Tasmania questions for a bike tour
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Tasmania questions for a bike tour
Hello all,
I am interested in a self supported tour in Tasmania for a month. Has anyone done any tours in Tasmania? I have ridden with a someone that rode around the world and she said that was one of her favorite areas to ride. What are your thoughts?
Just doing some reckon and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions or advice.
Any good cycling specific guides?
found this and it seems good.
https://www.biketas.org.au/giro.php#how_to_get_here
Thanks
Eric
I am interested in a self supported tour in Tasmania for a month. Has anyone done any tours in Tasmania? I have ridden with a someone that rode around the world and she said that was one of her favorite areas to ride. What are your thoughts?
Just doing some reckon and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions or advice.
Any good cycling specific guides?
found this and it seems good.
https://www.biketas.org.au/giro.php#how_to_get_here
Thanks
Eric
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Hi,
this couple did tassie in march. they used the giro guide too. I love the folding bikes!!
im thinking about doing it this summer.
https://members.iinet.net.au/~jdekter...tour_2007.html
Pete
this couple did tassie in march. they used the giro guide too. I love the folding bikes!!
im thinking about doing it this summer.
https://members.iinet.net.au/~jdekter...tour_2007.html
Pete
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I spent 3 weeks cycling in Tasmania in 2004 ... and I know one Tasmanian cyclist, who posts here on occasion, very well.
It is very beautiful there, and quite easy to get around ... but be warned, it is hilly!!
This is the start of my trip:
https://www.machka.net/australia/nov4.htm
I don't have a lot of info on my Australian trip up yet, but keep clicking "Next Day" and you'll get some info.
It is very beautiful there, and quite easy to get around ... but be warned, it is hilly!!
This is the start of my trip:
https://www.machka.net/australia/nov4.htm
I don't have a lot of info on my Australian trip up yet, but keep clicking "Next Day" and you'll get some info.
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#4
Every lane is a bike lane
I did Tasmania back in 2003, and would quite happily go back and do it again. The scenery is marvellous, the roads are quiet and the people are about as friendly as you'll find anywhere in Australia. There are just a couple of things you'll need to be aware of. Firstly, the weather can change quickly and it can get COLD! Summer snow is not unheard of, so be prepared -- especially in the mountain areas. Also be aware of sunburn -- it's very easy to get sunburned very quickly in Tasmania. Get a High protection sunscreen and use it.
As to some of the highlights, let's see, Bruny Island is lovely, the Tasman Peninsula around Port Arthur (make sure you camp at the Eaglehawk neck backpackers), Freycinet National Park (Coles Bay) is worth visiting -- make sure you climb Mt Amos for spectacular views. Maria Island is a must if you can handle dirt roads, as is the Bay of Fires in the North east. On the west coast (it's rugged and hilly, but very beautiful) I'd say Cradle Mountain, Nelson falls and Lake St Clair are the pick. People talk a lot about Strahan, I found it a little crowded and touristy for my liking, but stopping there for an extra day and taking a cruise on the Gordon river might be worth doing. Do NOT drink the town water at Queenstown!
I think the Giro route covers most of it. If you've got some extra time you could take some detours out onto the Strathgordon Road in the south west, or climb Jacob's Ladder near Launcestion. Whatever you do, make sure you allow enough time -- I'd recommend a month. There is a lot to see.
As to some of the highlights, let's see, Bruny Island is lovely, the Tasman Peninsula around Port Arthur (make sure you camp at the Eaglehawk neck backpackers), Freycinet National Park (Coles Bay) is worth visiting -- make sure you climb Mt Amos for spectacular views. Maria Island is a must if you can handle dirt roads, as is the Bay of Fires in the North east. On the west coast (it's rugged and hilly, but very beautiful) I'd say Cradle Mountain, Nelson falls and Lake St Clair are the pick. People talk a lot about Strahan, I found it a little crowded and touristy for my liking, but stopping there for an extra day and taking a cruise on the Gordon river might be worth doing. Do NOT drink the town water at Queenstown!
I think the Giro route covers most of it. If you've got some extra time you could take some detours out onto the Strathgordon Road in the south west, or climb Jacob's Ladder near Launcestion. Whatever you do, make sure you allow enough time -- I'd recommend a month. There is a lot to see.
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I liked Strahan, and I really enjoyed the Gordon River Cruise. I would recommend it.
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Tasmania Video
Hello,
Tim and I toured Tasmania last year and it was one of my favorite places in Australia. I loved the scenery and the wildlife. We were there in November and December and it was colder than I thought it would be so early February or March would be better just try to go after school holidays. We would ride a couple days and then spend a couple days hiking at a national park. Our favorites were Cradle Mountain, Lake St. Clair where we saw platypus in the wild, Mount Field near Hobart, Port Arthur is an interesting historic site, and I loved the penguins at Bicheno, I recommend you walk down to the blow hole rather than pay for the tour.
Here is a link to my journal and a link to a video Tim made about Tasmania
-
Cindie Travis
-
Tim and I toured Tasmania last year and it was one of my favorite places in Australia. I loved the scenery and the wildlife. We were there in November and December and it was colder than I thought it would be so early February or March would be better just try to go after school holidays. We would ride a couple days and then spend a couple days hiking at a national park. Our favorites were Cradle Mountain, Lake St. Clair where we saw platypus in the wild, Mount Field near Hobart, Port Arthur is an interesting historic site, and I loved the penguins at Bicheno, I recommend you walk down to the blow hole rather than pay for the tour.
Here is a link to my journal and a link to a video Tim made about Tasmania
-
Cindie Travis
-
Last edited by downtheroad.org; 10-29-07 at 12:49 AM.
#7
Senior Member
The Giro Tasmania site, while assembled quite some time ago, is an extremely useful resource and it is worth taking note of its suggested itinerary and list of equipment, particularly related to clothing and the changeability of weather (snow on the peak of Mt Wellington overlooking Hobart in December and January is not an unknown occurrence). February and March can be hot, and serious bushfires were invented in Tasmania. Of particular note, be prepared to spend on sunscreen of at least 30-plus and preferably 40-plus rating; and especially take care of your lips because summer sun is ferocious. You have been warned.
My favourite time for touring was actually March into April because the tourist season had started to wind down, the weather was milder, and the roads weren't so full of errant retired Holden and Falcon drivers from New South Wales and Queensland in particular, towing caravans trying to run me off the road because I might have been impeding their progress.
Free-camping is entirely possible just about everywhere if you use your wits. Indeed, in the Kingborough Municipality, south of Hobart, camping is permissible in reserves attached to all public conveniences. There are several delightful spots on the shores of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel where this is possible. There is a free-camp area on the south side of the isthmus on Bruny Island, and free-camping is permitted in all State forests with often better facilities available than the overrated and highly regulated national parks (a fact often overlooked in the green haste to demonise anything that smacks of forestry). In the Midlands, off the main highway, for example, you can camp on the shores of Lake Dulverton in Oatlands, or even right beside the road in some places such is the rarity of night-time traffic.
The hostels aren't too bad if you want to rest from camping, there are still caravan parks that welcome cyclists with reasonable tariffs (rather than $25 for an unpowered site for a single person), and sometimes pubs in small country towns can be handy places to investigate if nothing else if available.
Water can be problematic, particularly on the East Coast if drought conditions persist. So be prepared to buy water, although it's not really that expensive. You also will have to take note of a few things...
Be prepared for some decent climbing. The East Coast has a few beauties, as does the West Coast and the North-East corner. These are climbs reminiscent of the New England region in the US... long, fairly arduous, but they are very rewarding for the views from the top and the long descents on the other side.
Be prepared to be roasted if you tackle these climbs in hot weather. Make sure you are fully stocked with at least two water bottles whenever you leave a town and expect to start climbing -- leaving St Helens for Scottsdale, for example, or Queenstown for Derwent Bridge, or Cethana for Cradle Mountain. And slather on that sunscreen.
Take serious note of any bushfire warnings. Don't think you can light campfires willy-nilly; total fire bans really mean that. In fact, I am an anti-campfire person... if you want the solace of a flame, take a candle lantern. Fires are banned in many of the national parks. If you are in thickish smoke and strong winds, think seriously about turning around and returning to your last town to inquire as to the status of the inevitable fire.
Be prepared to throw your itinerary out the window, or to take buses to catch up. The reason is that you should stop and take in the scenery as much as possible, rather than make it a race around the island. Take lots of pictures. The scenery is stunning. The Hazards on the East Coast from the Tasman Highway south of Swansea, with a rich red sunset, are a sight to behold. The cool rainforests on the West Coast provide a contrast. And in between there is a lot more.
Plus, you will look at the maps and think to yourself: "Yeah, easy, do that in a day" when in fact it probably will take longer... much longer. People go to Tasmania for fly-drive holidays and end up exhausted at the end because of the twisty nature of the roads. A month will allow you to see quite a bit of the island, but not all that it has to offer. Probably best to plan a return trip in a couple of years time.
OH yes, if you plan to fly, take Virgin Blue. I am not normally one to enthusiastically recommend anything, but this has been an airline that is extremely helpful for cyclists, and if I remember correctly, your bike box rates at 6kg or booked luggage even though it might weigh 30kg. Plus there fares are ultra-competitive. Not bad for an airline owned over 60% by a road transport company.
There are plenty of tourist traps in Tasmania to take the money from your wallets (sadly Port Arthur has, in my estimation, become one of these), but if you are an adventurous type, you can find plenty to amuse yourself without spending a fortune.
I miss it.
My favourite time for touring was actually March into April because the tourist season had started to wind down, the weather was milder, and the roads weren't so full of errant retired Holden and Falcon drivers from New South Wales and Queensland in particular, towing caravans trying to run me off the road because I might have been impeding their progress.
Free-camping is entirely possible just about everywhere if you use your wits. Indeed, in the Kingborough Municipality, south of Hobart, camping is permissible in reserves attached to all public conveniences. There are several delightful spots on the shores of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel where this is possible. There is a free-camp area on the south side of the isthmus on Bruny Island, and free-camping is permitted in all State forests with often better facilities available than the overrated and highly regulated national parks (a fact often overlooked in the green haste to demonise anything that smacks of forestry). In the Midlands, off the main highway, for example, you can camp on the shores of Lake Dulverton in Oatlands, or even right beside the road in some places such is the rarity of night-time traffic.
The hostels aren't too bad if you want to rest from camping, there are still caravan parks that welcome cyclists with reasonable tariffs (rather than $25 for an unpowered site for a single person), and sometimes pubs in small country towns can be handy places to investigate if nothing else if available.
Water can be problematic, particularly on the East Coast if drought conditions persist. So be prepared to buy water, although it's not really that expensive. You also will have to take note of a few things...
Be prepared for some decent climbing. The East Coast has a few beauties, as does the West Coast and the North-East corner. These are climbs reminiscent of the New England region in the US... long, fairly arduous, but they are very rewarding for the views from the top and the long descents on the other side.
Be prepared to be roasted if you tackle these climbs in hot weather. Make sure you are fully stocked with at least two water bottles whenever you leave a town and expect to start climbing -- leaving St Helens for Scottsdale, for example, or Queenstown for Derwent Bridge, or Cethana for Cradle Mountain. And slather on that sunscreen.
Take serious note of any bushfire warnings. Don't think you can light campfires willy-nilly; total fire bans really mean that. In fact, I am an anti-campfire person... if you want the solace of a flame, take a candle lantern. Fires are banned in many of the national parks. If you are in thickish smoke and strong winds, think seriously about turning around and returning to your last town to inquire as to the status of the inevitable fire.
Be prepared to throw your itinerary out the window, or to take buses to catch up. The reason is that you should stop and take in the scenery as much as possible, rather than make it a race around the island. Take lots of pictures. The scenery is stunning. The Hazards on the East Coast from the Tasman Highway south of Swansea, with a rich red sunset, are a sight to behold. The cool rainforests on the West Coast provide a contrast. And in between there is a lot more.
Plus, you will look at the maps and think to yourself: "Yeah, easy, do that in a day" when in fact it probably will take longer... much longer. People go to Tasmania for fly-drive holidays and end up exhausted at the end because of the twisty nature of the roads. A month will allow you to see quite a bit of the island, but not all that it has to offer. Probably best to plan a return trip in a couple of years time.
OH yes, if you plan to fly, take Virgin Blue. I am not normally one to enthusiastically recommend anything, but this has been an airline that is extremely helpful for cyclists, and if I remember correctly, your bike box rates at 6kg or booked luggage even though it might weigh 30kg. Plus there fares are ultra-competitive. Not bad for an airline owned over 60% by a road transport company.
There are plenty of tourist traps in Tasmania to take the money from your wallets (sadly Port Arthur has, in my estimation, become one of these), but if you are an adventurous type, you can find plenty to amuse yourself without spending a fortune.
I miss it.
Last edited by Rowan; 10-29-07 at 04:15 AM.
#8
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Tasmania was easily my favorite part of Australia for touring. Great scenery and quiet roads. I biked to Cradle Mountain National Park, then over to the west coast, then up to the north. I also saw more wildlife in Tasmania than on the mainland, but alas, I didn't see any Tasmanian tigers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylacine). Somewhere in NW Tasmania, I passed a "wombat crossing" sign. 10 seconds later, a wombat crossed the road. I never saw another wombat or sign.
My accommodations were a mixture of hostels, backpackers, camping, & B&B.
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Rowan and I just finished a 3-week driving tour of Tasmania. I know this wasn't cycletouring (although we did have our bicycles with us) but we covered a lot of ground and took a lot of photos, so if any of you are thinking of a cycling tour, or cycling/bus tour, or whatever of Tasmania this coming summer ... the weather should be turning nice soon ... maybe some of what we experienced might inspire you.
I have finally finished posting all my Tasmanian Tour photos. There were a lot of them. Give me a camera and I'll run wild with the thing.
They are in three sets which I've put into my Australia collection ... Touristy Tasmania, 2009 Tasmanian Tour - Part I, and 2009 Tasmanian Tour - Part II.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/1430288...7602419256784/
We went across from Melbourne to Devonport on the Spirit of Tasmania. I'm not keen on ocean voyages, but the Spirit of Tasmania was really nice, and the trip both ways was fairly smooth. So we started the tour in the north-middle of Tasmania at Devonport and headed west to The Nut at Stanley, and to as close to Cape Grim (furthest NW point of Tasmania) as we could.
Then we made our way south along the coast to see the Edge of the World. And then down to Strahan, across east to Queenstown. In Queenstown we did the West Coast Railway tour, and that was great. I recommend stopping to do that ... and the Gordon River cruise in Strahan. Then we went to Hobart.
From Hobart we travelled south as far as we could go on a road, and stopped in at the Hastings Caves - another place I recommend, and of course had a look at the End of the World. Then it was back to Hobart.
The next leg of the journey took us to Bruny Island and back to Hobart - some great scenery over there. And then down to the Tasman Peninsula and back to Hobart - more great scenery. I especially recommend the Remarkable Cave.
And then we headed up the east coast to the Freycinet area, and further up to St. Helen's where we headed out to what might be the furthest east point of Tasmania. Then we travelled across to Launceston, and checked out West Head and Low Head from there (north of Launceston).
We had enough time to make our way over to Cradle Mountain, where it was very snowy. But just before Cradle Mountain we stopped at Liffey Falls, another place I'd recommend. At Cradle Mountain we saw the Tasmanian Devils in a reserve up there ... and I'd recommend stopping in there as well. Very informative.
Then we headed back up to Devonport to catch the ferry back to Melbourne.
If you're going to do a tour that takes in some of the things I mentioned, I recommend going with a mtn bike or at least wider tires on your touring bicycle. A number of the roads are gravel.
I have finally finished posting all my Tasmanian Tour photos. There were a lot of them. Give me a camera and I'll run wild with the thing.
They are in three sets which I've put into my Australia collection ... Touristy Tasmania, 2009 Tasmanian Tour - Part I, and 2009 Tasmanian Tour - Part II.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/1430288...7602419256784/
We went across from Melbourne to Devonport on the Spirit of Tasmania. I'm not keen on ocean voyages, but the Spirit of Tasmania was really nice, and the trip both ways was fairly smooth. So we started the tour in the north-middle of Tasmania at Devonport and headed west to The Nut at Stanley, and to as close to Cape Grim (furthest NW point of Tasmania) as we could.
Then we made our way south along the coast to see the Edge of the World. And then down to Strahan, across east to Queenstown. In Queenstown we did the West Coast Railway tour, and that was great. I recommend stopping to do that ... and the Gordon River cruise in Strahan. Then we went to Hobart.
From Hobart we travelled south as far as we could go on a road, and stopped in at the Hastings Caves - another place I recommend, and of course had a look at the End of the World. Then it was back to Hobart.
The next leg of the journey took us to Bruny Island and back to Hobart - some great scenery over there. And then down to the Tasman Peninsula and back to Hobart - more great scenery. I especially recommend the Remarkable Cave.
And then we headed up the east coast to the Freycinet area, and further up to St. Helen's where we headed out to what might be the furthest east point of Tasmania. Then we travelled across to Launceston, and checked out West Head and Low Head from there (north of Launceston).
We had enough time to make our way over to Cradle Mountain, where it was very snowy. But just before Cradle Mountain we stopped at Liffey Falls, another place I'd recommend. At Cradle Mountain we saw the Tasmanian Devils in a reserve up there ... and I'd recommend stopping in there as well. Very informative.
Then we headed back up to Devonport to catch the ferry back to Melbourne.
If you're going to do a tour that takes in some of the things I mentioned, I recommend going with a mtn bike or at least wider tires on your touring bicycle. A number of the roads are gravel.
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#10
bicycle tourist
I spent 8 months in Australia in 2001 including 4 weeks in Tasmania. Tasmania portion of my journal starts November 10th: https://www.mvermeulen.com/oneyear/Jo...november01.htm It is definitely an interesting place to ride.
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10 months in Australia with one month in Tasmania. After eight months of cycling, I had to get off my bike for the first time to push it up a hill. It was one of the most memorable parts of my trip. Just remember to bring some hiking shoes. The scenery is great from the road but doesn't come close to what you will see on foot. Freycinet, Maria Island, Cape Raul, and the Totem Pole/Monument.... I had heavy rain on the west side of the island so didn't see as much as I would have liked.
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We put a whole section together on Tasmania, including route notes and a camping for free/very cheap map:
https://travellingtwo.com/resources/australia/tasmania
It was definitely a highlight of our tour and I would go back in a flash. Quiet roads. Great camping and not too expensive on the whole. Beautiful scenery. Very oriented towards bike tourists (you can pick up a map all about bike touring for free at tourist bureaus). But, as some have already pointed out, the weather can be chilly or wet even in summer so go prepared with decent rain gear and a warm sweater.
https://travellingtwo.com/resources/australia/tasmania
It was definitely a highlight of our tour and I would go back in a flash. Quiet roads. Great camping and not too expensive on the whole. Beautiful scenery. Very oriented towards bike tourists (you can pick up a map all about bike touring for free at tourist bureaus). But, as some have already pointed out, the weather can be chilly or wet even in summer so go prepared with decent rain gear and a warm sweater.