For part1 of the ride:
http://www.austouring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=795
As it looks that Loz won’t get around to it…. And with the next biggie not far off, I might as well try my hand on it. I couldn’t even attempt to copy his style…but here’s part 2 (my way) then:
The clear-washed blue skies the next morning were the perfect canvas to paint an action packed day …
Tim showed up early for the planned Strathgordon ride, just as some others were leaving to slot in a jetboat-ride at New Norfolk.
The main throng followed, collected the soggy-arsed, wide-grinning jet-boaters along the way through Bushy Park and Westerway to Maydena, the last petrol stop before the start of the National Park.
From here it was a “any which way you like” to the Strathgordon lodge, the road leading through rugged mountain ranges, the views are simply grand.
The shores of Lake Pedder come somewhat sudden before the last dash to the Strathgordon settlement.
Past incredible lookouts it’s on for about 20 mins of twisties and lots of loose gravel to the dam, an amazing site from any angle.
It seems to block the waters of Lake Pedder like a narrow wedge between to steep hillsides, the climb down the steel ladder well worth it to get onto the dam wall.
After the ‘assembly” at the pub/ lodge it was back again to Maydena…doubling back on those glorious twisties. Nev’s ZX12 copped a stone into the radiator and the local Mr. Fixit was called out in Maydena.
The Butane torch and some heat-melt seemed to do the job well enough to proceed slowly towards Hobart,
the main bunch running ahead to Richmond to organize the shopping for BBQ dinner that night and Jason to pick up Sarah from the nearby airport.
After an anxious 40 mins at Tiger-Dave’s business premises and staining his carpark a bright green, we finally got onto some leak-stop which did the trick…slowly but surely gumming up the hole from the inside.
As usual there were copious amounts of bullshit around the BBQ, Tim’s better half Louise joining up after work as well.
Clear skies and a bright moon…
Strathgordon?? Ohhh, yeaaaah !!
Yet another sparkler for some all-too-quick sightseeing around Richmond,
a short link-up with “Conehead” from ausmoto and his Cagiva Raptor, then onto the kidney-buster up Mt. Welligton for some truly breathtaking sights over Hobart, the peninsulas and the channels, whowww!!
“Smack”, another ausmotian, joined in for the sweepers of the A3 towards the East Coast; proving a pleasant surprise, with things getting interesting the further we made it towards Orford.
The bakery in Triabunna was a lucky find, the tucker highly recommendable.
After that some discovered the Lake Leake Rd. twisties, others went straight to the day’s target at Bicheno and The Aquarium, a small group burned up the lunch-calories by hiking into the saddle of Freycinet National Park for the postcard-views of Wineglass Bay, worth every drop of sweat…and more.
Some other lookouts and the small seafood-restaurant at Coles Bay on the way out before dodging the wallabies on the run to Bicheno, reveling in the last sweepers of the day.
Just on dark the penguins came into the rocky foreshore, cute little critters feeding the demanding mouths of their young.
By now the Elephant’s Pass wasn’t anything special, just some more twisties on the way to breakfast at the famous Pancake-Shop.
As always, worth the stop…. and quite a few toyed with the idea to cut out of the ride and stuff themselves up and down the extensive menu for the next few days. It IS that good!!
There were some thrillers ahead though…. first up the Rossarden loop out of Fingal to Avoca, dream twisties, sweepers and some real tight stuff, gravel and a flock of wallabies in the center of Rossarden trying to play chicken (and winning).
The main group split in their search for the St. Mary’s Pass back to the coast, St. Helens and a short detour to Binalong Bay,
sweepers to Pyengana to check out the Pub-in-the-paddock with it’s beer-swilling pig (gosh, over the years that beast must’ve emptied a tanker).
The Welborough Pass twisties and on to Scottsdale for a break.
In the meantime the chookies-group had their own fun on the backcountry roads and tracks and the stumper of Ben Lomond and the Jacob’s Ladder.
The pics say it all....
A ripper of a day despite the overcast skies, the search for a pub for dinner and some coldies proved a bit difficult, but ultimately successful.
Sarah had to leave for Melbourne later that night.
The last day…. and we made it count.
Cataract Gorge in Launceston was the first target, some pale faces at the end of the chairlift ride.
Westbury has yet another one of those great bakeries…even if the late-breakfast bacon ‘n eggs took forever to appear.
Gorgeous, narrow single-laners follow along a zig-zag course that got us onto a genuine stunner…. the twisties of the A5 up into the highlands of the Lake District.
Everyone was pumped!! Yelping, grinning across 4 cheeks, this was MAGIC!
Too bad we had to do it all again on the way back.
Goodies throttle cable broke, dammit !!!
Didn't we forget something?? "Test-riding" the repair, yeeeeha !!
Last day…Nev’s ZX12 holding together, Guenther’s induction-problems on the Strom fixed…now this.
There was a cable repair kit around and something was jerry-rigged (it actually held together for another 1000km after we got home, before a proper fix was made), back on the road an hour later.
Still zig-zagging west, the twisties and sweepers never ceased, a little drizzle finally caught us around Moina
(Barge-Arse line-up ;D ;D )
and on the home-run for the pub in Ulverstone.
A last meal together, then off for the Ferry in Devonport.
MADE IT !!!
Melbourne at dawn:
12 hrs. later we un-strapped the bikes on the vehicle deck…10 mins later there were only 5 of us left riding together towards the hills in the East…
NOTE :Credits for above pictures go to ALL and ANY of the participants, mostly Loz, Matt232, MartyH, Andrew, Goodie, Garry, Guenther, Nev, Jo.
http://www.austouring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=795
As it looks that Loz won’t get around to it…. And with the next biggie not far off, I might as well try my hand on it. I couldn’t even attempt to copy his style…but here’s part 2 (my way) then:
The clear-washed blue skies the next morning were the perfect canvas to paint an action packed day …
Tim showed up early for the planned Strathgordon ride, just as some others were leaving to slot in a jetboat-ride at New Norfolk.
The main throng followed, collected the soggy-arsed, wide-grinning jet-boaters along the way through Bushy Park and Westerway to Maydena, the last petrol stop before the start of the National Park.
From here it was a “any which way you like” to the Strathgordon lodge, the road leading through rugged mountain ranges, the views are simply grand.
The shores of Lake Pedder come somewhat sudden before the last dash to the Strathgordon settlement.
Past incredible lookouts it’s on for about 20 mins of twisties and lots of loose gravel to the dam, an amazing site from any angle.
It seems to block the waters of Lake Pedder like a narrow wedge between to steep hillsides, the climb down the steel ladder well worth it to get onto the dam wall.
After the ‘assembly” at the pub/ lodge it was back again to Maydena…doubling back on those glorious twisties. Nev’s ZX12 copped a stone into the radiator and the local Mr. Fixit was called out in Maydena.
The Butane torch and some heat-melt seemed to do the job well enough to proceed slowly towards Hobart,
the main bunch running ahead to Richmond to organize the shopping for BBQ dinner that night and Jason to pick up Sarah from the nearby airport.
After an anxious 40 mins at Tiger-Dave’s business premises and staining his carpark a bright green, we finally got onto some leak-stop which did the trick…slowly but surely gumming up the hole from the inside.
As usual there were copious amounts of bullshit around the BBQ, Tim’s better half Louise joining up after work as well.
Clear skies and a bright moon…
Strathgordon?? Ohhh, yeaaaah !!
Yet another sparkler for some all-too-quick sightseeing around Richmond,
a short link-up with “Conehead” from ausmoto and his Cagiva Raptor, then onto the kidney-buster up Mt. Welligton for some truly breathtaking sights over Hobart, the peninsulas and the channels, whowww!!
“Smack”, another ausmotian, joined in for the sweepers of the A3 towards the East Coast; proving a pleasant surprise, with things getting interesting the further we made it towards Orford.
The bakery in Triabunna was a lucky find, the tucker highly recommendable.
After that some discovered the Lake Leake Rd. twisties, others went straight to the day’s target at Bicheno and The Aquarium, a small group burned up the lunch-calories by hiking into the saddle of Freycinet National Park for the postcard-views of Wineglass Bay, worth every drop of sweat…and more.
Some other lookouts and the small seafood-restaurant at Coles Bay on the way out before dodging the wallabies on the run to Bicheno, reveling in the last sweepers of the day.
Just on dark the penguins came into the rocky foreshore, cute little critters feeding the demanding mouths of their young.
By now the Elephant’s Pass wasn’t anything special, just some more twisties on the way to breakfast at the famous Pancake-Shop.
As always, worth the stop…. and quite a few toyed with the idea to cut out of the ride and stuff themselves up and down the extensive menu for the next few days. It IS that good!!
There were some thrillers ahead though…. first up the Rossarden loop out of Fingal to Avoca, dream twisties, sweepers and some real tight stuff, gravel and a flock of wallabies in the center of Rossarden trying to play chicken (and winning).
The main group split in their search for the St. Mary’s Pass back to the coast, St. Helens and a short detour to Binalong Bay,
sweepers to Pyengana to check out the Pub-in-the-paddock with it’s beer-swilling pig (gosh, over the years that beast must’ve emptied a tanker).
The Welborough Pass twisties and on to Scottsdale for a break.
In the meantime the chookies-group had their own fun on the backcountry roads and tracks and the stumper of Ben Lomond and the Jacob’s Ladder.
The pics say it all....
A ripper of a day despite the overcast skies, the search for a pub for dinner and some coldies proved a bit difficult, but ultimately successful.
Sarah had to leave for Melbourne later that night.
The last day…. and we made it count.
Cataract Gorge in Launceston was the first target, some pale faces at the end of the chairlift ride.
Westbury has yet another one of those great bakeries…even if the late-breakfast bacon ‘n eggs took forever to appear.
Gorgeous, narrow single-laners follow along a zig-zag course that got us onto a genuine stunner…. the twisties of the A5 up into the highlands of the Lake District.
Everyone was pumped!! Yelping, grinning across 4 cheeks, this was MAGIC!
Too bad we had to do it all again on the way back.
Goodies throttle cable broke, dammit !!!
Didn't we forget something?? "Test-riding" the repair, yeeeeha !!
Last day…Nev’s ZX12 holding together, Guenther’s induction-problems on the Strom fixed…now this.
There was a cable repair kit around and something was jerry-rigged (it actually held together for another 1000km after we got home, before a proper fix was made), back on the road an hour later.
Still zig-zagging west, the twisties and sweepers never ceased, a little drizzle finally caught us around Moina
(Barge-Arse line-up ;D ;D )
and on the home-run for the pub in Ulverstone.
A last meal together, then off for the Ferry in Devonport.
MADE IT !!!
Melbourne at dawn:
12 hrs. later we un-strapped the bikes on the vehicle deck…10 mins later there were only 5 of us left riding together towards the hills in the East…
NOTE :Credits for above pictures go to ALL and ANY of the participants, mostly Loz, Matt232, MartyH, Andrew, Goodie, Garry, Guenther, Nev, Jo.