October Reports
15 October 2009- Campbell Street Primary School (FINISH)
Distance: 25 km
Word of the Day: Thankyou (to the students and teachers who made this expedition FANTASTIC.)
Last days are often a bit funny. It's funny waking up and thinking that the next day is not about riding or paddling or walking. It's funny riding along familiar Hobart streets after being away for more than 7 months. It's funny meeting the students at Herdsman's Cove (photo) who have been with me on the forum every step of the way. Everything, in short, has been a bit funny. IN A VERY VERY GOOD WAY.
The YTBC led the way from Pontville to Herdsman's Cove Primary mid morning. I asked the students for ideas for next year's expeditionclass.com adventure before waving goodbye as we continued into the city. I saw the Tasman Bridge and remembered back to the first day when I'd struggled to pull the bike up the steps onto the walking track. Scenes from the months between then and now flashed through my mind. The first golden sand of Bass Strait, the sun setting on Mt Bogong, flooded NSW paddocks, insects hitting the tent fly in northern Queensland, the long grass of the Gulf, red rocks in the Pilbara... a list too long to continue. Then to Campbell Street Primary, as we swept across the road and saw the gathering classes waiting outside. Jordan raced up to open the gate and I said, "How about that mate, back where we started."
And just a few of the many thankyou's that I owe; the YTBC (Nicola), Dad and Mum, Bec and James (who brought you the updates when I couldn't), Sue and Robert, Damian at the Mercury, Sarah at the Advocate, Australian Geographic, UTAS SET, Webmistress, Solution paddles, Snowgum Hobart, and especially the teachers who let this adventure enter their classrooms, and the students who made it all worthwhile. Just a quick super special acknowledgement to Mr Enniss and the students at Miandetta Primary School who I couldn't visit in person today (because they're on the other end of the state), but who I'm hoping to see soon. I'll pop out a last newsletter next Monday and keep this page updated with news every now and then until the next adventure learning project kicks off later next year.
14 October 2009- Pontville
Distance: 92 km
Word of the Day: Penultimate (Is this word used to describe really excellent pens... or something else?)
Would you believe it, a puncture on the penultimate day. I suppose it was due since the trailer tyre has been deformed with a lump for a week. It wore out with a POP just as a raincloud closed in from the south. The wind was average to awful as we rode from Ross to Pontville. Three major hills had to be climbed up and rolled down, St Peters Pass, Spring Hill and Constitution Hill. The YTBC rolled faster down hill and I rode faster up hill, so we ended up in the same spot by the end of the day.
When I left Tassie in March the paddocks up the east coast were dry and brown. At the moment everything is soggy and green. It's great to see the changes in the land, but perhaps there was just a bit too much? Tomorrow we have plenty of time to reach Herdsman's Cove Primary for a mid morning visit before riding to Campbell Street Primary before the final bell rings. Both of these schools, and a few besides who I will thank later, have been wonderful support throughout the year. We're looking forward to what the day brings.
13 October 2009- Ross
Distance: 78 km
Word of the Day: Bridge (Can you make a bridge out of toilet paper?)
The famous bridge over the Macquarie River at Ross is (according to Wikipedia) the third oldest still in use in Australia. It was built by convict labour in 1836. I asked the man at the caravan park if Ross is the loveliest old town in Tasmania and he seemed to think that was about right. Being in between Launceston and Hobart it is also a place where people meet to argue over which half of the state is better.
We followed the back roads from Longford to Campbell Town this morning as we skirted around the base of the Great Western Tiers. Considering the height and rugged peaks its surprising how flat the lowland farming area is. Dramatic rain clouds were building after lunch as we escaped down the highway. The rain and heavier traffic slipped around us and we stayed dry until arriving at Ross. Give a toot if you see two cyclist on the road north of Hobart tomorrow... and slow down if the wind is blowing across the road... especially if you're in a truck with livestock!
12 October 2009- Longford
Distance: 79 km
Word of the Day: Animal (What are other kinds of living things called?)
Last time I posted was way back at Exeter which seems like weeks ago but is only days really. Well I'm finally back in range to share some photos from the final summit- Mt Ossa. The YTBC joined me in Mole Creek with her bike and a backpack (Thanks Sue) ready to tackle the hills. Mt Ossa is halfway down the famous Overland Track which runs from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. Instead of starting the walk from either of those places we decided to take a shortcut from the side. The Arm River Track starts up the Mersey Valley near Lake Rowallan, and instead of 2-3 days to reach Pelion Hut we could be there in about 4 hours.
But first we had to get up those hills I mentioned. The YTBC did a lot better than me in that department as I spent a lot of time walking beside the bike as she disappeared into the distance. This was a little discouraging since I have spent the best part of the year riding and would have expected better from my legs! Where the dirt road started we met Granny and my parents in the car. They had come up to give/take some equipment so I took the sneaky option and loaded my bags into the boot. Without the extra weight to lug around the last 15 km to the start of the track were better fun.
After a long lunch with our support crew the YTBC and I trudged up the track and left the bikes hidden in the bushes. Just before dark we reached Pelion Hut. It was full of smelly bushwalkers, most of them doing the full Overland Track in their smelly boots. Next morning the sun shone brightly on Mt Oakleigh (photo) which can be seen from the hut and we knew we had a lucky October day to be climbing Mt Ossa. We packed lunch and a few bits and pieces needed for the day and headed for the eighth and final peak for the year. The night before another walker had told us an unhappy tale of being forced to turn around before the summit due to the icy conditions. With a warm (relatively) night due to cloud cover we hoped for better luck.
Now for the serious business of announcing the Mt Ossa Animal Pose winners. The YTBC has helped me choose two of the entries. The first is the Spotted Hand Fish (pictured) by KalaniCSP. I know others suggested this strange looking beast but I only have one map so well done Kalani! The Derwent River, the home of the Spotted Hand Fish, begins its long journey to the ocean from very near to Mt Ossa. The source is only a few mountains away to the south. Its the deepest lake in Australia... see if you can work out what it is?
The other animal we found on the top of Tasmania was a frightened little Sugar Glider, as suggested by Essendon (Cooke56). The YTBC tried to sneak up on the nervous creature but it made a dash for freedom and flew into a soft patch of snow before scurrying away. It seemed to be looking for a hollow tree to hide in but upon the rocky summit there were none to be found. Under the snow there were probably stunted conifers and other hardy plants but perhaps not exactly what the Sugar Glider had in mind. The YTBC says she saw the little fella sliding down the slopes on a raincoat (I wouldn't have thought that a Sugar Glider would be so well equipped??). Anyway, well done Essendon from Cooke56, I'll catch up with you and the class soon.
This is a final animal pose to say thankyou to all the other wonderful suggestions. If you get a chance you'll have to make up a new name for this animal as it has never been seen in the wild before, and probably never will be again! Why does it seem to be running into mid air? What are those odd colour patterns designed for? Is there a special reason it has protection on its lower legs? Good luck working it out.
After reaching the summit we walked back to the hut at Pelion for another night in the bush before getting back on the bikes. Yesterday we did exactly the same thing we'd done a few days before that, but with more dwonhill than uphill. Today we tried to stay on the quiet back roads behind Deloraine to avoid the traffic. It's been a wet day but if the farm animals don't complain, neither will we. Tomorrow we head south and will be arriving in Hobart on Thursday. Don't tell the students at Herdsmans Cove or Campbell Street but we'll stopping by to fill up the water bottles.
11 October 2009- Mole Creek
Distance: 42 km riding 12 km walking
Word of the Day: Eighth and final
Andrew is still out of range. Full details on the climb up Mt Ossa tomorrow.
10 October 2009- Pelion (via Mt Ossa)
Distance: 15 km
Word of the Day: Eighth and final
From the editor; Andrew and the YTBC climbed Mt Ossa today and beat some icy snow drifts to complete the final animal pose. Andrew will reveal the winner of the animal suggestion and show us his photo when he's back on line in a couple of days.
With only a few days until Andrew parks his bike back in Hobart where this trip began, I'd like to congratulate Andrew on his memorable adventure. Well done.
9 October 2009- Pelion
Distance: 42 km by bike and 12 km by foot
Word of the Day: Granny
8 October 2009- Mole Creek
Distance: 65 km
Word of the Day: Deloraine
7 October 2009- past Exeter in a pine plantation
Distance: 88 km
Word of the Day: Surprise (Think of one good and one bad surprise you have experienced.)
There is a lot of traffic on the road from Bridport to Exeter and I thought I'd do everyone a favour at the Batman Bridge. Instead of staying on the road, which I would normally do, I hopped onto the footpath across the bridge. Halfway across there was a small surprise waiting, and not a good one. The long cables that extend from the top of the tower are anchored right in the middle of the footpath. I had to take the panniers off and squeeze through. Wouldn't it be great if all new roads and bridges (especially bridges) had to include a chunky big bike lane. That'd be bike riding heaven!
After passing the bridge, which by the way spans the Tamar River, I rode through Deviot and Gravelly Beach to Exeter. The wind was gusty but luckily there were great sections in the bush where I wasn't blown around as much. At Exeter I planned to stay at the only hotel in town, but was in for another surprise-there were no rooms there anymore. Maybe they should call it the Exeter Exhotel. It was getting late so I grabbed a few supplies and headed down the road to find a camp in the bush. I have found a spot in a pine plantation up near Notley Gorge. These places are not ideal because branches come down regularly and its dark under the closed canopy. But on the positive side, the ground is a thick mat of pine needles which are soft and dry.
[/page]
6 October 2009- Bridport
Distance: 87 km
Word of the Day:
YTBC (who took this photo) and my parents left Little Musselroe Bay by car this morning and left me to pedal out. Overnight there was heavy rain from the south east and it only stopped just in time to take the tent down. The dirt road was in good condition considering how wet it was. There are wind turbines (much bigger than Adrian's) going up soon around Cape Portland and I suspect the road is being well maintained for the rush of activity that has just started.
At Gladstone the road forked to Scottsdale and Bridport, I took the Bridport route thinking it would be flatter and better with the wind direction. Apart from a few lumpy ups and down it did flatten out near the Tomahawk turn-off and was excellent riding. Black angus cows waded into flooded paddocks and lambs still with their long tails chased each other through lush grass. The air is cold and there are reports of snow and hail on the mountains. It'll be interesting to see how much has fallen on Mt Ossa.
Whoops, it looks like I mislaid the 5 October entry! Nothing much happened, I stayed at Little Musselroe with YTBC and my parents. Prepared the bike for pedalling and the kayak for loading onto the car.
4 October 2009- Little Musselroe Bay
Distance: 36 km
Word of the Day: abalone (rhymes with baloney)
The Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo arrived at Little Musselroe Bay just before I did this afternoon. The paddle over Banks Strait, which can be a shocker in heavy wind, was smooth and easy. The strong currents mean you have to be careful to get equal amounts of ebb and flood tides. First I went drifting out towards Devonport and halfway across started to come back towards Christchurch (get your atlas out!). The end result was that I landed where the nose had been pointed in the beginning. An abolone boat was stranded at the mouth of the lagoon, waiting for the tide to come in. Adrian, a local character who has let us camp behind a shack, was ferrying the tubs of shellfish to a van so they could get busy processing them. It was all very busy compared to the island camps I've had recently. My parents are also here and have the bike in the boot. Tomorrow I will put it together and get ready for more riding on Tuesday. By the way, it is just wonderful to be home and to see the paddocks green and the cows fat.
3 October 2009- Cape Barren Island
Distance: 26 km
Words of the Day: Unkind east wind.
When the tent was shaking early this morning I knew the day would not be the ray of sunshine I'd been counting on. The south-easterly was basically a head wind unless I was tucked up against land (like around Cape Sor John). Punching into the choppy seas has aggravated the not-quite-healed tendon injury and it's going to be a slow slog nursing it home tomorrow. With forecast northerlies it was pointless to go any further and do more damage today so I pulled in near where I was six months ago. On the horizon I can see land, the mainland of Tassie! Low battery, gotta go.
2 October 2009- Trousers Point, Flinders Island
Distance: 0 km
Word of the Day: Convicts
With the wind still breezy from the WSW and my tendon beginning to heal I have had another day of rest. The plan was to climb Mt Strzelecki but my new sandals, which I bought to replace my old thongs in Whitemark yesterday, are giving me blisters. I realised after walking home last night that a climb amongst the mountains would be more pain than pleasure and have left it for another day. Instead I have been reading about convicts and captains in 'The Term of His Natural Life' by Marcus Clarke. Reading about Macquarie Harbour, Port Arthur and Norfolk Island while camped in a tent is the bee's knees (where should the apostrophe's go here?). Yesterday I met John Wells (photo) catching squid off the rocks near camp. He runs a mutton bird shed on Big Dog Island and produces all sorts of wonderful things from the oil of the young birds.
The mosquitoes are terrible thanks to all the fresh water lying around after recent heavy rains. Should be on Preservation Island tomorrow afternoon.
