Friendly Beaches.

Ben's camped at Friendly Beaches near Bicheno and thinks it will take some time to get back to where he was one month ago, healthwise that is.

Small part causes big problems.

The little Honda is running well and very economically too. The bike swap happened just in time because the Ducati needed $450 of repairs today with more maintenance booked in a month's time. The various problems of the past few weeks were probably due a failing electrical part in the ignition which stopped working completely yesterday. In the end, the two-cylinder bike was only running on one cylinder which made for an interesting ride to Brad the Bike Boy's workshop in Oakleigh. It's a little surprising that, in a state as small as Tasmania, the bike (and Ben) have managed to travel 20,000km in the last six months but that's why the steering and suspension are worn and need further work.

While watching the mechanic for over three hours, it was obvious that there was no way I could have diagnosed and fixed that problem by myself. Sometimes it's necessary to get help, even though it costs. Finding people with the right expertise (and attitude) is not a simple matter and, in the case of the unhealthy motorbike, it was a combination of some online research, asking around and a good dose of luck. For now, the red Ducati can power along quite nicely; at unknown speed since the speedo isn't fixed yet. If you find that you can't fix something yourself, it's worthwhile to keep searching for those with the skills and knowledge who can help.

Ben's in Tassie.

We swapped bikes on Wednesday, trading the repaired VTR 250 for the recently-problematic Ducati. The word 'swap' sounds delightfully simple yet the actual logistics involved trailer hire, a solo attempt at riding a bike up a ramp that resulted in another dent in the tank and a sore back, followed by a 500+km round trip to Lima East and back. By the time I arrived late in the afternoon, Ben was packed and ready leave the farm immediately. We had dinner in the Lakeside Hotel at Bonnie Doon and, in darkness, just after Yarck, he turned east towards Alexandra while I continued south towards home. He stayed near Lake Eildon that night and spent Thursday night camped off a bush track near Warburton.

It was after 2pm on Friday when Ben got a phone call from the Spirit of Tasmania telling him that there'd been a cancellation for that night. At the time, he'd got as far as Warragul and was riding south hoping to find a nice beach. At 4.30pm Tess and I were at Station Pier when he rode in, tired and grubby after contending with strong northerly winds and a low-powered, heavily loaded motorbike. Twenty minutes later a huge thunderstorm broke over the city and rain bucketed down. With the bike safely sheltered, we retired to D'lish Fish for a meal.

At 6.15pm he said bye, got on the bike and rode away as if he was already somewhere else. Ben returns to Tassie, and so does the VTR 250 in circumstances that couldn't be imagined back in May. The red Ducati sits in the Doublecheck Auto and Bike Repair shop. Will the bike ever return to Tasmania? Stay tuned.

Late night postscript: SMS received from Vietnam. air pretty bad in Saigon... can't wait to get home... stay in room with air conditioner all day all night... pretty hot. It's such a good thing that Ben didn't go.

Unlike Icarus.

Back on the mainland Ben enjoyed the warmer climate after the winter cold of Tas. He caught up with one of his mates in Melbourne and then headed up to our house at Lima East, near Swanpool in NE Victoria. Perhaps it was the occasional hot days, the initial ride in traffic fumes, dust in the air, rye grass growing green and tall at the farm, or some other unknown cause but, after a while, breathing deteriorated, pain returned and sleep became difficult, just as it was a year ago. Adding to the woes, the mostly-reliable motorbike had fuel problems; refusing to start and leaving him with no transport. Days wore on becoming increasingly uncomfortable and any feelings of wellness vanished. It seemed that nine months of gains had been undone in just a few weeks. There was no choice but to abandon the overseas trip and other plans made when in good health.

SMS: The wind blows one way and I freak out, changes direction and I feel better... Sorry about panicking sometimes. Call me Dr Jeckyl or Mr Hyde depending on the day. I've learnt alot from this trip. I'm happy and capable in Tas so I'll stay there and be weird (but happy). Burnt my wings a bit being overly unnecessarily ambitious. But unlike Icarus my fall will be soft. I'll see a doc once I'm there maybe I'll sort this thing out for certain but no rush....

The plans weren't all that ambitious but he just wasn't well enough. Unable to stay in Melbourne, the final choice was to go back to Tassie however the boat was fully booked till the 8th November with no room for a motorbike and no cabins or seats available. After phoning each day, checking for cancellations, a bunk in a shared cabin and a vehicle space became available. Ben's heading back to Tassie on the boat this Saturday. Life goes on and the story continues...

Ben's no longer in Tassie.

Ben's no longer in Tassie and thus the story concludes with this, the final post.

Station Pier. 12 October 2011, 7am.

Two hundred and sixty days.

Scanning the horizon.

Ben's been in Tassie for two hundred and sixty days. Today he rides a fully-loaded bike from Launceston to Devonport, boards the boat and sails overnight back to Melbourne. The bike couldn't carry all his belongings; there are items left behind in Weldborough, stored in a spare room thanks to the generosity of one of the locals. So, did he find clean air? The answer is 'yes', however Tasmanians frequently spoil it with wood smoke. Did his health improve? That's a clear 'yes', the difference between a year ago and now is wonderful to see. What happens next? Ben will stay at "the farm", near Benalla, and then accompany mum on a trip to Vietnam. That's as far as the event horizon goes and timeframes are uncertain. Will Ben return to Tasmania? Maybe. It's certainly a great place but he tells me that there are other great places to be discovered.

Taekwondo training.

Ben returned to collect the ATM card from Weldborough with only $14 of loose change in his pocket, just enough to buy fuel. Fortunately, the card had arrived while the pin number, sent separately, is due in a few days. He attended taekwondo training* at Longford yesterday and will attend another session at Bridport tonight, followed by a 50km ride up and over The Sideling to the new campsite at Myrtle Park where he's paid to stay for a week. Ben reports that the training is fun and a good way to improve fitness.

* It's a while ago now but, for a few years up to age 13, our traveller (and his sister) used to attend taekwondo training every week, mostly with Tigers Taekwondo club. They worked through the gradings achieving 'red belt' level (one below black belt), took part in state competitions and were members of the Victorian state team for national championships held on the Gold Coast. That was before virtual sports like computer games consumed the spare time.

ADF

Initial interview today 11.30, the first of several steps. The outcome could be one of three possibilities: proceed to next step; come back in 12 months; or the applicant is unsuitable due to aptitude, medical or other reasons.

Afternoon update: The result of the four hour interview is 'proceed to next step' which is a fitness test involving running, push ups and sit ups. Training may be needed to get to the required level of fitness.

Camped tonight at Myrtle Park. Ben's campsite has two neighbours: one is a highly-decorated (presumably medals and not tattoos) former navy diver who likes to tell stories, the other is a drunkard who claims to have a million dollars that will fortuitously come his way in the new year.

The compass pictured, like all compasses, points north. Ben's contemplating a return to the mainland sometime; perhaps a stay at Benalla and then travels further north into warmer climates.

Tess in Tas.

Fashion.

Food.

Folks,
Doug & dog,
two of the locals.

The three-night visit, flying in and out of Launceston, went well. Accommodation at the Weldborough Hotel was comfortable (and economical) with one night spent in a hotel room and two in the miner's cottage. Tess got plenty of driving practice on the winding roads between Launceston, Weldborough and St Helens. We had many meals at the hotel and also ate at the Pub in the Paddock, Holy Cow Cafe (both at Pyengana) and the Blue Boat in St Helens. Local beverages like beers and ciders were sampled. Visits to local sites included St Columba Falls, Lottah and the Blue Tier (via a very rough road, our fault for driving around the "Road Closed" sign), St Helens and the Bay of Fires where the fishing was fun but unsuccessful. She met some of the interesting individuals who live in the small town of Weldborough. The "red back" work boots turned out to be a very good purchase and brought a sense of fashionable style that's lacking in Tas.

Ben shopped in Launceston today and now has an extra-long sleeping bag that he can actually fit into and a new tent that's slightly larger than the damaged tent. Replacing the stolen and damaged gear cost over $1000, good quality camping  gear isn't cheap. Lesson learned and he has to be more careful about camping in remote locations. The plan is to stay somewhere near Launceston tonight, perhaps 30km away at Myrtle Park where facilities are good and camping costs a mere $3 per night. He's got an employment/career interview tomorrow in Launceston.

Hoods robbin!

The campsite.

The small campsite in the forest at Maa Mon Chin picnic ground has been raided. The Denali sleeping bag and expensive sleeping mats have been stolen. The two-person tent has been deliberately damaged. By an unfortunate coincidence, the ATM card was misplaced a few days ago and there's limited cash till a replacement card arrives. There have been many helpful people in Tas and this is the first unpleasant incident although a scan of the local papers demonstrates that it's not all sweetness and light down there. There are sketchy details of a suspect but not enough detail to make a report. In the meantime, the Paddy Pallin shop in Launceston is open today and they'll allow Ben to purchase using my card details.

update: Purchased two sleeping mats from the bargain bin. Camped the night near Moorina however the old sleeping bags aren't warm enough so back to Launceston tomorrow for the final day of the "40% off sale" at Paddy Pallin.

Visitors return to the mainland.

Sibling at the Sideling
on a fine morning.

Uncut gemstones.

Leaning on trees in
the Myrtle forest.

Spotting platypus at
the new campsite.

Local house, Weldborough.

Bowman outside
the kitchen.

Enthroned on the front porch.

Wall decorations.

Hand-carved furniture.

Cafe meal;
steak, chicken, veg pie.

Dairy cows on
the road, Pyengana.

Cheesy rider,
Weldborough.

Sunset on the Blue Tier.

Breakfast at the
miners hut.

Lego Mindstorms,
walking machine.

Learning to fish,
Bay of Fires.

Fishing, Bay of Fires.

Using the mobile,
Little Plains lookout.

Testing the running shoes.

Servicing the Ducati
in a thunderstorm.

At Ironhouse Brewery.