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I'm sat at the front of a beautiful beach house in Orford anticipating a morning boat ride followed by a 5km run along the beach. This has all been organised or suggested to me by the friendliest of families that I'm staying with: the Pearces (Callie's parents). I had an excellent new year here, far away from bustling cities. Tom and Chloe took us here on New Year's Eve and we had the obligatory barbecue and fun times. So, the story from Hobart on New Year's Eve:
I slept for a long time, as I do after flying, and we tried to find travel partners, car hire etc around the island for me for later. Then we went off to Mount Wellington to catch a pretty good view over almost the entire island. Unfortunately Chloe literally fell off Mount Wellington, and badly hurt her knee. That was the only damage, thankfully, as Chloe is quite heavily pregnant these days. Thus followed a frantic search for ice before we drove off to Orford to meet Tom's family for a great celebratory barbecue, followed by Dinner For One, a strange black and white old comedy that had at least one of us in the room in stitches! Once the barbecue was done, we went over to Callie's parents for beers to see in the new year. It's pretty much right across the road overlooking the bay. Gorgeous. Callie had some friends over and I saved the evening by producing my iPod charger from my bag for the dying music. Who says backpackers aren't useful?
On the first morning of 2011, I tried and failed to contact my parents who were still in 2010 (which is so last year). We then had lunch of barbecued leftovers and took a walk to Spring Beach. A lovely walk in blazing hot sunshine, which is apparently stronger in Tasmania than anywhere else in Australia. I then took a swim in the nad-shrinkingly ice cold sea right next to the Pearce's house. On New Year's Day folks. Swimming in the sea on New Year's Day. That's what I'm talking about.
After that I was quite easily persuaded to take part in the Spring Beach classic: a 5km run along three beaches in the bay that ends at Spring Beach. My training and preparation that night were cards and wine. Perfect.
2nd Jan and I was up at the crack of dawn. Why? Because I'm trying to be a "yes" man. I was offered the chance to go out on a boat and check the lobster pots with a chap called Rob. Callie came with me to break the ice and take photos! Speedboat to the edge of the bay and we caught a crayfish. Woo! Never picked up a crayfish in my life before. It was lots of fun, and to cap it all I got to drive the boat back to its mooring at full pelt and park it. Brilliant. Rob then gave me some cooked crayfish legs, which were to be our lunch, after the Classic...
Nobody seemed to have organised any official run this year, but the regulars and locals came out anyway. We ran the beaches in the sun and it was amazing. I even came 3rd! Totally exhausted, I threw myself in the now thankfully ice cold sea to cool off. What a great morning! I walked back, got a bit sunburnt and had crayfish legs for lunch. And then, sadly, my time in the lovely sleepy town of Orford came to an end. Tom and Chloe drove us back, stopping only to look around historic town of X and pick up a speeding caution, and I now find myself in the open courtyard of Tassie Backpackers, and the whole sense of family has gone. Bring on the next adventure: a roadtrip around Tassie, camping along the way!
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