Devonport, Tasmania, Australia

I awoke on my last morning in Hobart to beautiful blue skies - the first such morning since I arrived. It would have been a perfect day to catch the views from Mount Wellington, but I had a bus to catch. The ride up the island to Devonport was really beautiful. There aren't really mountains here, just rolling hills and flat farm land. We passed through a lot of really pretty country villages - it really is a beautiful state. One farm along the road was selling manure, or as the sign read "Horse Poo $1.50 per bag".

Devonport is not a destination town, but rather a transit town (the ferry between Tasmania and the mainland docks here). This is a bit of a shame, as it really is lovely and the people are much friendlier than they were in Hobart, even if there is really nothing to see or do here. I felt immediately at home in both the hostel and the city. This differs substantially from Hobart which was the only place I've been since I left home (other than with the barbarians in Rodofu in Bhutan) where I didn't feel safe. I'm not sure if I was ever in immediate danger there (although I think I came close) but learned to stick to the well-lit and busy streets after dark.

I spent the day today walking on the bike/pedestrian path that winds around the coast. The coastline and beaches are very reminiscent of eastern Canada or USA - no tropical blue seas here, but very beautiful nonetheless. There is a river that runs through town called the Mersey. Although there was nothing to be seen on the other side of it, I took the ferry across and then back. I know it's the wrong Mersey, but it just had to be done, didn't it? The ferry man didn't think me at all strange to do a round trip without getting off on the other side, and came within inches of performing his rendition of the Gerry and the Pacemakers' song for me.

It will be an early night for me tonight as I start my trek tomorrow. I'll be in touch again somewhere around the 9th of March when I'm back in Hobart.