Circumnavigation complete!

One thing that is constant about the Tassie landscape is that it changes really fast. I can say "fast" even though I've been traveling for nearly a month on my two wheeled friend, Poppy. Cycling up the East coast from Hobart was really quite different then the west of this island state. Still had the friendly and inquisitive Tassie folks and the even more friendly tourists in caravans from other Aussie states. The East coast still had sweet camping spots, amazing hiking and gorgeous national parks, but instead of rugged mountains sparse towns and moist rain forest, the landscape featured historic towns like Richmond and Derby, coastal fishing and resort towns like Swansea, Coles Bay, Bicheno and St. Helens. These towns had turquoise waters, and a warm sun, with a constant air of summer about, even as Tasmania creeps into autumn.

I spent two glorious and solitary nights on Maria Island as I worked my way up the coast. Here, no cars are allowed, and the entire island is a National Park, steeped in a rich history as it was once the home of nearly 800 people, was once a penal settlement, and a holiday retreat spot. Some of the creepy old buildings still remain, including one farmhouse which I pitched camp near, some 12 km away from where the ferry brings you over. The turquoise water and grazing wombats, wallabies and native hens formed a beautiful backdrop as I quietly explored the Isthmus, and cooked up warm meals over my camp stove. What an interesting and beautiful spot it was; a place of remembering, reflecting, and gratitude...

North a couple hundred kilometers on the East Coast and you are back with those folks who seek the famous scenery of Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay. Here I camped out at Friendly Beaches, a painfully beautiful place where I walked along the beach, cooked my meals on the crisp white sand, and enjoyed each bright blue crashing wave.

And now, I'm here in Launceston, ready, once again, to close (temporarily?) the Tasmanian chapter of my travels and head next to New Zealand! I'm excited, because, as easily as I could stick around Tassie for another month or two, picking grapes, or exploring more of the special nooks and crannies, I'm looking forward to having a mate to travel with! My cousin Anthony has already landed on NZ soil, and I will follow in a couple days.

And though it is so difficult to sum up a journey in words, so difficult to convey what it's like to ride your bike for glorious hours upon hours, bu yourself, through stunning landscapes, I'll try to communicate to you just what it's like...in my next post, from another Aussie state.