Sydney – easy through check-in, Virgin are on time and it's another short not two hours flight across the Tasman sea.
What an entrance! Our flight path into Sydney is over Botany Bay. It's dusk as we're descending into Kingsford-Smith airport and the twilight just adds another dimension to the overall experience of arriving in one of the worlds great cities.
I'm going to really enjoy this...
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