Karen and Rich thanks for your interest in the ride and the journal. It’s been a fund cycle tour.

Graham, thanks so much for taking us along with you. I enjoyed the journal - love seeing places that I’ll probably never visit myself. Congratulations on a great voyage for a great cause!

Well done! And, most importantly: Thank you! :)

Thanks Marco. I’m glad you enjoyed the journey.

Thanks for the journal and the experience - I enjoyed the journey with you!

Mike that’s interesting. We have a shared experience in introducing cycle touring to younger people.

In the 1980s I was a (young) teacher.
With a few like minded colleagues, we set up an Introduction to Cycle Touring end of school year activity. Over 10, years we took hundreds of secondary kids on week long, supported cycle-camping tours. NE Vic, and the Bega Valley area were the areas we used.

Those students are now in their 50s and 60s! I know for sure that some of them did take up cycle travel because of those school trips.

Hi Graham,
Way back last century, mid nineteen nineties there were a number of Associate/Franchised Youth Hostels in Tassie, some very basic. I was a Venturer Scout Leader at the time and I facilitated a cycle tour there for about eight teenagers staying at these hostels. After thirty years all I can recall is that we spent the first night in Deloraine after disembarking from the ferry. Hope some of them take up touring when they retire!

Mike they mentioned using a BnB as a base. Good strategy to return to touring after a long break.

As it turned out, we carried camping gear/stove etc all the way from Canberra but didn’t need to use it.

Nice credit card touring loads.

Tasmania does have a special feel about it. Sort of like New Zealand but distinctively different. Cycle tourers like us are rare nowadays. Most riders are here to gravel bike or to mountain bike. Google a place called Derby in Tasmania. It’s become a cycling Mecca.

Because I’m doing a capital to capital fundraising ride, I’m not doing much sightseeing.

Tassie deserves more time than I’m giving it this ride. We’ll pretty much cross the island north to south in only three days. Too rushed but that’s all the time I have this tour.

That few minutes of sunset was exceptional. Many people left their dinner tables to go outside to photograph it. Rain? Not much. Small amount of drizzle this morning. Far less than forecast.

Scott we were told that there’s a new ferry but there was a classic bureaucratic stuff up. They didn’t measure if it would fit the Devonport wharf facilities. So it’s awaiting construction to be completed.

Still the same vessel! https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/melbourne2006/tasmania/#57054_txwkn1nv9idubvjhlqhczu67710

Thanks for the reminder. I need to go back and add some words while some still come to mind. I could at least toss in a few captions.

Woah. That’s astonishing. Rachael stayed there almost 20 years ago, biking up the east coast from Hobart back to catch the ferry back to Melbourne on Xmas Day. We’ve talked for years about going to Tasmania again, and here’s this is a big nudge.

That's one of the most beautiful skies I've ever seen, and I didn't even see it like you got to see it. Did the clouds drop rain on you?