Mar 24: Kidnapped in Hobart!

No worries, I lived to tell the tale (or should I say, write the blog)! 

 

The day started out well enough. I had breakfast at the caravan park with my new friends, Danny, Marcelle, and their two boys, Remy and Jay (ages 4 and 2). Danny and Marcelle told me I should come to Phillip Island where they live. If they are back from Tassie by the time I head that direction (about 130km southeast of Melbourne), I may just do that.

Remy, Danny, Marcelle, and Jay

 

 

I said goodbye to them, and also to Jo and Leoni (from Perth), that I’d spent the evening before talking and having a great time. 

 

The A10 out of New Norfolk was quite busy. Even though it meant a steep 5km climb, I was happy to get off it and on to a quieter road. The steep road went up and over the Wellington Range. I really think the ride down the other side was much steeper than what I had ridden up. I’m glad I was going to Hobart, and not from Hobart!

Interesting sight off the A10

 

Climbing

 

Hobart and the water way down there

 

 

I came down into the suburbs of Hobart. I initially rode past the Intercity Cycleway, but saw it out of the corner of my eye. I turned around and went back to it. Just as I got onto the bike path, it happened. A group of about a half dozen cyclists stopped me and started firing off questions. One woman asked where I was staying tonight. I said I was going to check at the hostel. She asked if I knew about Warmshowers. I said I did, but I hadn’t had WiFi for the last four days and had, therefore, been unable to request a host. She said she was on Warmshowers and that they were going for coffee, and after that I should come home with her. Of course, I agreed immediately! Dorothy introduced herself, and the group of us continued on the bike path to a coffee shop that opens up specifically for this Saturday group of riders. There were a number of riders already there when we arrived (the group I had joined had gone a little further than the others). Dorothy’s husband, Greg, wasn’t feeling great, so he met us at the coffee shop with the van. We all enjoyed a snack, and I met a few of the other cyclists. Then it started to rain. Dorothy and I were going to put my gear in the car, then ride around a bit before riding to their house, but we decided to put the bikes in the van, and drive instead. Greg had plans to go to the library, so we went there first. 

 

Dorothy and I left Greg at the library and walked to the waterfront. We went to the Salamanca Market which is a craft market that runs every Saturday. It was quite a large market with a great mix of crafts, farmer produce, food, and entertainment. I bought a few small souvenirs, and we had a bite to eat.

Elizabeth St Mall

 

Fish Out of Water

 

University of Tasmania

 

Salamanca Market

 

 

This silo was turned into apartments

 

From the market we headed up to Dorothy and Greg’s house in the suburb of South Hobart. Dorothy said South Hobart used to not be a very desirable place, but now it has become very popular. There is a great path right up into the neighborhood through a nice park along a creek. We saw this baby wallaby, and these odd birds.

Baby wallaby

 

 

Funny bird

 

Greg and Dorothy have a beautiful home. The beagle, Matilda, greeted us when we arrived. They also have a young man from Lithuania staying with them while he is attending the University, studying forestry. 

My home for the next two nights

 

 

Dorothy and I retrieved our bikes and my gear from the van. I showered, then did my laundry (it was definitely time for some clean clothes). I was able to finally post the last four days of blogs.

 

Dorothy and Greg had plans to go to dinner with some friends. They invited me along. Everyone came to the house first, had a bit of snacks, then walked the 10 minutes to the restaurant. It was a Thai place. It was great fun getting to meet and make more friends. 

From the left: Greg, Joan, Sue, Dorothy, Sue, Richard, Di, Robert

 

 I’m not sure what I am going to do tomorrow. It is supposed to rain, so I’ll wait and see. It was such luck to happen to be on the bike path at just the right moment! A couple of minutes later, and I would not have met these awesome people. My weather karma may not be working, but my meeting people karma is in full force! 

Mar 23: Finally Some Warmth!

For the first time in days, I was warm last night in my tent! I would even go so far as to say I was sweating! I enjoyed every moment of it! It wasn’t even too cold when I set out today. Funny little aside, I didn’t think there were any trash cans at the camping ground. As I left this morning with my bag of trash on the rear rack, I noticed there were trash cans on the side of the toilet block. It just shows how tired I was last night when I arrived, because they were clearly in plain view! I went back and dumped my trash. Also, the name of the lake is Meadowbank, not Meadowbrooke.

Sunrise over Lake Meadowbank

 

 

Right out of the gate I had two back-to-back climbs. The first was longer and steeper than the second. The legs were warmed up quickly! Things evened out for most of the rest of the day.

Nice view of farmland

 

 

I went through plenty of small towns. One was even called Plenty! The first was Ellensdale. I stopped at the local Post Office and had a hot chocolate and a lemon bar thing. A gentleman came in to get his mail. He said I must have been born in November. I said no, but he was close! He said he knew it was November because of the scorpion (Scorpio) on the back of my vest (it’s the Castelli logo). Charlie, the postmaster, even knew the capital of Washington is Olympia! Clever guys! While I was enjoying my snack, Charlie came outside and told me a story of how he rain out of gas on the Nullarbor. He had to leave his wife and son with the car, and hitchhike to the next gas station to get a jerry can of gas, then hitchhike back. Apparently, it was quite warm. I’ve been told to not underestimate the heat on the Nullarbor. Must have been scary for his wife and son.

 

Before I left, Charlie gave me the low-down on the road to New Norfolk. He was pretty spot-on. I was supposed to go to Mt. Field National Park today. Instead I decided to skip it and go on to New Norfolk. It allowed me to do more today, then have less into Hobart tomorrow. I should only have about 32km to go tomorrow. 

 

I stopped in Bushy Park for a break and some food. I’ve found the toasted sandwiches to be good to eat when I still have more riding to go. I also had a small hot chips. The chips servings are quite large! I couldn’t eat all of them yesterday, and I couldn’t eat all today either. I think some people must make a meal of them.

 

I followed the signs to the caravan park in New Norfolk. It’s awesome that even the main road directional signs tell you which way to the caravan parks! The caretaker wasn’t at her office, but another lady tracked her down for me. It’s $15 for an unpowered site. There are quite a few caravans here. I finally washed my hair after 10 days. That means I got here early enough AND it is warm!

 

When I went to open my rear pannier, I got this little surprise. Good thing I’m not afraid of spiders! I shooed him a good distance away from my tent. I have no idea when or where he joined me on my bike tour.

He’s a big fella don’t ya think!

 

 I didn’t see any live wildlife today, just the usual umpteen dead wallabies and possums. Oh, and I saw two dead snakes (my favorite kind).

Derwent River (goes all the way into Hobart)

 

Mar. 22: A Dirt Road Day

Today was to be my longest distance day at 86km. I know that doesn’t seem all that far, but with the hills (even though today was trending down), it is plenty.

 

At 33km I turned off the highway onto C173, a 43.5km dirt road. I was happy to get off the somewhat busy highway. I was also interested to see how Tilmann would handle the dirt (turns out, just fine).

Leaving the pavement for the next 43.5 kms

 

 

Here were no “major” climbs, according to the book, but there were enough minor climbs. All but one of the climbs were on the dirt road. 

 

I was riding along, keeping my eyes open for wildlife, and seeing nothing. Just when I said to myself, you’d think there would be something along here, I saw a little echidna. I stopped and slowly walked closer to it. It was very busy poking its nose in the ground, looking for ants. I got a couple of good photos, then let it be. That was the only live wildlife I saw today (even on the dirt road, there was quite a bit of roadkill).

Isn’t it so cute?

 

 

The road passed by Lake Echo (echo echo echo). Supposedly, there was a waterfall called Victoria Falls. I never saw the sign, although I probably wouldn’t have gone anyway. 

Echo echo echo...

 

 

See the steep bit in the distance?

 

Australian cattle ranch

 

There was an awesome 3.7km descent that was quite steep in places. I’m very glad I wasn’t riding up it! I finally returned to pavement, and rode into the town of Ouse.

Ouse is down there somewhere

I stopped at the supermarket and resupplied some groceries. I’m almost out of hot cocoa, but they didn’t have the kind where you just add water. Oh well...

 

I asked the clerk if there was someplace I could pitch my tent in town. She said the city park. I rode there and saw the “camping prohibited” sign. I rode back and stopped at the Ouse Roadhouse. Again I asked about pitching my tent. The gal there also suggested the park. I told her there was a sign, but she said no one would check. 

 

Since I was hungry, I got a chicken burger and some hot chips (aka French fries). As I was eating, a guy came in and asked if I was the one cycling. I said I was. Then he asked me how old I was. In Australian vernacular, I thought that was a bit cheeky! But, he meant no harm by it, so I told him (I should have told him I was, like 62 or something...that would have surprised him!). Actually, I’ve been asked a few times how old I am. It seems most people are amazed that I can do what I’m doing.

 

The two gals that worked at the roadhouse sat down behind me. I turned to talk to them. When I said something about camping at the park, the other gal said there was a camping ground at Meadowbrook Lake. She said it was 7km from town in the direction I needed to go for tomorrow. I decided to go there instead of trying to stay at the park (that had no toilet). 

 

 

It was just as the gal had said. It is a free place, and there are toilets. There are even a few other people here. It’s windy, as the place is pretty exposed, but I’m holed up in my tent. At least it doesn’t seem as cold as it has been the last couple of days. In the end, I ended up doing 94.8km. My butt is tired!

Mar 21: Nice Scenery and Nice People

Boy, was it cold this morning! In my tent it was 6 Celsius. Outside it was 4! I wore my wool capri tights under my long pants, and my long sleeve shirt over my short sleeve shirt, and my jacket over that. Since there was some climbing early on, I was able to take off the jacket and long sleeve shirt, and put on my white long sleeve button up shirt (with my sunsleeves on underneath). 

 

I stopped at a place called Nelson Falls about 7 km into the ride. It was just a short 10 minute walk to the Falls. They were quite nice.

Nelson Falls

 

 

Almost all of today’s ride was in the Franklin-Gordon River World Heritage Site, also a National Park. There were no towns along the way. There were lots and lots of bee hives. Just before the last long climb of the day, I stopped to take my long pants off. It’s a good thing I’m not afraid of bees, because there were several checking out my hi-vis vest, and generally inspecting Tilmann. I shooed them all away when it was time to go.

Just a few of the many bee hives I saw today

 

 

Earlier in the day I started seeing cyclists coming the other direction. They weren’t carrying any gear. After about 14 went by, the 15th one stopped to talk to me. It was a supported bike tour around Tassie. There were 19 or 20 of them from all over the world. They were going all the way to Strahan today...a long ride, but without gear, I supposed it was doable. They also had a tailwind.

 

I had a headwind, but until I got to the top of King William Saddle, it wasn’t too bad. At the Saddle, I had to take the DaBrim off my helmet because it was so windy. It was also quite chilly. I put my black jacket back on.

The view at the Saddle

 

 

I had done another little walk at the Franklin River Picnic Area. It was nice, but mostly it was good to get off the bike for a bit. I saw some people that I had seen at Cradle Mtn. They had passed me on the way to Zeehan, and they had passed me today. They are also staying at Lake St. Clair where I am tonight. 

 

Another couple, Steve and Marin, are camped near me. I spent part of the evening visiting with them. They have one of those cool tents on top of their vehicle. Really nice people.

This was taken the next morning.

 

 

When I arrived at the Lake St. Clair Lodge to pay for my campsite, I also got something to eat as I was starving. I sat with a couple from Queensland named Graham and Rhonda. They were staying in the lodge. I enjoyed visiting with them.

 

The park here is, obviously, on Lake St. Clair. It is part of Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park. It is interesting how it is all one park, yet it has been four days of riding for me to get from one to the other. There is a popular hiking trail called the Overland Track that goes from Cradle Mtn to Lake St. Clair. 

Lake St. Clair

 

Sunset on Lake St. Clair

 

Nah...it’s too dang cold!

 It’s shaping up to be another cold night, but maybe not as cold as last night.

Mar 20: It Could Be a Little Warmer!

At least there was just a tiny bit of rain this morning, then partly cloudy the rest of the day. But the highest temp (according to my bike computer) was just 16 Celsius. Even when I’m climbing, I’d like it to be a bit warmer.

 

I said goodbye to all my new friends at Strahan Beach this morning. One gal from South Dakota even gave me a hug! They all passed me today on the way to their next stops. They beeped and waved. Strahan was fun.

 

The climbing wasn’t terrible on the way to Queenstown. There was a nice lookout at the top. I talked to a couple who had been on the same train ride yesterday. The descent into Queenstown was good. 

Tilmann at the top

 

 

Queenstown was the destination for the Lonely Planet book route, but I planned to go further. However, I did spend some time in Queenstown eating some lunch, and getting a few groceries. The West Coast Wilderness Railway also has a train that leaves from Queenstown and goes to Dubbil Barill. By the looks of it, the Queenstown station is much newer.

Entering Queenstown

 

 

The Hunters Inn in Queenstown. It didn’t appear to be open anymore.

 

The Queenstown Station for the Wilderness Railway

 

At the grocery store, I asked how far the campground was on Lake Burbery. A guy told me it was 21km. That was great because it lessens tomorrow’s ride. Also, by going to Lake Burbery, I got the steepest climb out of the way. 

The beginning of the 99 Bend Road out of Queenstown. You can see the road up in the distance.

 

Looking back down, but still more climbing to go.

 

 

It started right out of Queenstown. The road is really Lyell Hwy, or the A10, but it is known as the 99 Bend Road. It switchbacks up for 3.8km. I thought it wasn’t too bad. Near the top I could see Horsetail Falls. There was also a hiking trail for a closer view. I didn’t need a closer view.

Horsetail Falls

 

The hiking path to get closer to the Falls

 

 From the trailhead the road went down. I put my black jacket on for the descent, and left it on for the rest of the day. Like I said, it could be a little warmer.

Lake Burbery

 

 

I found the Lake Burbery Camping Ground. It is my cheapest night so far at $6. The caretaker said I could set up in the shelter. This is no fancy caravan park. There are flush toilets, but no showers. There is a BBQ in the shelter. I’ve half a mind to turn it on just to warm up! The lake is pretty. The vegetation is different now. Not rainforest anymore. It looks more dry, yet there was just as much rain here as in Strahan (hence the reason I am set up in the shelter—the ground is very splooshy wet). 

 

There are a number of the green parrot birds here. I tried to get some photos. They are very pretty and also squawk like typical parrots.

Prince’s Parrots

 

 I’m going to end this post as I’m am freezing cold. It’s time to get into my sleeping bag with all my clothes on! Tomorrow is forecast to be sunny. I hope with that sun comes some warmth.

Mar 19: A Good Day for a Train Ride

Wow, the wind sure howled last night! It also rained the entire night. I looked at the weather this morning. For Strahan, and surrounding areas it was 100% rain and winds up to 29mph (yes, miles per hour). It was a good day to not ride!

 

So...what to do? I took the 1km path into town and stopped in at the Visitor’s Center. I saw there was a steam train ride up into the rain forest. I asked about it, and there was one at 2:15. I booked it, then hung around in town until it was time to walk out to Regatta Point where I would catch the train. I killed time at Banjo’s Cafe and Bakery having hot chocolate and chocolate hot crossed buns. I also bought a chicken and avocado pita to have on the train.

Yum

 

 

I did the 25 minute walk to the Point, and waited to get on the train. At about 1:30, the train pulled into the station. The people who had done the morning train got off, and those of us doing the afternoon train got on. The train was supposed to pull out at 2:15. Everyone was on the train, but we still weren’t leaving. The train people kept counting people, then looking at their list, and counting again. Finally, Tom, our commentator, got on the train and came to me to ask if I was Colleen. Apparently, I was supposed to have exchanged my booking paperwork for a ticket...oops. He gave me my ticket, and then we were off.

The West Coast Wilderness Train

 

 

The railway was built to bring copper from the mine. At the time, there was no way to get to Queenstown (now 41km away from Strahan by road). An enterprising man wanted to build a railway from the King River over the mountain to Queenstown, thus providing a way to get goods and the copper to the port in Strahan on Macquarie Harbor. 

The King River (orange from all the rain)

 

 

It took 2 1/2 years to build the railway. In 1963, the last steam train pulled out of the station. The road had been built, and the train was too costly to operate and maintain. Then, with the help of the federal government, and state government, they were able to rebuild the rail line, and make it a tourist adventure. 

 

Today, the train ride was 4 hours. We went up into the rain forest stopping at two stations along the way. The first was Lower Landing. We had 15 minutes to look around, and get snacks from the bistro car if we wanted. The steam engine took on water.

 

 

 

The second stop was the turn around point. It was called Dubbil Barill. There we had time to do a 10 minute forest walk, after watching the engineers turn the engine around by hand on the turntable. 

Engine coming onto the turntable

 

Rainforest Walk

 

 

Back on the train, we switched sides so everyone got to see everything. We stopped again at Lower Landing, this time getting to sample some of the Leatherwood Honey that is produced in that area. At the time the Leatherwood Trees are blooming, the apiary people bring the bees up on the train to pollinate and make the honey. It has a strong taste and a different texture. It’s good. I bought a small jar.

 

We returned to the station at 6:15. I walked back to the caravan park. The weather is much better this evening.

A nice view of the harbor

 

 

 

It was a good day to not ride. In fact, I think it would have been dangerous to ride.

Photos From Mar 17

I seem to now be able to upload photos. Here’s some from yesterday.

There’s the echidna

 

Wallaby in the bush

 

The beginning of the climb to Black Bluff

 

Orange lichen covered rocks

 

Whew! That was a lung buster of a climb!

 

Not the best view of Cradle Mtn, but it’s all I got.

 

Love these polka dotted mushrooms!

 

High point number two for the day

 

Rosebery Lake

 

Indian face rock