The trip between Melbourne and Devonport took place at night
because the special deal was not available for daytrips. There is a choice
of seats on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry which greatly vary in price but the
security card protected Ocean View Recliners served sufficiently as make
shift beds on this 11 hour journey. There is much to do onboard the 194.3 m
ferry as it cruises at a comfortable 27 knots. Some of the facilities
include a self-serve dining area, a more elegant restaurant, gaming rooms,
movie room, numerous bars, lounges with TV's, a gift shop and of course
outdoor deck areas. To add to the experience of more than your average
ferry, Spirit of Tasmania also houses two lifts and a mirror lined
escalator.
Tug boat, which helped pull the ferry out of South Melbourne
port, battles the 3 m swells as it trails behind us.
Spirit of Tasmania ferry (number 1 on the left as I arrived
in Devonport, and number 2 on the right when I departed - there is virtually
no difference between the two boats).
Views of Tasmanian country side are among the most memorable ones
for me. These two pictures were taken off the Bass Highway about 20 km from
Devonport. They reflect 99% of the scenery along the whole highway.
One of the best decisions I made on this trip was to take my
bicycle along with me. The ride was not only enjoyable because of the
scenery and [rare] good weather but because it brought me a lot closer to
the environment than what I would have experienced in a car. There were
however odd moments of shear terror as young
bulls grazing on pastures stalked me with their eyes. The best
thing to do in these situations is to stay calm, keep looking forward and
pedal for your life. A post and wire fence will do little to protect you
from a charging bull.
My bike is Giant Rincon '08. It's an excellent mountain bike that goes great on and off road. However because it's not a light road bike designed for smooth and fast rides, it was a bit difficult to ride on the rough gravel on the side of the road where cars haven't compacted the surface. Having said that, it was well suited for this ride because a road bike with thin tyres would not have been able to handle jagged lose stones, fragments of shattered glass and occasional dirt. Another advantage of a heavy bike is that it will not be greatly affected by the wake caused by large vehicles zooming past you at 110 km/h.
Bass highway is flat for the most part but at others it generally slopes upwards from Devonport to Deloraine and downwards from Deloraine to Launceston. In fact the second leg of the journey required a lot less effort than the first.
The whole 100 km journey can be easily completed on a bike in
one day but the experience wouldn't be the same. You would miss out on being
able to stop for crossing lizards, taste some of Tasmania's best and most
famous cheeses at the Ashgrove Cheese farm or enjoy the scenic views of
Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Cafe's garden as you sample their delicious
and mouth watering raspberry creations.
On arrival to Deloraine I was immediately confronted with
Tasmania's famous Great Western Tiers seen here in the background. Various
tours can be organised in Deloraine to visit this area.
Meander river in Deloraine.
More of Tasmania's countryside between Deloraine and
Launceston.
South Esk river.
Tamar river in Launceston.
Queen Victoria museum and art gallery Inveresk branch.
The museum houses a range of various artefacts. An interesting
item I found was a Cheetah IX, 7 cylinder, air cooled radial engine which powered
an Avro Anson aircraft (pictured on the far right). At the entrance of the
museum you may also notice two historic aircraft (1909 Bleriot XI replica
and 1930 Desoutter Mk.II) sitting in the museum's hangar which are no longer
accessible to public due to health and safety issues.
Drinkers of Launceston's own James Boag's beer may recognise
the Cataract Gorge Reserve view from Kings Bridge (left) proudly displayed
on the brewery's premium beer label. Walking tracks on either side of the
gorge lead to the First Basin where there is a free swimming pool, picnic
grounds and even a restaurant.
Alexandra suspension bridge which connects the two basalt
cliffs across the First Basin is a slightly daunting passage which is best
steered away from in windy conditions. However if you can handle the
rippling effect caused by your footsteps you will be rewarded with
spectacular bird's eye views of the gorge (right).
Mersey river in Devonport.
Western Breakwater point and the view of Bass Straight from
Devonport - a great fishing spot!
Tasmania is famous for its fishing spots and an abundance of
quality fish. I used ordinary shrimp from a supermarket as bait to catch one
very decent Australian salmon (left) and over half a dozen Wrasse (right).
View of the Back Beach at the Bluff. This is a traditional
Aboriginal men's ceremonial area which is also home to Tiagarra – Aboriginal
culture centre and museum. The museum houses a collection of around 250
indigenous rock engravings dating back 10 000 years! A special
web page has been dedicated to these rock engravings. The area is also
peppered with a number of lighthouses.
View of Devonport as the ferry sailed out of the port.
Early morning sunrise over Port Phillip Bay.
Melbourne skyline as photographed from the Spirit of Tasmania.
