Choose a diary entry31/03/2004 - Retrenched! 02/04/2004 - Farewell Lunch 03/04/2004 - Preparation 1 04/04/2004 - Preparation 2 05/04/2004 - Packing 06/04/2004 - Sydney to Hobart to Mt. Field NP 07/04/2004 - Tarn Shelf, then into the Southwest 08/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 1 - Up Alpha Moraine 09/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 2 - Lake Cygnus 10/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 3 - Lake Oberon & Square Lake 11/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 4 - Lake Oberon to Lake Cygnus 12/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 5 - Lake Cygnus to Junction Creek 13/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 6 - out to Mt Field NP 14/04/2004 - Back to Hobart for resupply and on to Southport 15/04/2004 - Southport, Hastings springs, Cockle Creek 16/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 1 - Cockle Creek to South Cape Rivulet 17/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 2 - South Cape Rivulet 18/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 3 - back to Cockle Creek, then Hobart 19/04/2004 - Hobart to Lake St. Clair 20/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 1 - to Vera Hut 21/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 2 - Tahune Hut and the Summit 22/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 3 - Tahune Hut to Vera Hut 23/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 4 - out to Derwent Bridge 24/04/2004 - Derwent Bridge / Lake St. Clair to Hobart 25/04/2004 - R&R in Hobart 26/04/2004 - Hobart, buying a new Camera 27/04/2004 - Hobart to Port Arthur 28/04/2004 - Port Arthur Historic site, then to Fortescue Bay 29/04/2004 - Tasman Trail Hike - Fortescue Bay to Eaglehawk Neck 30/04/2004 - Eaglehawk Neck to Hobart, Targa 01/05/2004 - Hobart R&R, Salamanca Markets 02/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 1 - to Wombat Flat 03/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 2 - to Mt. Ramsay 04/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 3 - Mt. Ramsay to Huskisson River 05/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 4 - Camped at Huskisson River 06/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 5 - Across the Huskisson 07/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 6 - Out, then to Strahan 08/05/2004 - R&R in Strahan 09/05/2004 - Dissapointing Gordon River Cruise 10/05/2004 - Strahan, R&R, Preparation for Overland Track 11/05/2004 - Strahan to Lake St. Clair 12/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 1 - Lake St. Clair to Pine Valley Hut 13/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 2 - the Labyrinth and Acropolis 14/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 3 - Pine Valley Hut to Kia-Ora Hut 15/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 4 - Kia-Ora Hut to Mt. Ossa to Pelion Hut 16/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 5 - Pelion Hut to Windermere Hut 17/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 6 - Windamere Hut to Cradle Mountain Village 18/05/2004 - Sick!, Cradle Mountain to Launceston 19/05/2004 - Recovery 1 20/05/2004 - Recovery 2 - Doctor, and Cataract Gorge 21/05/2004 - Recovery 3 22/05/2004 - Recovery 4 23/05/2004 - Recovery 5 24/05/2004 - Launceston to Bicheno 25/05/2004 - Freycinet Hike - Day 1 - the Hazards to Cooks Beach 26/05/2004 - Freycinet Hike - Day 2 - back to Bicheno 27/05/2004 - Exploring Bicheno 28/05/2004 - Bicheno to Launceston 29/05/2004 - Exploring Further in Launcestion 30/05/2004 - Cataract Gorge 2 31/05/2004 - Launceston to Liffey Falls to Deloraine 01/06/2004 - Trowunna, Devils Gullet, Walls of Jerusalem National Park 02/06/2004 - Walls of Jerusalem Hike - Day 1 03/06/2004 - Walls of Jerusalem - Day 2 - Out, then to Hobart 04/06/2004 - Mt. Field NP, Styx Valley & on to Triabunna 05/06/2004 - Maria Island - Day 1 06/06/2004 - Maria Island - Day 2 07/06/2004 - R&R in Launceston 08/06/2004 - Flying Back Home

Tasmania Diary

 

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Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Retrenched!

Today, I and 11 others were retrenched from my job at Keycorp. Maria, the head of access devices R&D sent an email to everyone in the group signalling a special meeting with the CEO. Everyone assumed that we were going to have some lay-offs. We went to the meeting and the assumption was proved correct.
About half of R&D was to go due to poor sales. We were to go back to work until we got a phonecall to come to the boardroom where we would be told if we were staying or going. we were all busy backing up personal files during this time.
I was called and was told I was going, effective today. I then had a brief meeting with an outplacement councillor.
When I returned to my desk and gave everyone the news, they were a little shocked. I had already been disconnected from the networks as well.

After packing up my stuff and giving the others a briefing on where everything was up to, I went out to lunch with Dave (who also was retrenched), Dimitri and Emma.
After lunch, Dave and I went to the Chelsea Hotel, then met up with virtually everyone from R&D at the Orchard Tavern, where we drank & ate all afternoon until about 6pm.

I had mixed emotions about being layed off. I had been planning to leave unless conditions changed and go travelling within months anyway, so the payout of $23,000 was very nice. On the other hand, I had become accustomed to working at Keycorp, and had quite a few friends there, so it was quite an event to be no longer working there. I had come however to very much dislike the politics of the place, it was getting in the way of the job.

With amazing timing, Jennifer sent me a text message saying that she was in Freycinet national park whilst I was at the Orchard Tavern. I texted her back and told her what had happened, and that I'd be up for some hiking in Tasmania. I didn't sleep very well that night since my life had been tipped upside down.

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Friday, April 02, 2004

Farewell Lunch

Today was the farewell lunch for everyone who was retrenched, I came into chatswood a little early to show the guys still at work how to create symbols for our electronic CAD system, since everyone who knew had been layed off. I also did some shopping and checked on the possibility of a flight to Tasmania.
Lunch was at the Orchard Tavern again, and was fun and fairly long. After this I texted Jennifer, and by 4:30pm, had organised a flight to Tasmania where we would meet up to do a hike in the Western Arthurs.

Then I went with Dave to the Chelsea Hotel, and drank beer until about 9:30 with others from work. Finally Peter Worhtington, Peter Tsulos and I went to the Gourmet Pizza Kitchen for dinner. The plane I had Booked left on Tuesday ad 6:45am. Very early, but better than the other option of arriving after 5:00pm.

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Saturday, April 03, 2004

Preparation 1

I spent most of today cleaning, and checking out cameras. I want to get a Nikon D70 and maybe sell my wilderness Photos. I didn't sleep well as I am a little nervous at racing of to Tasmania at such short notice.

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Sunday, April 04, 2004

Preparation 2

Spent much of today finding, checking and packing my hiking gear. Still a bit nervous. Managed to talk to Jennifer – let her know when I'd be there. I'd organised a bus to Mount Field National Park, where we'd meet up.

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Monday, April 05, 2004

Packing

I went into Sydney today to meet with the outplacement councillor – he was fairly useful - then went and did some banking and checked several camera stores for the Nikon D70. None had stock – I'd have to use my existing film camera.
Then I raced around a supermarket buying seven days of hiking food, and anything else I'd need for travelling. It was quite a lot to carry home, even though I hadn't gotten everything.
I went home and managed to pack everything into just my hiking pack with only a small calico bag for my carry on.

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