Hi Nuts,
Yeah, I'm still around - 2012 was pretty much a write-off as far as bushwalking went for me. Real life stymied me every time I planned something. Hopefully I will get out a lot more this year. (I shouldn't complain too much I suppose, I have just returned from a trip that included sea kayaking in Antarctica...)
Back on topic: I really love my Crux AK57. I'm coming around more to a "simpler is better" attitude to gear and the Crux is a pretty straightforward design with some nice touches. They are designed for climbers so the belt is supposed to sit above a climbing harness, so it's really a waist rather than hip belt. But if you sized up, you might be able to get the belt to go around your hips. Once I accepted the belt being around my waist, it was fine. The 57 definitely (used to?) come in different sizes, but I don't know if that's still true.
It's my go-to pack for solo trips as it nicely holds my kit plus 3-4 days of food with some space to spare. On non-solo trips where I'm carrying a bit more (bigger tent mostly) I sometimes have to go back to the ULA Catalyst for the extra room, depending on how much my wife feels like carrying

I think "climbing"style packs are worth looking at in general for Tas conditions because of their low fiddle-factor and general toughness.
Cheers,
Alliecat