Mark Smalley

Friday, 1 Apr - Hobart
Another sunny day. It's a 7 km drive to Lake St Claire where we do the Aboriginal walk. Clean air. Smell of eucalypta. Small birds chirping. See a big Black Cockatoo. Strongish wind, choppy water at Platypus bay but no platypus. They're difficult to see unless the water's flat and they're only out of their holes for a couple of hours a day, mostly at dusk or dawn. Talk to some girls who have just finished the 80 km Overland Track in 7 days.
We set off at 1100 for Hobart, stopping only for fuel: 28 l and $33. Possible sighting of a couple of eagles on the way. It's one of the warmest days so far, shame we don't have airco on this one.
Just running out of cash so draw out another $100.
Drop off car at 1430 after exactly 1200 km and get a taxi for $30 to the airport for a longish wait for our Jetstar flight to Melbourne, and then Qantas to Hong Kong, arriving before 0700 Saturday.

We now have $70 cash, which means $150+300+100-70=$480 cash expenses + $1155 on the credit card = $1635 of which:
- 605 was lodging for 7 days
- 210 car rental + 86 petrol (the car's done just more than 16 km/l)
- 734 food and other costs, incl 298 for the cruise.
That's 937 euro or 139 a day (NZ 95 euro, Brisbane 92, Bangkok 88). Without the expense of the cruise it would have been 114. Hope Hong Kong will break the upwards trend!

posted by Mark Smalley @ 8:07 PM