After I cycled with Yen to Bruny Island and Hasting Caves we wanted to work again, but we didn’t found a job (they are to many backpackers in Tasmania and not so much work). So we decided to go on a cycle trip again. Our destination was the Tasman Peninsula and then come back to Hobart. We started from our camp in Huonville like on our trips before. The first day we cycled over a 500 m hill to Kingston and camped in a park close to the beach where I have been before with Alex.

On the next day when we cycled through Hobart Yen wasn’t sure if she wants to cycle further anymore, because she was scared by the heavy traffic that we passed. Okay it was my fault I shouldn’t cycle on the mainroad with her. I’m used to cycle on the road with much traffic but for Yen is still an uncomfortable situation. Then I let her choose the way. She did a much better job for the navigation and we had a nice way to Seven Mile Beach. We camped in the dunes at the beach close to the approach path of the Hobart Airport. [...]

 I was often dreaming about to find a girl which is cycling with me. Then I met Yen who wanted to come with me on a cycle trip to Bruny Island. We started on the 12th February from Huonville. My bike was heavy loaded with more then 35 kg luggage. Yen carried less then 5 kg. It was her first cycle trip, the longest distance she cycled before was 40 km in one day. On our first day we did 30 km and climbed over a 200 m hill on the way to Cygnet. In Cygnet we met a young couple in front of a supermarket who invited us to their home in Lymington. Ingrid and Blake are planning a cycle trip through Europe this year, so they were very curios about my cycling experience. We had a nice dinner together and camped one night in their garden. [...]

660. Day of travel
19.530 km

Alex and I started to pick cherries in Woodstock on the 12. January. It’s a small orchard, only 10 acres. But we were nearly 30 pickers. In the beginning we had to look for the right color of the cherries. If they are to red, we aren’t allowed to pick them. Also the cherries have to be picked with the stem and separated. Our supervisor and owner of the farm checked our lugs randomly and told us if he wasn’t satisfied with the quality. The cherries in Tassi are much more bigger then I know from Europe, during the day I eaten a lot of course. After the first week of picking, we didn’t had to look out for the color anymore. On my best day I did 24 lugs. One lug is 8 kilo and we got paid 8 $ per lug. [...]

After Hobart we cycled to the south of Tasmania. Around Huonville we looked for farms to pick cherries. We found a cherry farm were we could start in January. Usually the cherry picking starts after Christmas, but this year the summer starts late in Tassie, that means the cherries need more time to get ready. We tryed to find another work before the picking starts. Therefor we got help from very nice people.

I called a warmshower host in the south of Tasmania and asked if we can come to stay. Katie and Chris received us in Geeveston and took us to their home in Surges Bay. The road along the Huon River gives an outlook to a beautiful scenery. We wanted to stay two days, but then we stayed three weeks! [...]