Tasmania Part 1&2

[marko]

This is the first part of a great 10 day journey across Australia's Island State..Tasmania.
I travelled with a couple in a cute little restored caravan, and for the most part it worked quite well. I zoomed off and met them at various spots and we camped together each night. Rather than a long boring account, i will add captions.
Tasmania is in the grip of drought and apart from the first day off the ferry from the mainland which bucketed down, the weather was perfect.

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A little town on the east coast called Derby has seen better days. I parked the bike on the derelict sport ground. Next time i visit i expect this structure to have collapsed.

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The second night we camped right on the beach at St Helen's on the north east tip. This pretty fishing village has clear white sand and the beaches go on for miles.....

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Further down the east coast and my friend in their van have just passed me........their 80kmh max speed leaves me plenty of photo stops and i catch up and overtake again quickly.....

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A long weekend in Autumn and there are plenty of historic car meets and clubs doing the island circuit. This classic touring outfit seems to fit in with tassie perfectly.

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While this trailer is not my cup of tea, i have rekindled my interest in the little uni-go trailer, which leans with the bike. Saddly i have just visited their website and the NZ company has folded....apparently a US firm may take over production from June....I hope so, i want the touring version for my next hols.

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Our campsite at Freycinet National Park.

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...take the scenery with you.....
This artist couple have been travelling around Australia for 5 years, painting & selling to finance their travels.......brilliant.
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My friend put his surf ski in whenever possible...here at Freycinet Nat Park, after i helped him lug it 2km through the bush and then waited 2 hours to take this shot......sheesh.......i shouda been ridin!!!

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The historic bridge at Richmond just out of the capital city of hobart..This whole town is much as it was in the mid 1850's......bloody old for Aus!!

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I can't resist parking the bike in front of historic and dilapidated buildings! This one at New Norfolk on the run back up the centre of the state to the north.

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The windswept plains in the middle of the state show signs of the drought and is relatively hot for autumn and the state. Within an hour i will be alongside the great lake which can be snowed in during the winter. The best trout fishing in the country here.

The traffic is light.......

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In the middle of logging country here in the centre of the state. Right beside the great lake, which has 5 times the capacity of Sydney Harbour and the best trout in the country.
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Who needs a GS when you have an R? The start of 40kmh of gravel and as Max Smart once said........and loving it!
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I'd swear i was in Central Australia.....hot and dusty. Not usually words associated with Tasmania.
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Not happy with just the gravel highway, i opt for a cross country 2km jaunt to the edge of the lake, which has receded somewhat. Alternating red dust and sharp boulders i stay for a pic but decide not to venture right to the water.........Ok. a GS guy would have!
.........By the weekend i hope to have part two loaded.
The magnificent world heritage park at Cradle Mountain....I did multiple walks here from 2 hours to 9 hours and usually only 30 clear days a year here and i had 3 days of magnificent weather.

Don't argue with these guys........
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Time for a self portrait
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I am glad the weather is fine. Not the road for an R in the wet.

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Close to Deloraine and my overnight stop. My travelling companions are at least 3 hours behind with all my gear!!! I wait by the side of the road in town after booking a caravan spot and they arrive after dark!!!
My Telstra mobile works all over Tassie, but my companions have an Optus mobile which only works in the two major population centres!

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The days are warm and fine, but the nights...............my poor baby ain't used to this sort of treatment!!

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At the turn off to the World Heritage Cradle Mountain National Park...i waited here for 35 minutes for my friends and then saw them sail past the turnoff!!!! Another 15 minutes while they found somewhere to turn the van around...........never travel with a caravan!!

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At the entrance to the Dove Lake Car Park. The road to the car park is very twisty and narrow and they discourage visitor's from driving into this area as a continuous shuttle mini bus service operates from the visitor's centre. A neon sign board 8km away shows how many parking spaces are available.....a max of 55.
Bikes on the other hand........

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Just after dawn on the shore of Dove Lake. Today we do an 8 hour walk up on the mountain.
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Half way to the mountain and now on part of the overland trek trail. I will come back and do the 8 day trek from here to Lake St Clair, 85km south. ........for now, the mountain beckons.........

The holiday is over...neally. A stay upright advanced riding course at Broadford Monday and then back to work......for 3 days then Easter![/url]

[DJ Downunder]

Marko...just letting you know those links to the pics that end in the word 'original' don't work for me...is it just me?

DJ

[DJ Downunder]

marko....I see you've fixed those link addresses but they still don't work for me....ok

DJ

[Boxer]

Marko, it seems you've linked to the smugmug page where the pics are but not to the pics themselves. Pull up the pic and right click on it and copy the location to the clipboard. Then paste that location on the post here with the IMG tags.

BTW nice Tasmania ride, you "devil" you.:-)

[marko]

Thanks guys
Those image tags don't work at all for me but will try nut it out again later.

[Ed K]

Hey Marko,

Fantastic collection of pics. . .thanks for posting the links.

Ed K
04 Silver RR

[scottybooj]

nice pics....are those your friends in the brown sedan with matching trailer?

my dad belongs to a group of people that have that type of 'teardrop' trailer here in the states. they go camping everywhere.

[marko]

No, we just stopped and had a look as it was a fantastic looking outfit.
My mate is into restoring old caravan's and was very excited seeing this one.