Satellite Dispatch / Onroad / Don's Epic Journey / #2

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 10:15:48 +1100
To: netnews@peg.apc.org
From: Don Pattenden <dpattenden@pegasus.com.au>
Subject: Tasmania - the ups and downs!!

Hello,

Here it is 5:45 PM on a cool (but fine) Hobart afternoon and I'm actually sitting at a keyboard at last. It feels very strange indeed after the existence I've been leading for the past two weeks. Is it really only two weeks? Lets see, I flew out of Melbourne on Friday January 10 and it's now Saturday Jan 25. Yep! Two weeks. But it already feels as though I've been leading this very strange lifestyle - of contending with basic day to day survival at a very physical level - for an eternity.

Ups and downs a plenty: topography and moods. Even after my first day at the Wynyard YHA Hostel, even before I had actually riden anywhere (other than from the airport to the hostel - a few blocks), I found myself plunged into gloom. What had I let myself in for? I saw it stretching ahead for a whole year: one hostel after another, bunk beds, communal kitchens, new faces coming and going all the time, absolutely no private space to call my own.

But the very next morning I was feeling positive again. For me mornings are always positive. For one thing I was able to organise things so that I could do my yoga practices by the simple expediency of getting up much earlier than anybody else and making use of the empty common room. I've used this little trick at every hostel so far. In this way I create my own "private space" in two sense: first of all in the physical sense of an empty (and blisfully silent) and secondly in the sense of an inner space - i.e. within my own mind.

This has proved to be an important continuity - when all else is constantly changing - the continuity of my yoga practices and the inner stillness they create. I suppose it's like a "room of my own" that I carry around with me.

I might say though that over the two weeks I've done my practices in some very different places - there is not always the luxury of a carpet - sometimes it's had to be on a lino floor with just a blanket over it, and once (when camping) on my sleeping bag on concrete (because the grass was wet). Some caravan parks offer hostel accomodation in single rooms which are inclined to be pretty tiny. I can still manage even in that confined space, though I have to omit the posture we call the "cruciform" (with arms spread wide).

But the highlight from all points of view, by a mile, was my morning at Wayatinah Lagoon (in the west) - simply glorious!! I did my practices on the grass beside my tent just as the sun rose over the lagoon, shimmering, with traces of mist rolling away, birds calling to each other. That moment by itself made up for all the hills, all the doubts and depressions.

I won't say too much about the agony that went with my departure from Melbourne and the chaos I left behind and will still have to sort out on my return, save to say that Gabrielle (daugher) was just magnificent. I couldn't have done it wthout her assistance. She remained calm through the entire episode - even when we managed to miss the plane I'd booked months ago (entirely my fault) and had to change the booking to the morning of Friday 10th.

My first day of actual riding was on Sunday Jan 12th. It took me simply AGES to load up my bike - ages first of all to get everything into my 4 paniers and then ages more, with the judicial use of ocker straps (i.e. octopus straps) to hold it all together - tent, sleeping bag, extra rucksack (to hold the "spillovers"). It felt very very heavy!! And when I climbed on for the first time I wondered how on earth I was going to ride it along on the flat, let alone up hills. But somehow I did - and here I am, I've lugged it all the way to Hobart!!

How I wish I had some photos to send to Andrew for scanning, but would you believe, Murphy's Law has struck again!!!! What luck!! There seems to be something amiss with my camera. It seemed to jam after I'd taken about 18 shots or so of the reel and I have no idea how many of them will come out, nor whether the camera is going to work successfully when loaded up with a new film. That still has to be sorted out. Right now I'm afraid I can't even afford to have the film processed - this fortnight's money has all but run out (just enough left for accommodation & food.) This really is touring on a shoestring - "the smell of an oily rag" (just to mix the metaphor!) Managing on the pension alone is a whole story in itself!!

I could already write pages about the people I have met, but one person in particular stands out in my mind. He was a Frenchman I met at the Strahan YHA and proved to be a very interesting character. At first I took very little notice of him - he was quiet and unassuming and seemed to spend his time wandering around whistling softly to himself and quietly observing people. Sometimes I recognised fragments of the tunes he whistled - a great variety - a movement from the Dvorak "New World", or Sant Lucia or the French song "J'attandrai".

But it wasn't until my 2nd morning in Strahan (after 2 nights in a hostel, one is already a veteran there - the first night is spent just working out where things are) after I'd already packed up my bike by 9 AM (much more practiced than that first time at Wynyard) that I actually had a conversation with him and regretted that I had not spent more time talking to him.

Like me he is "retired" and like me he says that his working life now seems like a totally different exitence - a previous life!! The irony is though that he is reminded of his old employer (he worked for Shell for 24 years) wherever he goes. The logo is everywhere!!

But this is the interesting part:- he spends 9 months out of every 12 just travelling. The remaining 3 he spends in Paris (his "home") purely in order to put his affairs in order, file his tax return etc etc, then he's off again. He keeps in touch with his (only) daughter by phone from time to time, and the last time he phoned her he discovered that she was on the point of travelling to Quebec to undertake a post graduate degree (in atmospheric weather research).

"That's OK", he said , "We have lots of relatives in Quebec. She'll be happy there." So he modified his travelling schedule accordingly in order to visit her in a few months time. A very interesting man. The last I saw of him was when he waved to me from the window as his tour bus overtook me on the road.

There's lots and lots more I could say about my adventures so far. It's a strange life, but so far my resove to see it through remains just as strong. It's a challenge now. I've never been a particularly practical or resourceful person, but I'm learning fast. On my very first night out from Wynyard, I had to put up my (brand new) tent for the first time, in fading light. It's a good tent though, and I'm very happy with it.

I'd like to tell you about some of the strange meals I've cooked - improvising with what's available by way of ingredients, utensils and space in the kitchen, or for that matter on my little Tranjia. But porridge (i.e. rolled oats) for breakfast is my staple and I can cook that absolutely anywhere, with any utensils, any cooker. I love it!!

Here is what I've done so far (so you can follow my progress on a map if you have one).

On Monday (Jan 27) I'll be off up the east coast which is reputedly very beautiful!!

I just realised that I've said nothing at all about the quite magnificent Tasmanian countryside, but I'm afraid I've just run out of time. What is amazing is that such a tiny island state could have so many contrasts. All I can say is - come here if you can!!! Noone ever regrets it - except not allowing enough time. A truly wonderful place.

No idea when I'll get my hands on a computer again. But never fear I'll do my darndest!!!

So, from the Apple Isle

This is,

Your intrepid traveller,

Don,

Signing off.

Au revoir. PS I've just seen my Web page for the very first time. Donny has done well hasn't he. I wish I could add some graphics myself, but - well I've told you the sad story of the camera.

PPS I've collected all my incoming email right up to today i.e. Jan 25, so if you've written to me since I left Melbourne, then never fear - I've got it!! I've printed everything and I'm taking it back to the hostel to read at my leisure - I'm hoping for a quiet day tomorrow to prepare myself for the east coast.

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