Day 17 Melbourne – Berowra

We arrived 10 mins ahead of schedule. Daylight saving… It’s 7am and it’s still dark !! It was was overcast but not overly cold. I had decided a couple of days ago not to take my ’scenic’ route back to Sydney, rather going direct via the hume. Ray, Di, Fester & Pete got out of the city as quick as we could and away we went… We had a quick stop for breakfast and then we hit the road once more. That was really the last I seen of them, we got seperated… I had no idea where I would get to but as the kilometers went by I thought I might try to get to my Brother’s place at Berowra, which is just north of Sydney… Stopped at Gunnendah for lunch. The Hume highway is pretty long, straigh and boring.,.. I had thought it was dual carrige way all the way to Sydney, sadly it wasn’t, but where it isn’t they are doing it now… Most of the way it is 110 so the trip went pretty quick, though my butt would not agree…

Well after around 10 hrs I arrived at my Brother’s, stiff and sore… The longest mileage on the trip so far, and possibly for a long time !

5938 KMs to date

Day 16 Bernie – Devenport – Melbourne “It’s Over”

Started off a nice day, the group met and Reggie took us to a lookout for a final group photo… Lovely views, the ocean was as flat as I could ever remember it being… Not even the slightest swell. We then split up amd some of us headed to Stanley for a look around with the plan to head further west. Some nice road, big sweepers and long straights. Gto to Stanley, nice little place, we had morning tea, I opted for the scones and jam yet again, not quite as good as the last place, but the jam was excellent. Whilst some went up the chair lift, the rest of us would meet at the info centre. I went there and took in a ‘power nap’… Victoria are right into these ‘power naps’, everywhere you drive you see advertisements on the side of the road I guess they are trying to do something about fatigue related crashes…

The weather deteriated so we dcided to head back to our last meeting place at Reggie’s. We made a detour on the way to Penguin so Di could get some photos, lovely little place. We got to Reggie’s and his driveway he warned us about. We all made it down, no challenge after my driveway ! One of the South Aussies, Smurf, cooked up a storm on the BBQ and we all relaxed over a few ales… Then there were the ‘awards’ for different things like longest distance, hard luck story and a few fun ones which I seemed to have scored ! We won’t go into details however !

Well it was time to make our way to the boat for our trip back to the mainland. Reggie had done a wonderful job of organising this trip, and it was proposed to make it happen again in 2 years… TIme will tell. We bid farewell to our hosts and friends staying on and away we went. We got to the wharf, waited about 30 mins then boarded the boat. We played cards for a while then headed off to bed. Had a shocking nights sleep, Andrew, who I shared with on the trip down was going off like a freight train.. I even belted him with a pillow !

Our jaunt around Tassie had been and gone. What a fantastic place for bikes. If only the weather was a little nicer. I can see why people retire down here, truly beautiful, but alas too cold for me I fear. If you ride a bike, you really must go to Tassie for a lap ! Although I had some issues here, overall I really enjoyed the comapany and my time on the apple isle. I’ll be back with a camera that works, that is for sure.

Day 15 Strahan – Bernie

It wasn’t raining, but it looked like it could. Only a short ride today, but lots of potential sightseeing opportunities… I struggled to pack everything as I had got some of my gear back from Lassie…. Got there in the end… We headed off and it was not long before the heavens opened up once more… I had yet to put my wet weather pants on and cursed at my decision nto to do it from the start… Ever the optimist I guess !! It got quite heavy in patches… We got to the first town on our itinerary and while the others rode around for a look I donned the pants… Good timning as the next wave of showers came through…

I waited for a whle but they did not come back through, and with even more rain coming down I decided not to take the scenic route and go and get my tyres replaced… They were due a little while ago I guess, but whilst it was dry it wan not an issue, but with the amount of rain we had in the previous few days and no end in site I did not want to chance the tyres any further… There was no way I would get back home on them, so rahter than try and find somewhere in Melbourne I thought with a short day today it was smarter to do it today. Plus we have a good ride scheduled for our last day tomorrow, so hoping the weather gods are smiling.

I was not the only one to get tyres, couple of other guys got some front tyres as well… I knew I would be paying sa premium price for the tyres, and $530 later I was on my way… I then tried to find my room for the night, only to be told that there was no record of my booking… Oh well, not a bad effort first accommodation muck up for the trip… No worries I passed a pub that advertised motel rroms from $55… I got one.. Not too bad I gues

Well I have now been on the road for 2 weeks, and although I have had a few challenges, I have a wonderful time… The roads are motorcycling nirvana, if only the weather was more appealing !! I miss the family and my bed, but all in all it’s been great. Hopefully we wil get 1 last ride in tomorrow before catching up at Reggie’s for a BBQ and the boat ride back to the mainland !

Day 14 – Strahan

Up early this morning, Ray, Di & I decided to take the railway from Queenstown back to Strahan. We were picked up by bus in Strahan and it took just on an hour to get back to Queenstown, I thought it was bad on the bike when we came down, how he man handled that bus back through was a site to behold… By the time I got there I was fellinmg quite sea sick !!

We had a few stops on the way back down, one to do some panning for gold, once to fill up with some more water, honey tasting, seeing a 15 yo huon pine which was like a stick, and one thta was about 400 yo which was maybe .5 metre circumfrance…. Thye have stopped logging for Huon pine, no wonder when you reliase how long they take to grow… The only way for them to use it now is to find stuff that is already fallen down etc.. Apparently there is enough of that to last another 40 yrs… It is a most sort after timber…

We had a great lunch mid way down where we swapped trains. You really have to go on this railway to appreciate what they had to do to build it… It took them some 3 yrs of nothing but pick & shovel, through solid rock etc And they only cut it just wide enough for the train to fit through, I can see why !! There was wonderful scenery all the way down and it certainly is a must do if you are ever down this way.

Returned to the cabin and Reggie wanted to go for a quick ride, so as I had not been on the bike for the day I thought why not… We went to the beach first where there was about 5 kms of very rough dirt… Not a prob really. Nice spot but very windy. Then we were back on the road and headed for some sand dunes where they run lots of quad bikes… We climbed one of the dunes, closest I have been to exercise in a few weeks and it felt like it by th etime I got to the top !!

We returned back to the cabins and took the rest oif the arvo easy before we all gathered for a BBQ and some drinks… Down the rain came again and it was pretty heavy and consistent for the rest of the night… The food was good and company even better. We moved into the house and had a look at some progress photos on the TV… Mine were missing of course !! After a few laughs we all retired for the night. Off to Bernie tomorrow.

Day 13 Hobart – Strahan

We awoke early so we could get on the road as the forecast was for showers.. However it looked pretty good, what a difference a couple of hours can make… Covered some fantastic country as we would along the river. It is amazing how quickly the lanscape can change though, from lush green to dead brown… It was quite foggy along here.

Covered some good distance and stopped at Tarraleah for morning tea, another power station.. Had some really nice scones and jam, Ray & Di had a quiche & scones.. I explained to Ray that real men don’t eat quiche We started outside but had to move in as there wer bees everywhere, and as I don’t get on with them we moved inside.

By the time we came out the cafe the fog had gone and was replaced by some big black strom clouds, and we heard some thunder…. We decided to put on the wet weather gear… Just as well, 5 mins down the road it started pouring… Now we were on soem of the best bike roads around, unless of course it’s pouring rain… Was not long before my boots were full, my gloves were soaking and I was drowning from the inside of my helmet… Way too much fun… And only 100 plus kilometeres to go through wet twisty roads…

I am not sure about the scenery as I was too busy trying to stay on the road… What was absolultey stunning yesterday does not have the same effect when it’s pouring down rain on the bike… It seemed to take all day but we eventually got to Queenstown and I needed fuel and ot get off the bike, I was exhausted… Only 20 odd Ks to go I thought… The last 5 kms into Queenstown was somehting to behold, unless of course it’s raining. Very steep & twisty run down into it..

The rain stopped, we filled the bikes and went for a walk to try and dry out a bit… We booked some tickets for the steam train tomorrow and decided to hit the road once more… Not a couple of Kms into it, down the rain come again…. What I thought was 20 odd kms turned out to be 46, groan…. The last 5 was some of the twistiest descent I had yet been on… Anyway we made, and it was great have a nice warm shower….Now to dry my stuff out, luckily we are here for 2 days… Guess we can’t complain, first decent bit of rain since we left…

Day 12 Hobart

Wonderful… Words cannot describe the things I have seen today. Reggie has planned an itinerary for each day on the island and again we met up and set off for yet another destination, Lake Pedder. We met everyone in downtown Hobart and away we went. The weather was ok, a bit cloudy but hoped it would not rain as forecast, it didn’t…

We got to New Norfolk and the water problems that had palgued me finally caught up with Pete and he decided to return to Hobart to have it fixed. The rest of us continued on & we stopped at Wetaway for morning tea.. The road hugged the river for most of the way, it was just beautiful, clean, pristine. Every so often there would be a house right next to it, if this was Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney they would have million dollar price tags for sure.

Ray was not feeling well so he & Di returned to Hobart and the rest of us continued on. The road was in pretty good condition and there were a good combination straights, twisties & sweepers. Every now and then there would be a sharp drop in temp and then it would return to normal, most invigourating ! Then I came onto a clearing and up ahead was such an awsome sight. Did I mention I am annoyed at not having my camera working ? %$#^&*!*& It was really amazing.

The road surface also changed around this time, it was an off white rough bitchumen, I could imagine it being very slippery with a bit of rain… The scenery continued to impress and I finally caught up with the rest of the crew at Lake Pedder. Nice facilities, though not too many people around. The staff there do a 7 day on 7 day off roster as they are so far away from the major towns. What a beautiful place it is. Everyone tucked into some lunch and I left them there whilst I went and checked out the rest of the lake and dam area.

This is a major hydro electric facility in Tassie and the scale has to be seen to be believed. Yet again the scenery on the way to the dam wall simply breath taking.. Camera oh camera why did you choose now to die… I could take it no more, I resorted to my phone camera, oh the shame… I got to the dam wall, what an awsome site.. I am running out of words to describe what I have seen today. Mind you it was a longggg way down to the botom, was not good ! To top it off there were people abseiling down it !!!

Well it was time to go, it was quite warm by this time… I have been getting quite burned on my face whilst on the bike, never had that happen in all my years of riding…. About 5 kms up the road the rest of the gang rolled on by. The rest of the trip home was unenventful other than nearly being taken out a couple of times. I stopped at ‘activists’ campsite at the side of the road, full of hippy types.. They are protesting about a proposed road going into the area, which they fear will open it all up to more logging… Hvaing seen the beauty of this area I can understand where they are coming from… Would hate to see it all cut down for woodchips…

I got back to the cabin and Ray & Di had gone shopping again and we had another great BBQ, cooked by yours truly. 407 kms today.

Off to Strahan tomorrow.

Day 11 Hobart

Had a wonderful nights sleep for the first time this trip, slept in till after 9am, woohoo ! Well it is a gorgeous day, the first one this trip, not sure how long it will last though… Not much planned today until the rest of the group arrive mid afternoon… Went to the local shopping centre to get some supplies. Made my own lunch today, was a nice treat.

Ray & Di arrived mid afternoon and we have shared a cabin. They had done some shopping and we had a great home cooked BBQ meal for a change. Excellent. We finished dinner and played cards.. Nice easy day.

Day 10 Bicheno – Hobart

Awoke to yet another overcast day but still no rain, so no complaints. The group spilt into 2 today, the ones keen for some more twisties and those for some sightseeing to Richmond, I joined the later. Richmond is a beautiful place and finally had a chance to pull out the camera… Hmm, does not seem to be working…. Hmmm….I tried everything I could think of, nil…

What else…. I then decided to head to Hobart and track down a camera place and see if someone could shed some light… I also rang my mate Mark, tried his ideas, still nothing… The camera tried everything I did and still no good.. It will have to go to Canon… ^$#%@#^#$ Not only I am in one of the best places for landscape shots in Australia, I need it for my nieces wedding in Sydney on the way back up….

I should not ask myself what else can go wrong on this cursed trip… Sitting at Macca’s to check my email etc I ran out of battery and started to read the paper.. I never read my stars but this is what it said today :

You will start something and half way through wonder why you started it in the first place and if you can drop it and retain your dignity. The answer is easy Leo, no you can’t stop it and retain your dignity.

How apt.

Day 9 Launceston – Bicheno

A cool but overcast greeted us once more, but as usual, as long as it don’t rain all is good We were to meet at Macca’s on the south side of town, I was in the wrong lane when I saw it, too late, and it was the start of a freeway, took me 10 mins to find a way back…. Everyone was there, 2 bikies from SA had been tampered with during the night, persons unknown had tried to steal their number plates, go figure…

We set of from Macca’s, Pete and I went out to the highway to wait…and wait…. They had turned the other way at the lights… Doh… And yes, we were on the beginning of the freeway, so we had to go over familiar ground again and turn back towars the city… We found a sign for Scottsdale, then I lost Pete in some traffic lights, and that would be the last time I saw anyone today until I got to Bicheno…

Luckily Reggie had printed out a detailed intinerary of the trip an dit came in very handy.. By the time I stopped and asked a local where to go I would have been a good 30 mins behind the main bunch… No worries, I knew where we were supposed to meet for morning tea & lunch, I figured I would catch them up somehwere… I actually did not mind going on my own, no pressure to keep up or worry about holding up someone… I have nearly 30yrs riding experience, but I am not a fast rider, especially in unknown country, and the last thing I want is to come off or worse… Besides, its such a beautiful place its nice to ake in some of the scenery…

Moring tea was supposed to be in a place called Pyengana, and I stopped at a lovley little place, a dairy coampany, where they make their own cheese, milk etc… A bit like a botique brewery but for dairy ! They had some cool stuff there, I grabbed a tshirt and frdge magnet.. I had a choc milkshake and a brownie, it was soooo yummy…. Oh waistline forgive me…. I established the crew had not been through yet, so either i was in fornt of them (no idea how) or they had skipped this place…

I pushed onto the lunch meeting point at the Mt Elephant pancake place… I had read about this place many times in diferent bike magazines and was looking forward to going there… I had a ham, cheese & egg crape, it was huge and very yummy. The roads were again magnificent, though quite narow in spots, which I was about to find out just how narrow… On a tight hairpin a semi trailer / low loader (type that carry big excavators) was all the way across on my side of the road, I managed to squeeze past, a couple of seconds later though and I would have been a hood ornament… Luckily I was riding is ’safe’ mode as Reggie had warned us about what might be about up there… The road varied a lot from wonderful fast sweepers to 2nd gear hairpins and everything in between…

The group had nopt been through here yet either, so again I went on my way… Cruising along through some nice twisties my second near miss for the day… An econovan type vehicle was screaming towards me, I knew it was going way too fast and sure enough it started to cross to my side, I had already anticpated what would happen, so Iw as already over as far as I could go… I am surprised he did not roll the thing…Idiot…

Well I arrived at Bicheno, and nice place next the the sea… A real sechange feel to it… Booked in to my motel… It’s amazing how the accommodtion is varying, and the price does not always indicate what you are going to get… $90 tonight, not a patch on last nights, but will comfortable enough. It’s going to cost a bit more than I expected, as instead of sharing I am now going solo, can’t take the chance on ’snorers’, need a good nights sleep to cope with the rides….

Ray & Di got into town about 4pm, and others are slowly rolling in as I type…. Not sure when I will get this uploaded, there is no Optus reception, and it is very patchy so far.. Telstra is not much better…. 3532KMs since we left home… Back from dinner, first meal I have been dissapointed with… Not bad I guess after 9 days on the raod ! Off to Pt Arthur tomorrow…

Day 8 Over the Ditch to Tassie – Devenport to Launceston

We arrived spot on 7am…. I ‘misplaced’ my bike having not paid attention to where I had parked it back in Melbourne… I found it eventually and disembarked and the traffic jam was a not a pretty site… I then spied an open gate and headed out there… Only to get some poor security woman telling me off.. I think she expected that I would turn around and head back in… I had other ideas and rode off

By the time we all gathered for breakfast there 16 bikes in total, and finally some other colours besides silver. The ride organiser, Reggie, gave us all a rundown after breakfast and away we went on day 1 of our week circling this island. You can’t beat local knowledge and Reggie took u on some great roads and there was some wonderful scenery to go with it. Unlike the ‘mainland’ where most corners are not signed which makes it interesting… Thommo, the man behind the FJR owners website decided to sneeze midway through a corner and ended up inot the guardrail.. The important thing was he was ok, the bike a bit worst for wear, shattering the windscreen and the odd scrap marks here and there… We had lunch at Beauty Pt and across the bay is where the big pulp mill is supposed to be going in.. Can see why they don’t want it…

Could not get over the amount of roadkill around, every few hundred meters… We continued our way to Launceston where we booked into the nights accommodation. Off to Bicheno tomorrow.