Can you believe that my visa came through as I was on the plane from Dublin to Heathrow! Of course, I did not get a chance to check it in London, becasue I spent my three hour stopover in one queue or another, but just looking now in Claire's and it was approved! And I thought it was my outrageous flirting with the girl at immigration that got me in  and can I just say, some of the new msn Emoticons are hilarious!  I mean what the hell is that about? Or this?   Anyway. I am in Melbourne, and being very un-Australian by flying out to Hobart tomorrow on Grand Final day! Still, go the Eagles (although given the Irish connection with Tadhg Kenneally playing for the Swans, I won't really care much if it goes the other way, even if he is a Kerryman!). Off to Mt Anne on Sunday with Gill...can't wait to see her, and get into the wilds!!!

What an enormously stressful last week...VISA stuff...5 days til I leave, and still not sure if they will let me in. Got scary emails saying that there were lots of things missing form my application, when all things mentioned were sent over a month ago! In addition, the Tassie Medical Board is SO finickity. Anyway, the details are just depressing. Suffice to say, I am going anyway. Melbourne about 7pm on 28th September, the Hobart at about 2pm on the 30th. Can't wait! 

It seems such a short time since I last wrote about leaving, and I suppose it is, but it also feels like a different life! In many ways I am glad to leave - the need for a new beginning of sorts is very real. But still, the leaving of friends and family and home is never easy, even when it is the right path to take. Goodbyes are grandiose egotistical things. But, I am tired of them! I feel a desire to base myself somewhere, to put my clothes in drawers, and my books on shelves. To do normal things, to go to work, to paint stuff and build things and go on trips without having to bring my whole life on my back! And to share it all.

So Hanne, in case you have changed your email, Congratulations on your engagement!!!

So I did my version of a triathlon yesterday...it could take on! 30km of roadbike through the mountains to a transition where you have to hide your bike in gorse bushes, to a mountain walk/run of 5km, 800m of rock-climbing on routes between Diff and E2, a 3km run downhill, then a 20km white knuckle roadbike ride home only an hour late for dinner! Great fun, wonderful evening, and the mountains shared only with a lone peregrine and some choughs...THE HEN MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE! Photos to come!

So after a month which...lets just say, did not go to plan...things are seeming a bit more on track. Apart from the lingering anxiety about my visa (will they/won't they...will I get it in time...etc) I am a little bit more relaxed, and pretty excited about what the future holds. I booked my flight to Melbourne for 26th Sept (yikes <3 weeks!) so I should catch up with the Melbourne Cardwells on the evening of the 28th (flight gets in around 7pm I think) and will do the last leg (and boy I can't wait!) to Hobart on the 30th, most likely. I am so looking forward to a Hobart hello, and to being whisked off to the Mt Anne circuit with barely a day to pull myself together...just how I like it! "I want to see mountains, mountains Gandalf!!!" Tomorrow I plan to ride across the back of the Mournes to Hen Mountain and solo everything VS and below to say goodbye to the bones of my earth for a wee while...have a look at www.hillerscapes.co.uk to see a few of Craigy Hiller's pics of the Mournes. They are fantastic.