Originally Posted by
clipperton
cheers cave. went with virgin, have used them before and they've got a great policy for bikes. i guess that since i'm only flying for the way home i can send stuff by one of those heinously expensive freight services out at the airport if need be. should be alright though, so long as i can find a bix that fits my bloody monster of a bike and all the assorted junk i'm taking.
might call ahead to make sure that they'll accept the bike as apparently the planes out of hobart aren't the largest. either way should be ok.
You'll be fine with Virgin. The planes that fly into Devonport are smaller, but the planes into Hobart and Launceston are all OK for bike carriage. Virgin are by far the most bike friendly. Machka flew from Sydney to Melbourne via them. Their luggage policy is brilliant.
If you are looking for a bike box, check out McBains Cycles in Hobart (ask for Kate or Ben, if they are both still there and say I sent you). Otherwise, try Bike Ride, and then maybe Applebys, but don't expect much from them as the greedist dealer in town. Whichever place you try, if your bike is big, let them know you need a big box. Otherwise, try at the airport... often there are boxes left there from inward bound cycle-tourists and you pick one up from Virgin for nothing. Or you can go a new one, which is humungous and capable of taking the biggest single bike.
You'll enjoy it. The distances aren't too great between towns, but the terrain can sometimes be challenging. You've got some passes into the North-East of the state to Scottsdale and afterwards towards St Helens. Remember to stop and take pictures.
And no, you can't get from Freycinet across to Swansea without retracing your route back to the Tasman Highway. There used to be a dinghy ferry across the small strait to Dolphin Sands, but I think like many things, public liability insurance issues made it unviable.
If you do choose to go the route from Richmond to Hobart via Brighton and Bridgewater, keep and eye out on the Tea Tree Road for the ramshackle house that has a modern residence built on to the back of it! If you like quirky things, it could be the highlight of the ride (although some might say the entire tour in Tasmania is quirky enough as it is).