To Launceston and Away...

After being waved off by our WWOOFER friends, Mally and I were back on the road heading towards Launceston. We were aiming to hit a campsite partway there before the sun fell below the horizon and we became invisible to speedy cars. We zoomed along from Derby over rolling hills until we reached Scottsdale. At this small timber town, we stocked up on some food for dinner, filled our water bottles, and then continued on towards the looming hill ahead of us. On our way out of Scottsdale, we passed a farm that was burning the remains of harvested crops... and filling our fresh air with smoke! (Gasp!) Luckily, we managed to make our way through the smoke clouds and back into the beautiful countryside.

After travelling along some more rolling hills, we arrived to the forested mountain in front of us and began to climb and climb and climb. The road winded along the tree covered hillside, the air was cool and crisp, and the soft light of the early evening surrounded us. As we made our way higher and higher, we caught glimpses through the trees of the rambling farms below. And just as our legs were finally adjusting to being back on the bike and climbing hills, we managed to reach the summit and look down over our path out of Derby and through the inland farms of Tasmania - a splendid countryside indeed.

The rest of our ride rolled along smoothly through dense, deep-green forests. The cool air, evening light, and empty roads made the end of our journey a treat. Just as the sun began highlighting the surrounding mountains and threatening to fall out of sight, we pulled into our campsite at Myrtle Park. We crossed an open green field and set up our tent along a winding river where we could watch the vibrant colors of the sun paint the mountains before us.

The next morning we awoke to another painted sky as the sun began rising for a new day. The air was quite cool, but all signs pointed to a warm and beautiful day of riding. Our journey ahead also promised to be a pleasant one - a short ride into Launceston with the benefit of the previous night's climb down the road.

Indeed, we had a joyous descent right into the heart of Launceston. We arrived to the city early and began to organize our departure out of Tasmania the next morning. We found boxes for our bikes and transportation to the airport... and then focussed on other important issues like finding pizza and ice cream - we managed to get a three large pizza deal (they weren't that large - we had no problems finishing up) and I found some delicious mint cookie ice cream. We then wandered around town, found some used books to read, and relaxed for the evening.

4:30 a.m. comes around quickly... the alarm woke us up with a start and by 5, we were outside waiting for our ride to the airport. We boarded the plane and waved our last goodbyes to Tasmania as we set out for the mainland once again. Tasmania left us with everlasting images of rustic countrysides, glorious ocean views, and spectacular forests... we also left with an appreciation for all the kindness and generosity we encountered. It was another cyclist dreamland that was difficult to part.

But we were looking forward to reuniting with the Dales, our generous Melbourne hosts! We were met in the airport by Rosemary and taken back to our Aussie home away from home. Upon arrival, we were greeted by our two furry white friends - Jack and Sophie! We then unloaded into our cozy rooms, I tried out Nick's new massage chair (Ahhh!!! how do I carry one of these on the bike?), and we washed our dirty dirty dirty clothes. It is nice to be back with the Dales... they have offered to adopt us for Easter and Geoff has promised us a couple rides around Melbourne (oh boy!). We are certainly two lucky travellers.