Ah, Tasmania. Land of epic forests, one of Australia’s few native predator species, and… I know there’s more, but I’m not entirely sure of what it is. That’s why I’m cruising around the island in a 4×4 that I picked up for a steal in Hobart last week. At least, I’ll soon be cruising. Right now, I’m wondering if this rust bucket was really that much of a steal at all. I don’t know exactly how to put it, but the whole vehicle seems a bit temperamental.
There’s not a whole lot for it but to press on to the next town and hope it has a garage, because I’m not liking my chances out here of scoring a mobile mechanic. Brighton, which I could get to by tomorrow, is said to have one of those, but if I went in that direction I’d end up practically in Hobart, which is bang off course. I guess the question is this: do I prefer to risk a breakdown in the middle of nowhere, or risk missing out on the epic forest situation by going towards the city in search of a car tune-up?
It’s a hard one, especially since I’ve only got a week before I’m due to be in Melbourne to start the next phase of my self-managed overland tour. My plan is to bring this 4×4 with me, and use it to drive to Alice Springs. It’s possible that I’m being a little overly optimistic here, given my observations about the temperamental nature of the thing… but hey, a little optimism can go a long way.
Maybe I could stand to rethink my itinerary, though, and extend my time in Tasmania to include a stop in Brighton. Tyre and auto checks are a must before driving into the desert, I’m told, so I’ll have to factor that in anyway. It might as well be before my bargain-bin ride calls it a day and leaves me stranded in the wilderness, to be eaten by Tasmanian devils and eventually become mulch for an old-growth forest.