groverK,

Thanks for the reply and all the info, couldnt have done better from the tourist bureau, over the next few weeks we will go through it all and try to map out a bit of a plan. Have learnt over the years though that motorcycles tend to  throw the best laid plans into disarray so we generally go with a broad outline and tend to play the rest by ear, the main aim for us is to be flexible and have fun. At the moment we have a trip to Uluru planned for the next school holidays at the end of this month and then it will be a matter of waiting for January to come around to get down to Tassie.
I would like to keep in touch with you and if we can manage to cross paths in Tassie  that would be a real bonus
Thanks once again for your help
Mike

enjoy your trip to the centre, hope it all goes well.
I'll keep posted with any itinerary, mine will also be relaxed and as easy as possible. this will be a bonding trip with my son ,
 be good to have extra company along the way as well.
Cheers Ed.

are there any locals interested in camping out saturday 17th, we may be able to work our itineries to suit . I'm thinking St Helens?

I'm strongly thinking of leaving Newie on the 10th Jan,stopping overnight Saturday in Canberra, then overnight on Sunday in Melbourne before boarding the ferry on the 12th .
Then to return by ferry on the 19th , and head back through the south coast region for a stopover at Tomakin ( Batemans Bay).
My son and I are regular campers , so we'll be karting along ample gear , and making the most of what the outdoors has to offer. 
Our trip around Tassie will be a relatively short one, as it is mainly just to experience the area by motorcycle.
 Wouldn't mind exploring the west coast of Tassie for the first 2 days, and then onto the east side for the rest of our trip.
still plotting out trip times on the maps . so much to see and do.

G'day Ed, you askin' about locals, looks like I will be home in another month. I am sort of local to St Helens, 100kms west over some exiting passes. Maybe you could camp here if your itinerary stretches to it?

I'll keep checking here and can field Questions for those interested, stay tooned.

be good to catch up along the way Gordo,  
Mike is still putting his plans together as well.
where abouts west are you?

I am in the quiet little village Branxholm.

very tempting , some nice bendy roads to be explored there.
tentative at this stage , pending availability of others , Sat 17-  lunch at St Helens ,then ride through to Gordo's for the night , 
for those unable to make this , maybe a late arvo BBQ at Cataract Gorge reserve on Sunday.

just checking out some options for fares on the Ferry , 
the night trip does not give you the freedom of using the recliners to rest on , they are only available for daytripping, at an additional charge . 
I'm thinking I might day trip it , and carry my own rest gear on deck should I need it .
this will save me a bit, about $100 each way , $100 is equal to around 3 tanks of fuel ,not to be sneezed at .
 but not sure where to lay our heads once we arrive in Devonport on Monday night, getting in around 8pm, with about an hour of light left.
we will be tenting as much as possible.
Will probably do the same on the return to Melbourne , intending to head towards the east side as we get in there on the Monday 19th Jan.
any thoughts are much appreciated. Ed.

I thought the ocean recliners were meant for people to sleep (the cheapest fare). I cant sleep in them myself, prefer the day crossing for that reason.

The restaurant/coffee shop/bar/entertainment deck is very popular, but there is another quieter deck above where you can get a table and seat to yourself thats heaps quieter, I take a book and spend most of the trip there.

We've finally decided that we're headed to Tassie this Jan for our 20th anniversary (from Dec29 - Jan 12).  New Years Eve with friends near Hobart and the Folk Festival in Cygnet on 10-11 Jan are on the calendar, no other real plans, just camping about the place.  We'll be travelling in the ute with the mutts (cheaper than the two bikes).

Al

Al , I've just sorted my tickets for 12th and 19th return day trips. my son will start the countdown for 

TASSIE 2015  

I've spent a bit of time in tassie over the years as my son was at uni in lonnie for four years so we saw a fair bit of the place.
I've never ridden there but its on my list
The east coast is just so dam beautifull it melts in your mouth, the ruggedness of the west is motorcycle heaven with a road through to Zealand to die for
Even the back roads from lonnie through to devonport are worth a look in fact I've never seen a bad road there
Just be aware ,tassie gets cold all year, I had snow there back in 1981 in the middle of summer, so make sure you take some warm thermals 
Wish I was tagging along but I would probably want to stay like I allways do

sure thing Mal , taking everything from our togs and thongs to parkas and brollies.

Our return is the day crossing on Sun 18th.  Mon 19th on the road home mostly, Tues 20th back to paid slavery.

We're taking ute and camper, much difficulty getting a return booking with the camper.  We'll be there for New years Eve (with friends at Connollys Marsh)

Al

just a thought if Gordo is ok With it , a bbq at his place on Saturday sometime.
I'll be leaving Bicheno Saturday morning.

Christmas eve, 2007, up on top of Ben Lomond, it snowed and dropped to 2c. It was so bloody cold camping that I rolled up the tent and slogged it over to a camping site on the River Esk where it was a balmy 17c Christmas Day. Two days later it dropped to about 5c on the Poatina Road toward Arthurs Lake. A week later, New Years Eve, it was frosty at Cradle Mt-Lk St Clair. Great roads for sure, but watch for black ice of Summer! On the other hand, at that time of the year, it can be 30c+ as well.

Yep, been there before and I know what you're talking about.  I've been to Tas in January about 4-5 times now, the worst for me has been very strong winds in Cygnet (twice).  Completely trashed a tent once, and ruined some other camping gear the other.  This time we're taking our Cub camper (and some extra bedding in case the weather is cold).  It's a changeable place.

Al

groverK wrote:just a thought if Gordo is ok With it , a bbq at his place on Saturday sometime.
I'll be leaving Bicheno Saturday morning.

Saturday we'll likely be somewhere around Georgetown, possibly camping at Batman Bridge.  Need to be not too far from Devonport for Sunday morning.

Al

we're hoping to stop in at the Mountain Stream Fishery Trout farm in Targa on Sunday, and let the young fellow catch dinner for the night .
 Then planning to stay with friends in Mowbray ( Launceston ) on Sunday night. It takes about an hour to get to the ferry from there.

Ferry talk.

I went down to Hobart to pickup a K in early july and caught the night ferry fr Devonport. Booked one of those recliners for $162 but they gave me a rebate of $95 for pension so the trip was quite cheap and the bike was only $40. The recliner lounge is really good for sleeping, sufficiently warm and quiet. I thought the night trip was the best way of doing it.  Ramp is s bit slippery looking when wet.

I'm a light sleeper, it doesn't take much to wake me up.  I could survive the dormitory beds they used to have, I cant sleep in the recliners as i turn in the night also ( I tried once).  Day crossings are much better for me.  I just find a quiet table and read a book, can walk out on deck at any time weather allowing.

For Ed and Al just in case you missed it, I am still in Adelaide and while 2 trips back home are on the 

horizon (January and March) no firm plans have been made yet. I just got a new job so things are 

dependent on this new work schedule. I will keep reading here and advise later.

Cheers G

thanks Gordo, 
mate if we miss you at the BBQ , we'll have a   for you. just let us know where you keep the gas cylinders, so as we can fire it up.
whats the best way to prepare a nice bit of rainbow trout, for the barbie?
I've chosen the day ferry , so the young fellow can explore for the day , and I'm skint, but we won't let that deter from our adventures.

On our way back home , we 'll be staying at Batemans Bay for a few days,then heading north to Newie on the Australia Day weekend, there could be a chance for a meet on the 24/25 Jan.

good to hear you are still making your way across Packo. 
Our first night will be Mon 12th, near Sheffield ( free camps), then on to Strahan for Tuesday night , need to catch a west coast sunset.Visitors most welcome.
Wednesday night  Mt Field possibly. Thursday near Hobart, Friday up to Bicheno, Saturday night St Helens /Branxholm, Sunday night in Launceston.
our only definite itinerary is to see Devils , penguins and catch some Tassie trout and cook it over a camp fire ( bbq), and take in some of Tassie's fantastic riding routes and bring back plenty of pics.
be good to catch up , hopefully see a bit of road together . thoughts are Strahan  and /or Bicheno - St Helens- Ghosties( just to empty his fridge).
worth a mention also , pick yourself up a Parks Pass ,pay per vehicle, for entry to National parks.

not long now to departure time, and meet up with a few more forum members .
I've spent the weekend preparing gear in the Kamper, all going well so far.
young fellow is rearing to go.

good onya ed

would love to have committed to the trip ...but alas not this year im afraid ...

ride well, and enjoy that fantastic trip with the young one ...

cheers

I'm sure you and the young bloke will have a great trip, looking forward to some top pics!
Enjoy Ed.

hope Packo and Al are travelling well . damn hot down south at present. will be keeping a vigil on the weather this week.

At lagoons Beach on the east coast right now. Warm but the beach is close. Heading south to Brunie Island tomorrow, Cygnet for next weekend.

In Cygnet now till Monday morning.

enjoy the festival Al , hope you have a top weekend.

groverK wrote:enjoy the festival Al , hope you have a top weekend.

The van park is crawling with fruit pickers. Not that I'm complaining about the eye candy you mind.

Al

Happy travels Ed if you are heading off today. Hopefully the rain band moving across the southern states will pass before you get down that far.

Look forward to meeting up at Bateman's Bay on your return trek.

Cheers

Spotted Ed & son this morning(approx 10am) on the East coast heading North.  It was very windy and it looked like his trailer was really making him feel it.  We followed him for a little, he turned right towards Scamander and stayed on the coast, we turned left inland toward St Marys so couldnt say hello.  

We're sitting in a motel room in Devonport now, the wind is way too strong for camper (ie it's probably strong enough but I won't sleep through the canvas slapping about in the 40-70kmh winds).  The well behaved mutts have to sleep in the car.  On the ferry back to Australia tomorrow morning .

Al

enjoy al

far too short a visit im sure

wish I could get away ...but Karuah is about all I can hope to plan for at this stage

have fun !

Al that was a top morning to ride the east coast , the coast line was magnificent, as was the view looiking towards the Apsley National park . I'm just offloading our bundle of pics into the mainframe now , and sitting back to unwind for the evening after a top weekend out with the Krew at RT's. Hope your trip provided the relaxation you were seeking .
caught up with Packo and his wonderful family , so as time permits , we will present our report .

just a prelude to our report , enjoy.

A visit to Redlands Estate whiskey distillery in the township of Plenty , near New Norfolk.
Apple Schnapps were on offer as the locally brewed liquor.


the young fellow caught me off guard as we exited the premises. not sure what was going on here.

Saturday – 03 Jan 15 depart Adelaide heading for Melbourne to catch the ferry (Spirit of Tasmania) on Monday morning to Tasmania. Forecast top of 41C so travelling  was warm to  say the least. Straight down the Dukes H’way so nothing of any consequence to report until halfway (Nhill) when the wind picked up, by the time we had travelled another 100 km we were in a dust storm and pulled over to allow it to pass as I couldn’t see the road. Then the rain started and for 15 min a torrential downpour and with the dust it was raining mud. Once this had cleared we pushed on again with the intention of stopping for the night due to the weather in the next town 40km away, but as it was clearing we made it through to Ararat (150km from Melbourne). Leisurely start the next day and booking into our hotel close to the ferry terminal by 12o’clock.

Waiting for the rain to ease:



Monday early start and in the lineup by 0630 and stop start shunting for the next 2 hours to load on the ferry. Very frustrating, move 20 metres and switch off and wait a couple of minutes for the next move. These bikes run hot and do not like to idle for long periods so the fan kicked in frequently. Eventually loaded and the next 10 hours spent in vigorous planned onboard activities.
Vigorous Activities :
 
That night was spent at the closest caravan park to the ferry terminal at Davenport.


Tuesday morning sees us on the road by 0830 but not sure what direction to head as we are notoriously poor planners. We choose the easy option and head for the second largest city of Launceston, these roads are nice, undulating country and sweeping bends. Heard this about Tazzy but I am enjoying this and with the traffic light we make good time and arrive in time for morning smoko and out comes the map. After a quick look at Cataract Gorge and a ride on the Chairlift we head north  and travel through much more of the same, through Beaconsfield to Beauty Point where we stop in at Seahorse World.
Cataract Gorge :

Seahorse World :




No indicators  (flashers) on the bike as we pull in at Beauty Point but no big deal we can stick an arm out. Continue north to Greens Beach where we spend the night. Indicators are now ok, fixed themselves, ha ha!! Couple of beers and dinner sees us waiting to go to bed but it is still light at 2115.



Wednesday and we are heading south to catch Batman bridge over the estuary and then north to the Bay of Fires Winery at Pipers River. Are all the roads in Tazzy this much fun, so many bends, not a straight stretch anywhere and little traffic. I am going to love the next 2 weeks. Smoko of a cheese platter at the winery and we are heading east to Bridport and then south to Scottsdale. Now it gets better, more rainforest than before, the undulations turn into big hills and mountains and the roads get even more interesting. No photos here,not going to stop, having too much fun. The run through Branxholm (Ghosty not home, maybe on the return trip as I will definitely do this road again), Derby, Weldborough to St Helens is absolutely glorious with something happening all the time. No boredom here, plenty of work on the independent sidecar wheel brake for the left handers and keep the throttle wound on. Right handers carry the speed into the corner and then back off for a look and to commence the turn and then twist the wrist again. Third and Fourth gear here is the norm with an occasional foray into fifth. How have I never been here before??? St Helens surprised us with its size but I am not stopping lets just keep going  to cram as much of these roads in as we can. Indicators have now become intermittent and only work occasionally or when the bike is stationary. Coast road to Bicheno is again fun with the bends more open and the topography undulating, still no time to relax or loose concentration though, need to keep on the boil. The motorcycle museum at Bicheno is beckoning but the intermittent indicators have now manifested themselves into intermittent starter motor – is this realated or 2 separate issues. The wife (driving from the pillion seat) has lost her sense of humor after push starting the loaded outfit a few times and no amount of my “but that’s motorcycling” excuse is going to stop  her throwing the tantrum she had to have. My attempt at humour with " good training for the bobsled team" was not very smart, you would think I would have learnt by now. Maybe we should stay here the night and let things cool down a bit. The wine she bought earlier in the day may be just what is needed – I don’t drink wine so it may be enough to do the trick. I also have another trick up my sleeve and post up a quick request for help on the forum. Inside 20 minutes and I have an answer and a diagnosis to my bike issues – starter motor brushes (thanks Rick & Al) I have a spare starter on board and swap it out in the morning and with marriage intact we are back on the road at 0930 – one big happy family – whew!!!
Starter Swap :

Smiling again :


Continue south to Hobart and wind and rain decide to test our patience but nothing is going to dampen my enthusiasm, just ease back a bit and riding to the conditions brings us to the caravan park soaked but happy. It wasn’t cold and didn’t seem worth stopping to put the raingear on, this was a democratic decision not a selfish one of mine. Couple of nights in Hobart saw us dry out and eat copious quatities of chocolate after a visit to the Cadburys factory (it was only 5 minutes from our caravan park). Also explored the city and Constitution Dock but no yatchs left from the iconic Syney to Hobart Yatch Race commencing on Boxing Day each year, just lots of people and beautiful seafood cooked fresh at the docks.
Hobart turns on the weather:





Port Arthur is a must for any Tazzy visitor and we are no exceptions. Again great riding just to get there, this place just gets better. We call through Richmond to view the oldest bridge in Tasmania (circa 1825) and stop for a photo or two at Pirate Bay.
Port Arthur the site of the convict settlement is steeped in history and stories, the modest  basic entry fee is great value and includes a guided walking tour of 45 min and a 60 min cruise aboard a modern catamaran out to  Isle of the Dead Cemetary and Point Puer (the boys prison island). Tours of both these islands are available for an extra fee. For us the ¾ day was perfect as we are not great tourists and the attention span of a 10 year old is limited. With the additional tours available and the amount of info to read it would be no trouble to keep yourself busy for a couple of days here.
Richmond Bridge :


Pirate Bay :

Port Arthur :


But the road awaits and after a night in the caravan park at Port Arthur it is back on the slab again this time towards Hobart. A short stopover at the UnZoo sees us spend 3 enjoyable hours looking at the Tassie devils and other local fauna with a couple of very informative and knowledgeable guides.
Devils :

By-passing Hobart we make it to New Norfolk and again the fun begins with endless curves, hills and sweeping bends, some open and some quite tight. The road signs indicating suggested speeds are invaluable on this stretc h as it allows one to head into the corners with some degree of confidence. I found that I could approach safely and stay on my side of the road  but 5-10 km/hr above the suggested road speed was the best I could manage.  We are ready to stop and look for a camp for the night but nothing is forthcoming in any of the small townships of Ouse,or Tarraleah so we try a free camp at Brady Lake but with no toilet available the vote of 2 to 1 went against me. Eventually we found a small park with an enormous campground at Bronte Park and for $10 per night was cheapest nights accommodation of the trip. Due to the saving on camping fees it was up to the Tavern for a pub counter meal and an enjoyable evening in the company of a couple of colourful locals, who assured us that trout abound in all the lakes throughout this district.
Bronte Park :


Tracking  continues on through rain forests, reminiscent of the Daintree (Nth Qld),  from Bronte Park to Queenstown, the road tightening up considerably, 3^rd and 4^th gear is the norm most of the time around 4-5000 RPM. Oh these roads, don’t you just love it when you can see 2 or 3 corners ahead and with no-one coming just slice through and take the racing line. The last 5 km into Queenstown is a continuous what feels like circular decline with many corners posted at 25km, here it is a lot of 2^{nd / 3rd}  gear work, continuous engine braking and reliance on front and rear brakes a must for a heavily loaded outfit. No pictures here as I am not stopping at the couple of only places where one can pull off the road- I am in the groove. Smoko in this township as my fingers , wrists and arms let me know how tight some of the roads have been. Soon it is back into it again with the last leg into Strahan, again fairly tight but with the nice weather  and user friendly road signs one cannot help but just love being on the road. Caravan park by the sea and the afternoon spent at the beach we are ready for an early night.

The next day is spent in Strahan but after the Huon Pine sawmill and workshop, and a beautiful seafood lunch there was not much to interest us. It appears that the major attraction here is a cruise up the Gordon River and anecdotal evidence from other travellers support this and will be put on the agenda for any future visits. We have allowed for 2 nights here as we are awaiting the arrival of fellow K100 forum member, GroverK and his trusty sidekick Rhys. They have arrived by the time we return from our sojourn into town and a very enjoyable night is spent in great company.  Rhys is 11 and our son is 10 so the boys had a good time together which allowed us three adults to talk endlessly about important matters like motorcycling. Rain had been forecast and for once the weatherman got it right and it rained all night.
Strahan :


Morning shows us leaving Grover in cool conditions with rain predicted on and off throughout the day. On go the handlebar mitts, might not look too flash but effective and hands in summer gloves remain toasty and dry all day. We are heading to Cradle Mountain so it is a pleasant easy ride through to Zeehan with open bends and of course the hilly countryside, (alot like the Atherton Tablelands)  lots to see if it was not foggy and drizzling with rain. After Zeehan it is back into the mountains and rainforest, it is visor up travelling with the rain stinging my face all the way through Rosebery and Tullah but how could you not like this, the roads are great and almost traffic free. Heading towards the Cradle Mt turnoff we encounter 5 km of roadworks, it is by now slush, mud and potholes, just pick your line and stay with it, slippery and so pleased to be on the outfit and not a solo bike. I want to stop to take photos but just don’t want to pull off to the side and have to get back on as I fear the shoulders will be very soft.  Into Cradle Mt and it is fogged in so the afternoon is spent “exploring” the information centre and the camp kitchen with a huge roaring open fire (it is the middle of summer).
Foggy :







Dirty Now :

Thursday sees us breaking camp about 0830 and taking an easy ride into Burnie. This road is quite open and a bit relaxing after so much of the tight stuff over the last couple of days, we can get up to a comfortable 95-100km/hr and it takes no time to reach the northern city. Weather  today is much better and although everything was foggy when we left the high country the closer we got to sealevel the finer the weather became. Smoko in Burnie and then head west for no other reason than to go to the furtherest west point of Tassie. Coast road is good with undulations and sweepers and it is 5^th gear and 95-100 km stuff through to Stanley to see The Nut.  Just time for quick photo, leave the bike running and then off to Smithton and Marrawah thinking that we will now turn and go back. Wrong!!! The boss on the pillion seat spots a road to Arthur River so off we go, cross the Arthur River bridge and  commence our return journey to Burnie. These roads are just something else, I know I keep going on about it but it doesn’t matter which one you take you can get enjoyment out of it. We got back to Burnie 4 hours after departing and by the my “travelling companions” were both off me completely. I had forgotten to stop for a break (I was having fun) and the only reason I stopped was that I needed fuel. Due to reception I got at the servo I thought it best to overnight at the nearest caravan park in Burnie, where a heated covered swimming pool awaited the youngest member of our trio. As well a walk across the road to the beach at 2130 revealed the nightly return of the”Little Penguins” from a days hunting in the ocean to their hungry young waiting patiently in the nest. Unfortunately no photos as flashes are not allowed. Most people  pay for the penguin tour but we were lucky to have it laid on for free.
The Nut :

Road That Never Ends :





Where do we go from here as we are almost back to Davenport to pick up the ferry but we have a couple of spare days. Out comes the map and we spy the road to St Marys that we have not done and may be interesting. Besides it gets us back near St Helens and that glorious road that we travelled at the sart of our tour which seems like months ago. So it is off again heading east along the coast road and skirting around Davenport, up into Sheffield for smoko. The murals throughout the town are an attraction and interesting but so is the marble shop, very fascinating. From there it is out through the mountains to Railton, the town of topiary – now that is clever stuff with some very fine examples here. Apologies but I had gone past them before we could get the camera out and as I said before I am not much of a tourist. If you want to see them come to this great motorcycling state and take some photos for yourself. From here we go through Deloraine and Perth down to Conara and track towards St Marys via Avoca. and Fingal. Bit of everything on this road, all gear ranges from 2^nd through to 5^th and up to 95 km/hr. on the occasional stretch. The bike just seems to thrive on this type of workload, it seems to be getting better and really happy humming around the 4000 mark regardless of the gear selection as long as it it working hard and grinding out the miles. Eventually, we select Scamander as our overnight stop and with the campground and camp kitchen to ourselves a few beers and barbie dinner  are the order of the day.
Sheffield and Murals :

Gotta love this:





“Favourite” ride again today, through St Helens and over to Scottsdale, lots of 3^rd and 4^th gear stuff. “Ghosty” you must love riding with this area at your backdoor. You are still not home so keep going through Braxholm, it is blowing gale force winds all over the island today, through the mountains and passes it is not too bad and manageable but on top out in the open it is a bit scary. We get moved around quite a bit and the arms and shoulders let me know how hard work the outfit is in these conditions.  Scottsdale to Launceston, now that is a road best left for a nice warm sunny day.  In these windy conditions it was very tight and lots of  25km corners. Thank goodness for the sidecar brake and 2^nd gear. Wasn’t really hairy but found I had to keep the speed right down and hold a firm tight line in the corners. Not so lucky for some other motorcyclists who reported conditions bad enough to blow them off the road. Launceston for lunch and then just blobbing around for the afternoon, planning the next days adventure as time is running out.
Derby Mural - different to Sheffield :

Ghosty - Where are You?? :




Today is our last riding day and we chose a roundabout way to Davenport via Mole creek. Pretty much the same as all the other roads we had been on to Mole creek and out to King Solomons Mine. Mole Creek honey places closed so no tastings there. From Mole Creek we take the road to Paradise , aptly named I might add if you are on a sportsbike. It is a 20km climb through almost to Sheffield. It was just something that I had never done before and very exhilarating to be down in 2^nd gear with the engine working around 4000 tracking into one bend after another. It is all throttle here with just the occasional dab on the brakes to get the right line and then turn up the wick again. No photos here as I am not going to lose the momentum. The vast majority of the bends were signposted as 25km but with a sportsbike I am sure they could have been taken considerably faster. Another stop in Sheffield and on to Davenport to prepare for the ferry trip back to the mainland.
Paradise :










Uneventful trip back to Melbourne, the highlight being reunited with GroverK and Rhys. Had a quiet time aboard as the boys amused themselves all day and we really only saw them with the occasional request for food or money.

On Ship :



Big Day :


Departed Melbourne 0830 and headed down the highway, after 2 weeks of Tazzy riding this is really boring and lots of traffic, suppose I will get used to it. Don’t want to go home just yet so a 50 km detour off the highway sees us spend our last night at Meningie with just 150 km to do tomorrow.
Road Home :

Coorong SA :








Home :

Summary/Conclusions :
A great trip thoroughly enjoyed by the three of us. Tasmania has marketed itself very well as some of the attractions sounded great in the brochures but were a little underwhelming in the flesh. The weather is very fickle and could make or break a trip - but this could apply to anywhere I suppose.   But the saying in Tasmania is " if you don't like the weather come back in 20 minutes" - certainly an element of truth there from our experience.
I would say it is a trip that every motorcyclist should experience at least once. Would we go back again ??- probably not at least in the short term but you never say never.
Distance :
4000 Absolutely enjoyable kilometres covered even if 1500 were transit to and from the ferry.

Where We Went :

a great report there Mike , very enjoyable to follow your ride . 
It was good to see the boys keeping each other occupied, it can make the day easier for adults.
you certainly showed a different aspect of Tassie to what Rhys and I saw, as we headed in the opposite direction . Our trip took us anti clockwise around the apple Isle , whereas the Packo's went clockwise. Amazing what you can miss when travelling in the opposite direction.
I'm still reviewing my pics in readiness for posting so bear with me if you can.


this looks a very familiar spot , well worth the pullover for pics , I'm sure this is where Rhys decided to rest up on the log.
a great pic there Merran.


after leaving Packo , between Strahan and Queenstown.

Good report Packo.  It's 27 years since my first bike trip to Tassie and I've been a few times since mostly cause we've got friends down there.  I've been to most of the places you mention.  The weather sure is changeable.

Our trip this time had a purpose so we weren't 'doing the lap' either way.  it was: 
First Camp: Lake Barrington
Second (to spend our 20th anniversary with friends): Connollys Marsh (vaguely between Hobart and Port Arthur)
Third: a few days at Lagoons Beach on the east coast
Fourth: Cygnet for the Folk Festival(plus a couple of days previous)
Fifth: Bruny Island
Fifth: More days at Lagoons Beach cause it was just a good place and where we planning up near Stanley was really any better.

Just relaxing, camping near beaches, taking the dogs out for a swim or a walk, reading.

Ed, you missed the Elephant Pass pancake barn.

1) Camping in Tassie is great
2) from xmas to mid January all the campsites are chocka with Tasmanians even in the middle of nowhere, especially if there is a boat ramp.
3) It can still snow on Mt Wellington and often does.
4) Don't tell a Tasmanian that you come from Australia, two head or six finger jokes are also not appreciated.

Al

Lake Barrington provided a great first night for us . clear starry skies with marshmallows over a camp fire. We were all set up by 8.00pm with light to spare.
I baulked at the Elephant pass , but a part of me wanted to go. given the wind conditions on the day , I'm not sure it would have been a good idea to go that way.
which is why I gave the Cygnet peninsula a miss also.
I favoured a shot of Mt Wellington from sea level rather than brave the cold peaks for a panoramic view.

Been a bit slow getting our report in , pics are all over the place at the moment.
Before we start , I 'd like to offer a very grateful thanks to Rossklo for creating this thread, and although unable to make this ride himself , gave others the inspiration to go forth and enjoy. thanks Mate. This one has been on my bucket list for a few years now, glad I went.
Due to limited the time , we opted for the quick 7 day , fly by the seat of your pants tour.

The build up to this event was in my own opinion well worth the experience.
We advise that during our first few days on the road , our digital camera decided to malfunction , no longer able to capture shots with.
we resorted to using the mobile phone camera , which is only 3mp , compared to the Canon powershot 16mp. Rhys was our cameraman whilst on the move and we had a proper working camera.

we encountered a few mechanical and personal incidents along our way, but in true spirit we moved on to continue the adventure.
A highlight of our trip , was to meet other members, Mike , Merran and Griff . Their company along the way gave Rhys and I a good morale boost.

The Ol" Fart ( father in law ) was a tremendous help , with pre trip servicing including fluids and oils , fitment of LED driving lights ( thanks Smithy, pics later ), and advice to accompany us on our travels.
Although we had researched a lot of our trip during the previous months , our only plans were to reach our desired stopover points on set dates .The rest was just a bag of whatever comes..
No accommodation bookings were made , as the knowledge of a fully laden Kart with sleeping and cooking gear were at our disposal.
Rhys was involved in pre departure fitout , which included internal lighting for the Kart , and instaling a touring map of Tassie, so he could keep track of our location.
Installing the weatherproof cover on the Kart. 

Day 1 . Friday 9th Jan . our trip today takes us to the Nations capital , Canberra ,  446 km  ( 4hrs 36min) .
 We have family here who will provide our first nights accommodation.
 the trip started with a coolish 22degree morning , a nice day for a ride , so why not says these two.Mrs Grover ( aka Flea) and Ol' fart accompany us down the M1 expressway towards Sydney. 


ten minutes into the trip, and I just happen to glance down .... good start, front brake master leaking.
 
As we had topped up the pot prior to leaving , we spent the next ten minutes reseating the reservoir lid and cleaning up the site . Keep an eye on it I said ... Crikey , thinking of a fully loaded trailer and heading to one of Australias hilliest regions , what was in store for us. Intentions were to pick up a bottle of Dot 4, and read the manual as to probable causes , visions of a possible roadside service of the system were all I run through my mind. We have a ferry to catch in three days time , and if needed this part of the trip is achievable in two days.
313km( 3hrs 15min ) down the road via moderate hilly freeway , and an average speed of 100kmh, and after having red lighted the fuel gauge for the past 10km, we reach Marulan for a well deserved lunch break.
a good time to check the brakes again. Having already stopped in Sydney on our way through , fluid was still noticeable after a few touches of the lever. Another quick clean and push on . Still another 1 1/2hrs to go and the sky is getting greyer.


Our riding companions from earlier in the day had suggested we try the back road from Goulburn to Canberra, through Bungendore , this was averted due to the incoming cloud cover and rain patches visible over Lake George.
Which also prompted us to prep ourselves for the final half hour of our trip into Canberra.
Lake George on the northern approach to the nations capital , windfarms can be seen in the distance , I'm guessing they are there to handle all the hot air from the pollies.
does this fellow look happy to be on holidays..?

a brief rest stop at Lake Burley Griffin , to cool the souls . then some more rain and into our lodgings for the night . homemade tacos , and a comfy bed. the first of many a shared quarters. Rained all night. 

An enjoyable first day , we managed to keep moving despite the brake issues, and as you can see , smiling too.

goodnight folks.

tomorrow we head for Lake Hume on the mighty Murray River, borderline between New South Wales and Victoria.

Day 2 . Sat 10th Jan. Canberra to Albury  distance : 337km ( 3hrs 26min)

after a good nights sleep , with steady rain through the night , the morning brought us some overcast sky , but dry roads to head off with.
We utilised the Camelback water bottle , Rhys used it the most as his helmet produced more wind around the lower face area. I found it difficult to use with a full face lid on .It was good to have it with us . 



 Telstra Tower on Black Mtn, a regular scenic lookout where you can view the vast city of Canberra , probably not today though.
Low cloud buildup only hung around for the first hour of our journey, as we headed off to Albury to find a campsite for the night . 




A brief rest stop in at Jugiong , these sculptures can be seen on the northern approach to town .







our lunch rest stop at the Dog on the Tuckerbox.
The day was warming up slightly but still good . not much heat from the engine at this stage, making the ride comfortable  . No further sign of brake fluid leakage, but still vigilant none the less. 
decided not to risk the distance and refueled here, as most of our fuel stops are located off the freeway , this one was on the edge . easier access ,and who could resist a visit to the dog .



Our campsite for the night is at Lake Hume , which sits on the Murray River . Having made no bookings for accommodation before leaving home and knowing that Albury has no "free campsites" in the area , we asked around in Albury , being pointed in the direction of the dam. once here we decided why not . We made full use of facilities , camp kitchen , kiosk, hot showers a walk on the foreshore , and a refreshing dip in the pool.We opted for a non powered site , and recharged things in the kitchen.
quick and easy set up for our first tent site, and the scenery was well worth it.



kooling off after a long warm day.



Lake Hume






Day 3. Sun 11th Jan. we set off to Melbourne to catch the Monday ferry.  Distance : 342km ( 3hrs 27mins)

We took some time in the morning to go across the street and check out the Dam(n) wall . 
The Dam , towering over the "mighty Murray " river. this being the main reason for the Murray being reduced to the shallows it is today.
this is the major water supply to one of Australias major fruit and vegetable producing regions.





and the Murray as it rests today.



We passed the Pub on our way through on Saturday , so we back tracked 15km to check it out .a popular aussie venue . Apparently it is undergoing new ownership and renovations , so the highway signage is removed , and open to local traffic only , well not for these guys.

the Pub made famous by Ken Maynard through the 60's - 80's. his cartoons capturing the larrikan lifestyle of the outback aussie.


Rhys getting a taste of bar life.


dreaming of catching the "BIG one " in Tassie.    dream on mate..............


back through Albury , and we pick up a bottle of dot 4 for added reassurance , if an emergency brake service is required.

just past Euroa on the Hume highway to Melbourne , a brief reminder of the importance of rest breaks. 
A car with an elderly couple travelling 1km in front of us ,swerved and connected with a small tree. the car was a write off , the driver was airlifted with serious internal injuries.with us being one of the first on the scene, we stopped to assist. On the road again after about an hour from stopping, and after the rescue services arrived.


with this in mind we took up the opportunity to stop in Seymour for a late lunch and refuel.
next stop was Melbourne . 
the city in our sites.



Arriving in to Port Melbourne around 4pm , we had the chance to take in the delights of the foreshore , which included a glimpse of the ferry arrival and departures . 
The ship is being shifted sideways into berth . The long ramp at the bow end was difficult for some ,who did the stop start all the way up , possibly causing issues for Mike and his starter motor.  I chose to wait at the bottom until the ramp was clear for a full throttle run up.



Not having any room booked for the night , Rhys queried where we might stay . A simple response came as " Mate we have nothing booked , I don't mind if we camp here tonight, his reply came with excitement , "kooool" mum would never let us do that.
Considering the local , free carpark , with toilet and shower facilities close at hand , it seemed just right. After a warm ride down today , the shower , although cold ,was welcome.
We snuggled in between the myriad of foreign backpackers , who seem to have claimed this area as there own.

Rhys slept in the trailer as I rolled out a tarp on the ground and curled up, the backpackers keeping up the Party till 3am.

Day 4. Melbourne to Devonport , Tasmania.   a short ride today , plenty of exploring on the ferry to be done.

a magnificent sunrise over Port Phillip Bay. This pic was taken from our selected campsite , I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else right now . 
That is our ferry coming in. A quick brekky on the beach front , then off to the ferry terminal for our sea adventure.
The distance across Bass Strait ,from Melbourne to Devonport would be equal to a 5 hour ride @ 100kmh , the ferry taking 9hrs for the same distance.



Farewelling the Mainland , a strange feeling , but a glorious morning to set sail.
Bike was settled in downstairs with minimal lashings, as a reassurance I strapped the sidestand to the front wheel. No chocks were provided for the crossing.
A perfect day on the ocean.The seas were quite tame today with a 1-2 metre swell. Good for us landlubbers.


Tassie in our sights , around 6pm . 
some creative artwork whilst whiling away the day . 
The bike and passengers all travelled well. 


Once off the ferry , we collect our gas bottle , fill the bike up , and get to Lake Barrington  near Sheffield for our first night of camping in Tassie . About 1/2 hour from Devonport.
up ahead is Mount Roland.


not exactly the wilds as Rhys had expected, but a welcome site for the night.
A long winding yet easy sealed road leads us around the lake to our campsite.
the campground offers a free electric bbq, flushing loo, a swimming hole, and our nearby neighbour has a 40" plasma screen playing movies.  
This lake is also home to the Rowing clubs , it is so still and peaceful. At times other water sports take advantage of what is on offer.
The flattest piece of ground available had us somewhat sliding out of bed most of the night .

Kentish Park  at Lake Barrington.

 
We were all set up by 8pm, dinner cooked by solar light on the bbq, and with the night bringing on some cooler air, it was time to enjoy the campfire Rhys had prepared . marshmallows ... yummm says Rhys.

Although there were at least 10 other occupied sites nearby , we managed a very relaxing nights sleep under a clear star filled sky.
Enjoying Tassie already.


Day 5 . Tuesday 13th Jan.  today we are off down the rugged west coast to Strahan. Distance: 178km (2hrs 10min)

As the days had been proving long and exhausting for Rhys , to start the day I gave him every chance of a sleep in, at least till 8am.
so a brief excursion of our venue was in order as I have brekky . A dip in the lake would have topped it of for this location.
 A very easy and nice place to find , well worth the stopover.


a pic stop to capture Mt Roland in the distance. This is when we said "oooops" and a few other things , 


and then some ............. 
Due to poor placement of the bike and Kart , with added help from the light wind , we encountered a "full on" drop on the right side flank.
Swivel hitches are a great addition to bike trailers , awkward none the less to disconnect in a hurry , whilst trying to right the bike.


the drop resulted in a loss of half a tank of fuel , some chips and cracks as the mirror pod ejected itself across the intersection, a broken right side footplate, a cracked right side pannier lid, scratched crash bar, and a dent in my pride.
With help from Rhys we righted the bike, dusted ourselves off , and Rhys remarked " at least it still works , which is all I needed to know to continue our ride. 
It was a return to Sheffield , which was no loss , as we hadn't seen it on our way past the previous evening.
A refuel , Rhys posted a postcard to Nan and Pop, and spot some murals.



Whilst refuelling , I picked up a bottle of oil , as the light was glowing on and off ,weakening once we reached around 100kmh. this continued into the next day.
I'm not sure if the roll over had any effect on the engine , possibly pressure on the sump casing by the crash bars. I'm yet to delve into that one.

Cradle Mtn wasn't strong on my agenda as I have been there before . And as was my previous visit , today was overcast and not well suited to bikes on the track in .
Instead we pushed on to Strahan , taking advantage of the scenery along the way.
Mt Murchison , gave me a chance to show off the new LED spotlights , thanks to smithy and Ol' fart for lighting my way.
We fitted up the Cree 10w spotlights under the headlight ,  they are connected to come on with high beam .  
The normal 60w Narva globe ni the headlight was firstly swapped out for a Narve H4 50% extra. some difference but no where near what the final fitment of the 120% extra blue tip globe did. So night riding , as minimal as we did , was enhanced greatly by the extra wattage. thanks guys.


A very enjoyable first day into Tassie , the roads offering up plenty of attitude especially as we neared Zeehan and Strahan. A slight drizzle adding only to the raw character of the western wilderness that Tassie is .

Of course as Mike mentioned a bit of slushy roadworks , had us steering all over the place.  We made it to our campsite by around 3.30 in the afternoon, with a light misty rain,not deterred , we found another K. Mike was very kind in his hospitality , having contacted us whilst we were on the ferry to tassie , and booked us a site for the night. Free camping at Macquarie Heads was not the best option due to the wet weather. Thanks to Mike , Merran and their son Griff, we were able to enjoy the company of other K folk for the evening.


Settling into an evening meal and of course riding chat. The atmosphere was very friendly and relaxing. Thanks to the Packo's for sharing their trip with us , it was a very enjoyable evening. Not sure , but there maybe a chance to get a family ride together again someday . both of us , very much camping orientated .




Day 6, to follow 

Ghosty , it was a top trip , well worth it.

Thanks for the ride report Packo you summed up Tas very well. I realise you 3 groups had to go in school holidays but for others not so restricted I recommend MARCH, weather is much more settled. 

The Derby trout is only a couple of Kms from where i lived for 16 years thanks for the memory.

PM sending.

Day 6.  Wednesday 14th Jan . Strahan to Mt Field National Park.   283km ( 3hrs 40min)

Waking from a night of light showers , and still some light drizzle in spots , we enjoyed spending the early morning bantering with the Packo's as we cleared our tent sites .
Packo was heading North at this stage , toward Burnie and Stanley , we on the other hand were riding South to experience more of the rugged landscape of the west.

Griff had enquired as to the Irish BMW sticker the night before , and I had promised one to him . So our departure this morning , gave the opportunity to fix one on . It was up to Griff to decide its location , all were in approval. Well done mate. 
You will find the logo here. We are yet to produce a copy of our Aussie one . I'm sure it will come in time , when it does ,be certain you'll get one.



Having missed out on a pic of the West coast ocean view last night , I had hoped to venture up to the local water tower lookout . no such luck today , low cloud cover had obscured the lookout and any such hopes with it.



As you can see the days were taking their toll on Rhys , rounding a bend as we headed to Queenstown , rhys dismounted and lay himself over the nearest log , no need to guess what he did for the next 1/2 hour ......   . I found it manageable to keep his helmet postioned on my back , any time he wandered too far , it was a nudge to reset him. Our ride to Queenstown took about an hour , this is normally a 1/2 hour for tin tops , quicker for solo bikes, which would find it totally exhilarating , with its vast array of tight twists and turns , continuing down to Derwent Bridge.


the barren landscape leading on to Queenstown, which is primarily a mining region.
Queenstown gave us a glimpse into its steep tight winding roads. As we had travelled in the opposite direction to Packo , we had the climb up out of town, with Kart to hold us back , it was a slow 2nd -3rd gear  with tight right and left hairpins , and throttle on to push up the hill, It was well suited to solo bikes . We got only the odd glance back down to see the landscape. awesome . no pics sorry.




Lake Bunbury , the approach has a very pleasant sweeping bend , with a magnificent rocky outcrop to set the scene.


After a quick power nap , Rhys is ready to go again. Jelly baby anyone.....


rounding another bend as we get closer to Derwent bridge, Rhys spots a pic stop. " how about this one Dad"  . 
Frenchmans Cap , in amongst the mist . 


A quick stop in at Lake St Clair  which sits on the southern edge of Cradle Mtn. Still the misty rain follows us , not dampening our souls , as we came well prepared in way of raingear and warm clothing. We needed only our summer mesh jackets up till now.





cautioned by some fellow tourists of a couple of adult Black snakes , out warming themselves. Rhys is at a safe 3m distance.


the same kind folk also mentioned of a wandering Echidna ( Australias version of an Anteater). This just made the young fellows day , as he wanted to take in all of the native animals he could see whilst in Tassie. This one is a juvenile , quite small . Other large ones were seen elsewhere along the road .


Time to feed two hungry Devils , The Hungry Wombat Cafe ,located 100 m south of the Lake St Clair entrance, on the Lyell Highway. A welcome rest break , and definitely strongly recommended for their menu. The cafe at St Clair was very limited in options , but good meals.
Another chance to refuel here , although not a long distance today , the hills have been plenty of work for the K and Kart. both travelling exceptionally well , with the odd interruption of the oil light . Not sure what the issue was , I popped in half a litre of oil , just as a precaution,before leaving Strahan this morning . 


looking west to Mt Field . we missed the first turnoff  after Ouse , and continued through Hamilton and Bushy Park , an extra 22km on our trip.
 This was in fact a positive for us as the clouds seen here dumped a bucket load on our intending campsite 10mins before we arrived.


Tonights lodgings are within the Mt Field National Park, which is also home for the Russell Falls. This is on tomorrows to do list.
Campsites are offered on a honesty system , where you place your money and site number in an envelope , and pop it in a locked box . Random checks are carried out . 
We set up first , enduring the intermittent gust of wind , which displaced our poles as seen here . Our first tent issue this trip.  


then enjoyed the wildlife . Rhys again making the most of his encounters, this time a local wallaby, 
During dinner , it was the possums who became even more friendly . To such an extent , I had to shoo them off like an unwanted cat.





Hikers galore , here to enjoy the forests . a tranquil setting alongside a babbling creek.




Day 7.  Thursday 15th Jan.  Mt Field to Bicheno , Via Hobart. 271km  ( 4hrs)

During the night , invaders could be heard , next morning evidence was noted . As much as I had tidied up our site , the garbage bag slung from the top of the tent pole became an invite.


Russell Falls , Just a 10min walk from the campsite, complete with a very well presented information centre and souvenir shop.
We spent the morning indulging in souvenirs and a forest walk , 


the rich mossy green coverings of the forest, which was so evident throughout our previous days ride. Rhys noted its scent as we travelled along.







Leaving Mt Field around 10.30 and heading to Hobart.


Redlands Estate Whiskey Distillery, "cellar door open" the road side sign says ,  no need to ask twice . 
After all it was morning smoko time.


checking out the local product, Apple liquer or Apple Schnapps.... of course a trip to the " Apple Ilse is not complete without some form of Apple purchase.
I'll take some of that thar' moonshine , you got thar' in those jars.


a shot of Apple schnapps was good enough for me , as Rhys watches on .
very warming to the soul, stayed there all the way to Hobart. Cheers to all on the forum. 


a somewhat awkward departure , not sure what was going on here.


Coming into Hobart , we had planned to visit the lookout on top of Mt Wellington and take in some lunch on the Hobart docks .
Instead we crossed the Tasman Bridge , found ourselves some lunch , purchased a new camera , and rode around to Kangaroo Bluff battery point.
which allowed us to capture Hobart and Mt Wellington from a more comfortable vantage point.
Rhys and I having a light moment , it's been a long morning. Some wrong roads and streets had us a little tired  and this break was desperately needed.





Onto historic Richmond , stopping only for a brief rest .
 We missed out on a pic of Richmond Bridge like Packo , as the carpark was overcrowded with tourists as was the town. Peak holiday period of course.
Mind you I quite enjoy the pic Packo has provided , don't you?


We wound our way up the east coast , the day was clear and provided excellent sweeping roads which suited the Kart. 
Orford was a place we should have stopped at , the views over the river were great . 
Here we are looking north along the coast to Swansea and the Freycinet National Park.
The weather was magnificent today , a great representation of the east coast.


finally making our way into Bicheno , a day earlier than planned , but was a better option than the Cygnet Peninsula as the weather was starting to turn for the worse all over Tassie.
We booked ourselves in for the two nights  to make the most of the east .





Day 8. Friday 16th Jan . Bicheno ( Bish-en-o)  Til tomorrow morning , offering extra rest time. not much road time today.
 over half way round now , and enjoying every moment as tired as we are.

As we are at a relaxed stage today , I allowed Rhys to sleep in , he deserved it. 


 I took advantage of this and headed off for a morning walk to the blowhole. Sunrise .


sporting a shiner from an incident at the ferry in Melbourne . Quarantine requested my gas bottle to be handed over , it was awkward getting out of the Kart.


The Bicheno Motorcycle Museum was well placed  just across the road from our van park. 
We made our way across there at about 9.30 where we spent a good 20 mins inside ,
 taking in over 60 vintage and classic  bikes , Triumphs, BSA, and Ducati were the main marque , with the inclusion of a couple of Vincents.
 The majority of bikes were  mainly from the 50's and 60's. It was a very enjoyable visit to the museum .
 Some video highlight.

 We also left a reminder that the forum had been.


Then onto the Devil Park just 10mins north of Bicheno , so a quick ride up.
 The road was fairly quiet and very much no hills with just e few twisty bits to excite us , as we were without the Kart today.
this was one of Rhys's top spots for the trip , as he finally got to see the Devils and a few other local identities. 


During the morning the breeze had started to gain some momentum as we re-entered Bicheno.. bearable though.
Rhys can be seen here catching a brief rest , before we head to Swansea.


Still a bit of the day left , it was decided to swing back down the coast to Swansea , about 50km south of Bicheno.
A slight breeze enticed us to take our kites , however , by the time we reached Swansea the skies were gaining a bit of blackness and ugliness to them.
The kites were given a miss , instead  taking Gaz up on his suggestion to sample some of Tassie's splendid seafood,we grab some late lunch.




As the local Oyster Bay crayfish stocks were suffering from recent heavy rains we selected
a modest plate of prawns , oysters and a curried scallop pie , all of which was well appreciated. 


Rhys was hoping for a last ditch effort to fly his kite , but with an incoming deluge on our path , I recommended we hit the road quick , and hightail back to Bicheno.
looking back across to Freycinet , with Kings Bay in the foreground.


Knowing that the winds had been a bit strong through the day , it was on my mind that our tent site may have endured some hammering . instead of returning directly to the van park , I took Rhys down to see the blowhole , his first visit there. Since leaving home , he has captured some fantastic footage and pics on the trip , these are also part of his portfolio.

in the distance  can be seen a rocky outcrop covered in white. 


It is a small colony of fairy penguins . considered by locals as a nuisance , due to their loud screeching and foul smell.
they are a tourists delight.
these little fellas are a mere 1 foot tall, and mighty cute.


Preparing for our night time penguin outing . fairy penguins wandering across your feet doesn't happen everyday, at least not for us.
the night was pleasantly fresh.


I have borrowed this pic, as these little fellas are fairly shy and dont take too well to cameras. 
they are returning from sea with a belly full of fish for their young . If they get frightened , they head back out to sea. 
The conservation service keeps a vigil on local penguin groups to ensure we dont inhibit their feeding process.


Remember I mentioned the strong winds and tent ........ our tent had been flattened through the afternoon ,and a quick repair of our site was needed before we headed off to the penguin tour.
additional gear we lugged to Tassie came in handy.

Great report and pics Ed, keep 'em coming. I'm enjoying the education about a place I know nothing of.
The Melbourne ferry "incident" needs more explanation!!

Thanks ED for the report and Rhys for his photos, making me homesick,

Hey Gordo , Rhys has some pics to make even more homesick , coming up soon .
given the issues with cameras , it was good to come home with what we have.
Paul , I simply " sKoned " myself whilst handing it over to the authorities. Makes for a good addition to our story though.

Day 9. Saturday 17th Jan.   Bicheno to Scottsdale Free camp , was our intention.   173km  ( 2hrs 15mins )

early morning brekky , sampling some Tassie bacon and eggs on the bbq. 



this chap had crated his rig over from Germany to Perth in Western Australia 3 months earlier , he still has a further 9 months of touring throughout Aus.


leaving Bicheno around 9.00am , the winds picking up quite early in the day and getting stronger as we move north to St Helens.
It was just north of here that Al would have noticed us moving along . The Elephant Pass , both its winding road and world class pancakes would have been a welcome addition to the day . It may have also provided us with some shelter from the winds .


As we had missed our chance of kite flying in Swansea the day before , we attempted to set flight here in St Helens. 
We stopped here for over an hour , enjoying lunch , but our kites did more divebombing than actual flying . 
I could only think of how promising it might be for the local Kite festival at nearby Binalong Bay the following day.


the winds continued to gain force as we pushed on toward Scottsdale . We intended to stay at the North east free camp , on the southern approach to town . 
As a result of being tossed around on the country roads , finding it difficult to remain in our lane , with oncoming traffic surprising us at every crest, it was safer to cut short the final 25 km of our trip today and rest up at Ghosties local pub .
The publicans knew Gordo well. Now they know of the Ghost who rides. 


it was lonely at the bar mate


Day 9.  Our last day in Tassie.  Branxholm to Launceston.   88km  (1hr 10min)  

Being Sunday , and as the Publican requested a sleep in , our bike was in lock up til 9am , luckily it was a short ride today and in better weather. the strong winds had disappeared overnight. so a run up the Targa Mtn was a treat to look forward to.
this was the tassie we came for , at times very twisty and gear wrenching . but the K handled with extreme ease , even pulling uphill and engine controlling downhill.
minimal braking where possible was achieved. the K engine handles this side of operations very well. 2nd and 3rd gear for most of it both up and down the hill. felt good.



making our way through the Targa mountains , we pull up at the top for a pic stop , and a crew of racers including this RS have the same idea.
This is a favourite stretch of twisty road , however even for a sunday not too busy. 


At the bottom of the Targa and we find the Mountain Stream Fishery , where Rhys tries his luck.
you pay by the kilo here at reasonable prices. everything is catch and keep , no throw backs . His catch for the day were two Brook trout . 
enough to feed us tonight. we ice them for the trip into Launceston , next stop the Gorge.


Cataract Gorge,
a great way to finish our stay in Tassie. 


 a ride up the hill on the chairlift, checkout the lookout , returning across the suspended footbridge that spans the gorge, then a quick refreshing swim in the pool, as the day has been warm , but free of the strong winds encountered the day before. the water was a bit fresh but well received.


The Gorge sits high atop the city of Launceston , which can be seen in the distance through the hills


An enjoyable meal of Trout , caught earlier in the day by Rhys.

Great ride report and pics Ed, you sure fit a lot in, in a short time.
What a great father son bonding ride that was, I'm sure Rhys will have memories of that holiday that will last a lifetime . Well done mate.

still a bit left in reserve to report, was a good ride for both of us . 
I am so proud of the young fellow as this was his first big ride , nothing else exceeding a single day of more than an hour in his portfolio.
Although we have captured a lot , Packo and Al both covered much more mileage and far more of Tassies attractions than we did . We merely skimmed the surface in our brief week down down under. As Packo mentioned , he saw a lot but as experienced by us , the pic opportunity became elusive once you passed it. 
Having the Kart in tow , decreased our chances for the turn around to grab the pic . I'm sure there would have been many here , had they travelled with us,who would gladly move on , than to wait for a kart to transverse the route for a pic. Our short distance days were actually taking on average up to 6hrs to complete. This was not inclusive of site attractions. I really don't know where our days disappeared to.

Love the report grover, tassie is my fav place on earth ,one day I'll go around by bike.