DAY 25
Today was going to be something different for Chiller (Steve). He wanted to tackle the dirt of the Western Explorer up to Arthur River and back. I had ridden the W.E. a few weeks back but was happy to go again.
We set off from Queenstown at about 0930 as it was getting a bit cool early in the mornings. We enjoyed the twisty road across to Zeehan. I stopped for a quick photo of the church as we entered town.
DAY 22
This morning Steve and I kept up our support of the local bakeries, today to our detriment. Feeble pies and coffee coloured warm milk. Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all. 🤨
It was stands up at 9am and we trod carefully on the road out to Elephant Pass. It was wet from overnight showers and I was taking it very carefully on the knobbies again. (Riding my Tuono in the wet at home a few weeks later it feels totally planted. This justifies my very careful speed in the wet on the knobbies, despite feeling slow, being dropped like a hot potato by the lads😕)
The road did dry out as we climbed the pass, being dry on the eastern side. Steve and I stopped for a couple of photos.
Day 20
With this many cats to herd a rigid regime was put into place for every morning. Breakfast at 8am, stands up at 9am. Unfortunately the Deloraine Town Cafe’ bakery was closed this morning (WTF?) so we ate at a small cafe down the hill from the Holy Grail bakery cafe’. It was basic but good.
We were pleased to see that the bikes were still there in the morning. Another group were also staying and one of them had a Benelli Tornado. Now that is a bike you don’t see every day. I love the look of the extraction fans for the under seat radiator.
DAY 24
We were leaving Hobart today and heading west. First order of business though was to source some breakfast. The guys had spotted Jackman And McRoss in Battery Point yesterday so that was todays breakfast bakery. 😁
DAY 19
It was bit of a rowdy night in the pub below me. Plenty of hoo haa until the early hours. A bike left the pub before sun up and I could hear it for miles and miles in the still night air. I thought "he's brave" , what with all the wildlife active at night around here.
I got up at sun-up myself, as the lads would be getting off the boat pretty early and I had said I would meet them in Railton as they made their way to Deloraine. I didn't want to miss them so the plan was to get there early and wait.
The valley to the west of Mole Creek was full of fog - which didn't really show up in my photos....
I flew back into Launceston late on the 24th of March, too late to get on the bike and go anywhere, so I stayed in the Kings Meadows Hotel again. Nothing flash but good value at $50 a night.
I have ridden approximately 10 800 kilometres(6720mi) so far on this tour of south eastern Australia and thought I might break the trip blogs up with some thoughts on the tyres I have used or am currently using. For reference, the bike is a 2018 Africa Twin Adventure Sports (243kg wet) that is loaded with my camping gear (approximately 25kg) and I weigh about 95kg in my riding gear.
