Triabunna to Swansea: by the sea...

October 28, 2009

The plan for today is to attempt to reach Coles Bay. To achieve this in a day requires the services of a Swanwick boatman to ferry me and my bike across the Swan River, saving an extra 65 km ride around Moulting Lagoon. It's not sure that the service is operating, if otherwise I would have to stop at Swansea.

The forecast today was for clearing showers, but that was the Hobart forecast and I thought the east coast would probably remain fine.

Looking up through the caravan window this morning, the sky was cloudy and the trees were bending in the breeze. I felt stiff and sore from the previous days exertions, and briefly considered having an early lay day. But on checking the weather forecast I could see the that the wind was from the south west, which would be in my favour, so I packed up and after a bowl of oats and a cup of tea, then a second breakfast at the bakery, I set off about 9:30 am.

The route lay through a rolling landscape with no serious challenges, so with the aid of the wind I was soon rolling easily through grazing land at first, then forest, and later, stunning coastal scenery. As I rode, every stream I passed echoed with the chirp of frogs, and at other times my ears were filled with the alarmed bleating of baby lambs as I startled them by the roadside. The countryside was fresh and green - a wet winter has really rejuvenated the landscape.

I had bought a salad roll at the bakery to make sure I didn't have a repeat of the hunger flat from yesterday, and I stopped briefly to eat at Mayfield, a lovely seaside camping area, then continued on to Swansea, where I diverted to Kate's Berry Farm for coffee and scones.

At Swansea I discovered that the ferry service was not operating, so I called it a day at the Swansea Backpackers Lodge, at the Bark Mill on the northern outskirts of town. It's not busy here this early in the season, so I have a dorm to myself with room for my bike. Manager Sharon is a Trans-Australian cyclist herself, and welcomed me warmly. We spent a few happy hours chatting about computers and bikes and bits and routes and future plans, as cycle tourists are wont to do when they gather.