Tassie: Motorbike Heaven

This is for the discussion of Motorcycling. The art, the science, the theory of all things related to our favorite sport... riding motorcycles.
Dougal65
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Location: Yackandaandah

Tassie: Motorbike Heaven

Post by Dougal65 »

It seemed like a good idea.
It turned out to be a bloody great idea!... Dean and I had 1 week in Tasmania sailing on Friday night of the March long weekend.
7 days of continuous sunny dry weather in Tasmania!.. unheard of!
The text message from TT Line was interesting... " Due to an unusually large number of motorbikes crossing tonight, we ask that you commence embarking at 5pm!..

As we approached Port melbourne every bar and pub had a swarm of bikes parked out the front as groups gathererd for pre sailing drinks.. it was going to be a lively night.

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Fortified by a load of fish and chips and a few beers, it was time to hit the queue and head up the ramp into the bowels of the ferry
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Travelling steerage is bearable if you manage to anaesthetise yourself at the many bars before heading into the ocean recliner lounge for a night punctuated by snoring and farting till just as youve finally got to snooze, the bleak announcement that we are due to dock in half an hour and the Le Mans start to exit the ferry begins... All that rush to get ashore but East Devonport at 6am on a Saturday morning is a bleak prospect.
With a barely edible greasy breakfast on board, it was off heading east first of all to Port Sorrell

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and then on to the Tamar Valley first stop Exeter where the sheep can be seen eyeing off the chops in the butcher's window looking for a lost relative maybe..

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We headed downstream from there to the Batman bridge crossing to the East Tamar and down to Launceston to stay with friends, Georgie and Andrew who rode with us out to Mole Creek on Sunday for a pub lunch.

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Andrew rides a Honda screamer and Georgie hangs on!

We took note of the Mole Creek railway ..... doesnt run so often these days... but one day...

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Off further East on Monday through Scottsdale to St Helens on the East Coast

Scottsdale could be in a 1970's time warp... like so much of rural Tasmania.

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St Helens and the East Coast are delicious riding, coastal scenery, villages spared the invasion of opportunistic money.
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There were bikes at every coffee stop along the way

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After a night at Bicheno,

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it was off to Port Arthur
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and then back to Hobart for a couple of days....
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MONA is compulsory and memorable... if you dont know what it is, look it up!
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On Thursday, it was off to the west coast heading up the Derwent Valley to Derwent Bridge and lake St Claire at the southern end of the Cradle Mountain Overland trail .
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The road threads through the mountain wilderness with glimpses of Frenchman's cap and other iconic peaks.
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The day ended at Strahan on Macquarie Harbour... and more fish and chips.

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The last stretch back across the north of the state to Devonport for the evening sailing started well until Zeehan when a coffee stop became a roadside repair... another few bits had fallen off.. but were easily replaced from a hardware shop that had escaped being "Bunninged".... cost of replacement bits .. 12 cents!

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Despite this slight missadventure, we arrived at Devonport in time to explore the Surf Life Saving Club and refuel for the crossing back to Victoria...

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and then more queues...

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and another flat calm crossing... so much for the horror stories about Bass Strait.
March is a great time to ride in Tasmania... Book now for 2015
Doug
Garnet
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Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2010 6:24 pm
Location: Victoria BC Canada

Re: Tassie: Motorbike Heaven

Post by Garnet »

Great ride report. What did you back into?

Here in British Columbia, we take a lot of ferries too. Motorcycles go to the front of the line, as they should.
Garnet

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Bamboo812
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Re: Tassie: Motorbike Heaven

Post by Bamboo812 »

Great report and pictures, thanks!
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Sibbo
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Location: Oz , half way up ,sitting on a wet spot .

Re: Tassie: Motorbike Heaven

Post by Sibbo »

It's a lovely place, thanks for the photos !
"You ain't gonna learn what you don't want to know"
The Grateful Dead
Dougal65
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Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 9:36 pm
Location: Yackandaandah

Re: Tassie: Motorbike Heaven

Post by Dougal65 »

We only had a week when I reckon 2 weeks would be about right to explore more of the wilder parts of the state.
Tasmania ( for those on the other side of the world!) is a smallish island state forming the southernmost extremity of Australia and was settled in the late 18thc as a penal colony shortly after Sydney. In turn, Port Arthur is at the southern end of Tasmania and was a penal colony until well into the 19thc The ruins are world heritage material ..
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Next we'll look at more of the west and northwest coast and the fabled Lake Pedder area..( A glacial lake flooded under a hydro scheme in an act of crass vandalism that more than anything else kicked off national awareness and ultimately, the protection of this incredible wilderness for all time).

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Its all there waiting for you!
Doug
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bbelk
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Re: Tassie: Motorbike Heaven

Post by bbelk »

Great report. Thanks
1975 R90/6
1979 R65
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Zombie Master
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Location: Vancouver Island BC Canada

Re: Tassie: Motorbike Heaven

Post by Zombie Master »

Excellent!Now I want to go!
Any and all disclaimers may apply
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Airbear
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Location: Oz, lower right hand side, in a bit, just over the lumpy part.

Re: Tassie: Motorbike Heaven

Post by Airbear »

Great stuff, Doug. Thanks for that.
Definitely on the list.
Charlie
and Brunhilde - 1974 R90/6
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Graduate, Wallace and Gromit School of Engineering and Design (Pending)
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enigmaT120
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Re: Tassie: Motorbike Heaven

Post by enigmaT120 »

I have two different versions of Van Demion's Land...
Ed Miller
'81 R65
'70 Bonneville
Falls City, OR

"Gasoline makes people stupid." -- Chuey
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Dougal65
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Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 9:36 pm
Location: Yackandaandah

Re: Tassie: Motorbike Heaven

Post by Dougal65 »

That is a deliciously enigmatic comment!
There are possibly many versions of Tasmania depending on your perspective.
At the same time, I think you could ascribe all of the following to Tasmania.
* the most pristine cold climate wilderness in Australia
*the location of the purest air and water on the west coast of Tasmania
* some of the most blighted abandoned mine sites also on the west coast
* highest level of unemployment in Australia
* will be the first state have access to the National Broadband Network
* the state with the most intact early colonial heritage architecture and historic sites
* the site of the worst civilian gun massacre in Australia.. ( I think about 40 killed by a lone crazy)
and I could go on!!!
It is a land of many contrasts and great beauty natural and man made.

For more background into the Australian Penal Colonies, get hold of Robert Hughes " The Fatal Shore" which brilliantly describes the period.
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