Prologue
By joining the Tasmanian Trail Association for $40 you get access to their Trail guide and website for the gpx file including the detours. I also purchase a key for the gates as I don’t plan to throw my bike over them.
The bike box I’m using is the one the bike originally came in one year earlier, stored in the shed for this day.
Final week buy sunglasses and better computer to upload the files into the Garmin via the Apple Mac and with the Trail guide on the Iphone as an Acrobat Reader. All set, bike packed, 2nd U23kg bag bought, entry border forms completed. DJI Mavic 2S package bought and paid adding some extra 5kg kilos in the carry on luggage.
At the airport the bike box weighs 27kg, over by 4kg so I have to open the box and retrieve heavy items to lessen the weight and transfer to the other bag which needs to be reopened. I borrow tape to seal both bags. The second bag is just a $2.50 bag from the Reject Shop/Cheap as Chips and weighs in at 11kg, already zip broken and ripped. The only food I’m bringing is a dozen bags of Irish Breakfast tea. All my batteries and electronics and flight food are in a little rucksack that immediately rips during the flight (disposed at the caravan park the following day).I chose to fly from Darwin to Adelaide, then Adelaide to Hobart to avoid Melbourne and Sydney which have a lot of COVID. By the time I arrive there is Covid in Adelaide and Tasmania. I was worried with the weather of the bike box falling apart if it had rain on it, but was reassured as I watch the box go on board in the front hold they have been covered up prior to loading and was fortunate there was a little break in the rain.
Arrive in Hobart all well and good when Eric Bergeman offers me a lift with the bike box, a fellow cyclist who told me about his cycling rides including the Tassie Gift in November he completed in second place and future rides like the Silk Road Mountain Race. We had lunch together then he dropped me off at the bus stop. Got gas in Paddy Palin, a short walk away, and I was set for the bus to Devonport at 2.35 arriving 7,15pm via Launceston. The bus station opens at 1,15 and has a vending machine, 1 bottled water purchased, and toilets as well as the ability to charge phones which I make use of. At Launceston I ring the camping ground to make sure they have a sport for me and are open on arrival. It just so happened that the Melbourne to Devonport Ferry was late and they would be open. The bus from Launceston has only 4 people by the time it arrives in Devonport. The empty bike box goes over the fence into a building site. As I arrive I see the ferry docking in Devonport, so I rush to get the bike set up and I carry the bags on the handlebars. I only have 7 gears and the handlebars are moving as I have not tightened them up enough but I manage to get checked in and set up at the Mersey Bluff C.P. Cost $29 unpowered site. Toe nail on the right big toe has already broken off in the bike shoes, so a sore toe at the moment.
Great kitchen and I have a cup of tea but no dinner for tonight, I’ve had a large lunch and big Xmas dinner the day beforehand. I start on completing the bike set up like cages on but as it gets dark and I’m tired I leave it for the next morning. It feels colder after a warm day of around 23°C, forecast is 7° C overnight
I went to bed at 10.00 but kids around the camp didn’t go to bed until 10.30. Dark at around 9.30pm.
The only accommodation booked is for the last day in Hobart near the Airport in a caravan park.