twowheeler
two wheels are best
Here's my version of events from Glenn's (MGS12-8V) much anticipated lap of Tassie. Glenn will be posting his version soon.
Last Tuesday evening finally arrived, when he, Mick & I met at Port Melbourne in plenty of time to board the Spirit of Tasmania.
Ferry queueing etiquette seems to involve shedding protective layers and hanging one's helmet on the bars. Concerned of the idiot I'd make of myself when my bar-hanging helmet snagged/jammed something important and brought me down, I kept my helmet on my head.
No, you couldn't swing a cat.
Cold & clear conditions greeted us in Devonport. We setoff toward Cradle Mountain at milking time.
The Cradle Mountain plateau
(David Attenborough voiceover - carefully, Glenn stalks his prey on its blind side ........)
(..... and is rewarded with a sighting of bike-hieroglyphics)
The prologue ended at the Cradle Mountain National Park
A beautiful, 40kph ride up a single lane road brings us to Dove Lake. Apparently, there are only 11 days per year on average when Cradle Mountain can be seen from it. True or not, we scored a cracker of a morning.
Unfortunately, we didn't have a spare 6 hours to walk to the top & back (next time), so we setoff for lunch at Strahan via Roseberry (not enough time for the Reece Dam detour either).
This would be another great means of doing a lap of Tassie
After lunch, a bike swap saw me on Mick's Ninja 1000. It is a bad bike. It made me go very fast and it felt fantastic.
After stopping in Queenstown for fuel, I got talking to a Blackbird-riding guy in another biking group, who we soon established was married to my sister's best friend from primary school in Vic. What are the chances ?
Then onto Hobart via Derwent Bridge and Ouse. Are these roads biking nirvana or what. Quiet, well surfaced, well cambered, great scenery, police who do policing and not cash-colleccting.
The night ended in Hobart, warm and mellow, drinking beer from 1-litre glasses and eating bloody magnificent souvlakia in Salamanca.
More to come ......
Last Tuesday evening finally arrived, when he, Mick & I met at Port Melbourne in plenty of time to board the Spirit of Tasmania.
Ferry queueing etiquette seems to involve shedding protective layers and hanging one's helmet on the bars. Concerned of the idiot I'd make of myself when my bar-hanging helmet snagged/jammed something important and brought me down, I kept my helmet on my head.
No, you couldn't swing a cat.
Cold & clear conditions greeted us in Devonport. We setoff toward Cradle Mountain at milking time.
The Cradle Mountain plateau
(David Attenborough voiceover - carefully, Glenn stalks his prey on its blind side ........)
(..... and is rewarded with a sighting of bike-hieroglyphics)
The prologue ended at the Cradle Mountain National Park
A beautiful, 40kph ride up a single lane road brings us to Dove Lake. Apparently, there are only 11 days per year on average when Cradle Mountain can be seen from it. True or not, we scored a cracker of a morning.
Unfortunately, we didn't have a spare 6 hours to walk to the top & back (next time), so we setoff for lunch at Strahan via Roseberry (not enough time for the Reece Dam detour either).
This would be another great means of doing a lap of Tassie
After lunch, a bike swap saw me on Mick's Ninja 1000. It is a bad bike. It made me go very fast and it felt fantastic.
After stopping in Queenstown for fuel, I got talking to a Blackbird-riding guy in another biking group, who we soon established was married to my sister's best friend from primary school in Vic. What are the chances ?
Then onto Hobart via Derwent Bridge and Ouse. Are these roads biking nirvana or what. Quiet, well surfaced, well cambered, great scenery, police who do policing and not cash-colleccting.
The night ended in Hobart, warm and mellow, drinking beer from 1-litre glasses and eating bloody magnificent souvlakia in Salamanca.
More to come ......
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