11/18/06: On to Tasmania

Leaving New Zealand involved lots of long lines (the wrong line, the right line, the pay-your-tax-to-leave-the-country line) and one short line (airport security is much simpler here). What seemed like a huge amount of time before my flight turned into just enough. Melbourne, Australia was the first stop, and even the light was different from New Zealand light ... drier, hazier and dustier. There's a drought going on in Australia, which may be contributing to the dust.

Tasmania is an island off the southeast coast of Australia. The plane from Melbourne to Launceston (LAWN-ces-ton; three syllables) was a turbo prop. We walked outside the terminal and climbed a ladder to board the plane. Kind of like George Bush does, I guess, although the ladder was much shorter, and we didn't turn around to wave at anyone.

On the plane I sat next to a gentleman from Launceston who had been working on the renovation of a gold mine in Papua New Guinea, and was home for a week. We talked about what it was like to work with such a different culture and how powerful the moments are when people from vastly different backgrounds can connect as just people. We also talked about Launceston and Tasmania and added items to my Tasmanian "to see" list, which is already too long.

Saturday I spent doing errands and laundry and going for a walk in the Cataract Gorge in Launceston. My airplane seat-mate loves to walk in the gorge, and we talked about how lucky a city is when it has a natural place for people to visit.

Tomorrow morning we start the Overland Track walk. The book says "The Overland Track is Tasmania's best known walk and has become a mecca for walkers from all parts of the globe. The track winds its way through Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park crossing exposed alpine plateaus, passing through dense forests and alongside tranquil lakes and tarns." It's about 65 kilometers, which we'll do in six days and five nights. I'll check in when I get back, which will be Friday night in Tasmania.

Cheers, and be well!

Pictures are here.