We were woken at a quarter to six this morning by what seemed like a very long and loud message informing us that unloading the boat would commence in 45 minutes.....it was worth it.
After a very smooth crossing and finding our securely lashed bikes still upright we set off on probably our earliest start of the trip. The skies were overcast but the fields were green and the scenery so different from what we’ve been seeing.
More like being back in the UK.
First stop about 35 miles south was for tea, we’d had raisin bread in our cabin but no tea. We like tea. We need tea. We had tea...and a croissant.
We then joined the Highlands Lake Road, it went past lakes, it was a road and it was high, not The Alps kind of high but high enough to send us through the clouds that were hugging the mountains and high enough to send the temperature down to 8 degrees....heated grips....nice.
The twisty deserted roads and amazing views have already added a Wow! to our Wow! list. Tasmania. Every one that we mentioned it to said that it was lovely here, even those that have never been. They were all correct.
We rode most of the way to the south of the Island making the most of the early start. It’s back in the tent for a night or three so Corned Beef, Beans and powdered mashed potato is back on the menu. Or maybe chilli and rice...oh the choices..
The day ended with some blue skies and a high of 20 so happy days on that front too.
So for now folks I’m pleased to report as usual that it’s.....
Two happy people, two happy bikes.
An Australian lap attempt.....anti clockwise
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OnHellas
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Re: An Australian lap attempt.....anti clockwise
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No dramas to report but a new layer of ‘Adventure’ dirt for the bikes.
Last edited by OnHellas on Wed Nov 28, 2018 7:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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OnHellas
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Re: An Australian lap attempt.....anti clockwise
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OnHellas
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Re: An Australian lap attempt.....anti clockwise
Camping is so much nicer on grass. I’ve probably said it before but gravel or hard packed ground.......grass is luxury after that.
Yesterday we headed of to Southport. Australia’s southern most town. There wasn’t much there but we did manage to find lunch and meet a bloke on an 1190 Adventure who’s also been in the road since June. Although he did call in to his home in Adelaide in the way through.
He was thinking the same as us about Tasmania. Wow!
It’s definitely a Wow! on the scenery front. Now as an Englishman I don’t like to say this but.....so much of it here is like Scotland. The beautiful west coast of Scotland. I think that the Scotts refer to it as Gods own country, I don’t know about that, but Tasmania is very nice, just like Scotland.
But without the Sco......I’ll quit while I’m ahead I think.
On the way back to Huonville just near a town called Dover I pulled over to take the 100,000 mile photo. The odometer on my bike, 100,000 miles. Happy days.
The weather forecast is a bit sketchy over the coming week so although we were going to stay longer in Huonville we packed up this morning (Friday Nov 30th) and set out for Strathgordon....see, Scotland.
I set the TomTom to shortest route and it certainly found us some lovely narrow and twisty roads through the pine forest. Huon pines I’m told.
The shortest route through Hobart meant lots and lots of turns with what seemed like a tour of all the red traffic lights in the city!
Again, I’m sure I’ve said before, cities don’t really do it for us, especially on the bikes, so we were happy to soon be back in the countryside.
The road to Strathgordon and the Gordon Dam a further 12km up the road at a dead end is fantastic. Twists and turns, forest, mountains, lakes. Tasmania is Australia but nothing like Australia it seems.
For motorcycle riding.....oh yes.
Tonight we decided to have a proper meal in a restaurant. Bingo! Quality ingredients, flavour, and prawns WITHOUT garlic. A joy indeed.
Tomorrow we will head back down the road. It’s raining now and rain is also forecast for the morning. The ride would be so much nicer without it, so fingers crossed.
Two happy people, two happy bikes.
the phone battery ran flat this arvo (Aussie phrase there for you) so the photos are a bit lacking. Sorry.
Yesterday we headed of to Southport. Australia’s southern most town. There wasn’t much there but we did manage to find lunch and meet a bloke on an 1190 Adventure who’s also been in the road since June. Although he did call in to his home in Adelaide in the way through.
He was thinking the same as us about Tasmania. Wow!
It’s definitely a Wow! on the scenery front. Now as an Englishman I don’t like to say this but.....so much of it here is like Scotland. The beautiful west coast of Scotland. I think that the Scotts refer to it as Gods own country, I don’t know about that, but Tasmania is very nice, just like Scotland.
But without the Sco......I’ll quit while I’m ahead I think.
On the way back to Huonville just near a town called Dover I pulled over to take the 100,000 mile photo. The odometer on my bike, 100,000 miles. Happy days.
The weather forecast is a bit sketchy over the coming week so although we were going to stay longer in Huonville we packed up this morning (Friday Nov 30th) and set out for Strathgordon....see, Scotland.
I set the TomTom to shortest route and it certainly found us some lovely narrow and twisty roads through the pine forest. Huon pines I’m told.
The shortest route through Hobart meant lots and lots of turns with what seemed like a tour of all the red traffic lights in the city!
Again, I’m sure I’ve said before, cities don’t really do it for us, especially on the bikes, so we were happy to soon be back in the countryside.
The road to Strathgordon and the Gordon Dam a further 12km up the road at a dead end is fantastic. Twists and turns, forest, mountains, lakes. Tasmania is Australia but nothing like Australia it seems.
For motorcycle riding.....oh yes.
Tonight we decided to have a proper meal in a restaurant. Bingo! Quality ingredients, flavour, and prawns WITHOUT garlic. A joy indeed.
Tomorrow we will head back down the road. It’s raining now and rain is also forecast for the morning. The ride would be so much nicer without it, so fingers crossed.
Two happy people, two happy bikes.
the phone battery ran flat this arvo (Aussie phrase there for you) so the photos are a bit lacking. Sorry.
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OnHellas
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Re: An Australian lap attempt.....anti clockwise
The coast at Southport.
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OnHellas
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Re: An Australian lap attempt.....anti clockwise
I know I posted this elsewhere but...why not?
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OnHellas
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Re: An Australian lap attempt.....anti clockwise
Hobert in the distance
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OnHellas
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Re: An Australian lap attempt.....anti clockwise
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OnHellas
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Re: An Australian lap attempt.....anti clockwise
We woke early this morning to blue skies. Excellent. The nights sleep had been disturbed by the shouts of drunkenness returning to their rooms.....despite my earplugs.
There was a big group of bikes that had arrived just after us yesterday afternoon. This morning half of them seemed to think that everyone else wanted to listen to the bikes running as they let the engines warm up.
A triump Speedmaster with loud pipes, KT990’s with the same, V-Strom...the list goes on and as you can tell, I didn’t enjoy it.
Why can’t they just start up and ride off, why do they start up and then put on jackets, helmets gloves.
Harley man seemed perplexed when I asked him to switch off that racket.
Anyway, we started off under blue skies and although it was a bit chilly the ride 50 or so miles back down the road we’d come up yesterday was fantastic. Twists and turns, dips and crests. Perfect.
We stopped for fuel at the same cafe/petrol station that we’d had lunch at yesterday. A cup of tea was in order. Whilst we were there a couple of blokes pulled up on 1940’s Harley’s. They looked very nicely restored although I know next to nothing about them, apart from I don’t want one.
Nice though, foot clutch, hand gear change, advance and retard with the left hand twist grip, throttle in what we’d call the correct position. Fair play to them.
The rest of the day carried on with the same lovely skies and absolutely stunning scenery. And the mountain roads.....
On exiting one right hand bend we were confronted with a car in the middle of the road on it roof. A chap on a Yamaha Tracer 900 that had wizzed past us both a few minutes earlier was seeing to an obviously dazed and confused driver.
He was trying to phone for help but was struggling for phone signal.
The car had certainly had the newness taken off of it that’s for sure.
We carried on and just before reaching Queenstown Tracer man wafted by again. Another cup of tea, this time accompanied by an anemic ham sandwich left us just 25 more miles of bends to Strahan.
Another small town, another trip to the supermarket.
Tomorrow we have booked a flat out tourist trap River Cruise. We off to see some convict stuff. Lots of people have recommended this trip to us so fingers crossed.
This evening it’s raining quite hard, the forecast for tomorrow is the same. Maybe the boat trip is looking better already....there’s a buffet lunch too.
Two happy people, two happy bikes.
There was a big group of bikes that had arrived just after us yesterday afternoon. This morning half of them seemed to think that everyone else wanted to listen to the bikes running as they let the engines warm up.
A triump Speedmaster with loud pipes, KT990’s with the same, V-Strom...the list goes on and as you can tell, I didn’t enjoy it.
Why can’t they just start up and ride off, why do they start up and then put on jackets, helmets gloves.
Harley man seemed perplexed when I asked him to switch off that racket.
Anyway, we started off under blue skies and although it was a bit chilly the ride 50 or so miles back down the road we’d come up yesterday was fantastic. Twists and turns, dips and crests. Perfect.
We stopped for fuel at the same cafe/petrol station that we’d had lunch at yesterday. A cup of tea was in order. Whilst we were there a couple of blokes pulled up on 1940’s Harley’s. They looked very nicely restored although I know next to nothing about them, apart from I don’t want one.
Nice though, foot clutch, hand gear change, advance and retard with the left hand twist grip, throttle in what we’d call the correct position. Fair play to them.
The rest of the day carried on with the same lovely skies and absolutely stunning scenery. And the mountain roads.....
On exiting one right hand bend we were confronted with a car in the middle of the road on it roof. A chap on a Yamaha Tracer 900 that had wizzed past us both a few minutes earlier was seeing to an obviously dazed and confused driver.
He was trying to phone for help but was struggling for phone signal.
The car had certainly had the newness taken off of it that’s for sure.
We carried on and just before reaching Queenstown Tracer man wafted by again. Another cup of tea, this time accompanied by an anemic ham sandwich left us just 25 more miles of bends to Strahan.
Another small town, another trip to the supermarket.
Tomorrow we have booked a flat out tourist trap River Cruise. We off to see some convict stuff. Lots of people have recommended this trip to us so fingers crossed.
This evening it’s raining quite hard, the forecast for tomorrow is the same. Maybe the boat trip is looking better already....there’s a buffet lunch too.
Two happy people, two happy bikes.
-
OnHellas
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Re: An Australian lap attempt.....anti clockwise
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