AUSTRALIA Page 16 - TASMANIA - March 2007.

Australia, the adopted homeland of both Mal and Lee. The only continent under one government and the country we both love. The picture above is the “skyline” of our city, you can click on the picture to get a larger image. Perth is one of the most isolated regional capital cities in the world. There are so many things to say about our country that I simply do not know where to begin...

Thursday March 15^th 2007 Lagoons free camping area to Bicheno.
Approx. 31.68k's Average Speed 13.93kph Cycling time 2Hr(s) 16Min. Max speed. 52kph Max temp we recorded 25°C (Shade)
Terrain: Very Hilly. Road Conditions: ALL Poor in Tassie, Strong TAILWIND O/night Accom.: $.
Planned only cycling to Bicheno, where a much needed rest day is in order.

Met another cyclist on the road from Colorado USA. He was cycling alone on a hired bike.

Sunbathing on the side of the road we saw this Tasmanian.... Looks a lot like a Goat to me :-)

Moving on we reached the town of Bicheno, named after a not so famous Englishman... Here we will stop for two nights – no cycling tomorrow. Fix it, laundry, find some Internet and contact family, are some of the things planned for our day off. Called into the info centre to get the lay of the land. Helpful fellow who steered us in the right direction. He is one of those fellows that has a beard but no moustache, you have all met them; they are quite mad......
Catchya Later...
Friday March 16^th 2007 Bicheno -Rest day.
Approx. k's Average Speed kph Cycling time Hr(s) Min. Max speed. kph Max temp we recorded °C (Shade)
Terrain: Very Hilly. Road Conditions: ALL Poor in Tassie, O/night Accom.: $.
Light rain last night... Strangely lots of rain around this morning but thankfully, none in Bicheno. Checked around and found FREE Internet,

managed to upload and call family on “SKYPE”. Bits of rain about this afternoon, but not heavy. Cooked up a good pot of fresh veggies and had a nice lunch... Cannot carry too many veggies on the bike. If the weather holds we will have a BBQ tonight, as the Rump Steak is on special @ $7.99 per KG, in the local supermarket. Have met some good people here including a couple, who were on the “Greenpeace” ship harassing the Japanese Commercial Whaler that broke down recently. A couple of guys from Italy who are on a 1 yr work visa,

they are travelling with two French girls, whom they describe as flatmates rather than girlfriends. Plus an assortment of Aussies. Catchya Later..
Saturday March 17^th 2007 Bicheno to Free Camping Area 16k's south of Swansea
Approx. 58.78k's Average Speed 11.34kph Cycling time 4Hr(s) 48Min. Max speed. 53kph Max temp we recorded 19°C (Shade)
Terrain: Very Hilly. Road Conditions: ALL Poor in Tassie, O/night Accom.: $.
Rest day really revitalised us and we did a respectable distance today without much effort, despite one very big hill. Of course we could do much bigger distances each day. IF that's what this journey was all about.... It's not, we do not push ourselves too hard, rather, we try to enjoy each day and the people we meet.
Magnificent scenery down this coast, however all the coastline is fenced off...

there are a few “public access points”, but it should not be privately owned. Met a nice guy travelling with his son (George)

Not much else of interest today... You certainly don't need my comments on the Truck that tried to ruin our day, I'm sure :-)
Sunday March 18^th 2007 Free Camping Area 16k's south of Swansea to Triabunna
Approx. 35.88k's Average Speed 12.05kph Cycling time 2Hr(s) 58Min. Max speed. 49kph Max temp we recorded 24°C (Shade)
Terrain: Very Hilly. Road Conditions: ALL Poor in Tassie, O/night Accom.: $.
Arrived in Triabunna after a nightmare ride from the Free Camping Area,

Our campsite...

The amount of abuse today was staggering... One group of motorcyclists stopped Lee and told her she should not be on the F@#%$g road. They did not stop me... Cars drove at us and tried forcing us off the road... One idiot had his horn on for the 500 Metres that separated us... driving dangerously close... The abuse continued for the 5 or so hours we were on the road... We have NEVER experienced such prolonged abuse since we started as we have in Tasmania. We are at the point of abandoning our Tasmanian Leg and putting the bikes on a truck to Devonport. Lee is in tears much of the time and is totally upset with this abuse. I am at a loss as to how to manage or avoid further attacks.
Some scenery was nice along the way but too much going on for too many photo's

Odd thing happened in Triabunna. We turned left off the hyw to go to the information centre in the centre of town... Finding it closed (There are no tourists in Tassie on Sundays).. we met a guy.... Pic bellow.....

We asked him where the Caravan Park was? He said “it is closed”... He then asked if we needed a place to camp? We said yes! He told us to go 2.5 k's towards Hobart then left to a home with a 40' container outside. We cycled out of town a different way to the way we came in.. and found the Caravan park open and near full... Spooked I said to Lee we stay here tonight; being local he should have known... Could be innocent but must rely on “feelings” in these cases.

Here we are all set up in the Triabunna Caravan park.... Not much more to say... Catchya Later

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