Long time friend of Scooter Central is one of our long distance rider ‘Scooter Phil’. His last adventure was from Woolongong NSW, through the Great Alpine Road to get on the Spirit of Tasmania and take on Tassie. While the rest of us are happy to do 10km cafe ride, Phil thinks big. Read on to get a quick overview of the trip ( and maybe get inspired to do the same some day ).
This is a nine-day trip from Wollongong by way of some interesting parts of Victoria, through Tasmania (via the Ferry) and back through country Vic. Some 3,709 kms!
In preparation for my trip, I got the scoot serviced, drew up a plan for fuel & food and booked places to stay. On the morning of departure, I checked the oil, the tyre pressure, made sure I was loaded with fuel & had one last look at the map. Then I was off!
My first stop was the Yass Service Centre for lunch & fuel as well as a quick ‘look round’ the scoot just to be sure ‘all was well’. The focus of the first part of this trip was the Great Alpine Road which runs between Wangaratta and Bairnsdale.
My first night was at Albury with an early start in the morning headed to Wangaratta. The Great Alpine Road is truly iconic. Think of the Eyre Hwy across the Nullarbor or the Great Ocean Road, it sits with them. It requires skill & patience but rewards with breathtaking views and a sense of achievement. Keep a look-out for bikers “testing their skills” and cyclists road racing(?). There are a few look-outs along the way and a few coffee/fuel stops (Bright, Hotham, Omeo). The part south of Omeo is ‘taxing & testing’ with numerable short straight bit with LOTS of curves – this rider ‘cooked’ his rear brake with bad ‘corner management’ so watch out!
The ride to the ferry (Spirit of Tasmania) at Geelong was uneventful if complicated (‘through’ Melbourne City & road works) but successful in the end.
Lots of bikers were making the trip too – maybe a hundred or so! The ferry is good, comfortable, with good food and friendly staff. BUT get a cabin – your writer took a “recliner” (like an aircraft seat in a common space) for the night crossing of the Strait but was surrounded by gigglers, coughers and SNORERS!! Don’t do it!
I snagged a cabin for the return and managed to sleep peacefully!
The embarkation and disembarking process (the latter at Devonport) is easy enough with clear directions and management by Spirit staff. Signage on the approaches at Geelong and on leaving the ship at Devonport are clear.
Next stop was Queenstown via Burnie. Another “taxing and testing” road. The road through Helyer Gorge (all of 10(?) kms has, so I’m told, ninety curves!). Your writer experienced the road in the rain – not real fun but a task to achieve. In places the speed limit was 60,70,80,90 or even a 100 but ya can’t do that because of curves!
The next day was another difficult ride through the countryside up the mountain along the Lyell Hwy to Hobart via pretty towns (Ouse, Hamilton, New Norfolk), water falls, lakes (Lake Burbury in particular) for a restock at a supermarket in suburbia then on to Kettering and the Bruny Island ferry. The cost for a ‘motorbike’ is $6.70 for a return trip and you pay just prior to boarding – all smooth with mostly 20 minutes between sailings.
The reward is “The Island” – it’s a jewel! The roads are good with about 80% sealed – all the important ones are – to the pub and almost to the top & bottom of the island. I can recommend the Hotel Bruny for a feed – I had ‘salt & pepper squid!
They do accommodation as well. There’s lots to do on the Island, swimming (seasonal I’d say) penguin rookeries, wildlife (lots of road kill!), tours and cape Bruny Lighthouse which is worth a look. It’s quiet! For a city bloke like myself it’s a real chance to get the rider’s kinks out and unwind.
Next day it was back to the ferry (boarding again seamless) and onward to the ‘east coast’ – through Hobart (again) – over the Tasman Bridge (the original was knocked down by a bulk carrier in 1975) to Sorell for fuel – all well signposted.
I’m heading to St Helens (for the night) then Campbell Town & Launceston to make my ferry sailing the next evening at Devonport.
The pick of the riding is here on the eastern side of the State. You CAN do the speed limit! I took the coastal road (Buckland, Swansea, Bicheno) with magnificent sea views. The towns are pretty (again) but have a seaside feel – like Sydney’s northern beaches. I got lucky with the weather (unlike the western side) – sunny but not too hot (I was wearing ‘summer’ gear).
Friends questioned my gear choice before I started this trip, saying “you’ll be cold” but with the judicial use of a ‘thermal’ t-shirt I was never really too cold – the middle of the year would be different – then winter gear would be a necessity. T
The road up to St Marys the next day was a winding one but still good and doesn’t last long. Once ‘on the plateau’ there’s a feeling of freedom as the vistas expand and the country opens up – Fingal, Avoca then Campbell Town. Here you have two choices to Launceston/Devonport – you can take the highway or do what I did and go via Cressy, Longford and Beauty Point. I travelled ‘cross country’ from the Point to the ferry terminal at Devonport along winding country roads – Exeter, Frankford, Sassafras. I fueled up before waiting in the marshalling yard to board.
The crossing was uneventful, disembarkation easy & so to home via Albury with a detour through Mansfield. A good trip, the scoot performed excellently, fuel usage as expected and memories created – it was good to be home!
Phil Scooter