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11th march
Yes today is a rest day. In some cases it was a chance to see some of the sights they had missed on the previous stop over, other took the opportunity to rest a weary back and other time to carry out running repairs. Kieth had a problem with the carburation on his BMW which he tried to sort out but in the end had to resort to an alternate ignition system. I spent and hour repairing my center stand which was threatening to fall off. Come lunch time we took a drive to the auto shop for part and a burger for lunch. By 3 o’clock Keith’s bike was back on the road so we hit the road. We head towards Port Arthur. We stopped at Sorell to use an ATM then continued on for about 20 K then thought no there isn’t enough time to go further so we headed back the way we had come. When we went through Sorell we forgot to turn left so we continued up the road and turned left for Richmond. Once in Richmond it was time for an ice cream and head for home.

The day ended with a lovely meal in the motel washed down with cider.

10th March
Well the brew was quiet good managed to down a few Porters with my meal. We booked the meal here before we left Perth and the restaurant was set up with 3 tables and place cards. Once seated for dinner we realized that one couple was missing. The buzz went around the tables and checking with staff we found that they checked in. Another couple had also sighted them on the beach. The meal was delayed a short while to allow them to show up but they didn’t. Calls to their mobile were unsuccessful. The meals were served along with theirs. Someone went off to check their room but they were not there but their bike was. We figured they may have caught a taxi into town as they have been doing their own thing on many occasions. If they didn’t show up in the morning we’d sent out the cavalry. Next morning they appeared all bright and bushy tailed unaware of the concern. If appears they had dinner with another couple in their chalet forgetting they had already booked a meal.
On the road again an the sky is relatively free of cloud but there is a slight chill in the air. We traveled mostly on the A3 Tasman Highway today. The road if quite good and bendy rather than twisty. We head for Bicheno for an early morning tea and the motorcycle museum. I stop at the Blue Edge Bakery for a coffee. The presentation is this shop was fantastic as was the service. The coffee and egg ‘n’ bacon roll was second to none, if you are passing drop in (here ends the unpaid advertorial). I didn’t stop for the museum but continued on my merry way.
The road runs along beside the sea and you can see various islands. At one point there is a beach called Spiky and on the right is Spiky Bridge.
“Spiky bridge is part of an old convict built road which connected Swansea with Little Swanport and the east coast road to Hobart.”
“The reason why ‘spikes’ were incorporated in the design remains elusive, however. Did they serve a structural purpose such as strengthening the lime mortar capping, were they to prevent cattle straying off the edge, or were they just a folly of Lafarelle’s? [Bridge Builder]“

The route was to take us back to the Riverfront Motel at Glenorchy via Richmond. Since I had been through there on Sunday I decided to head straight on to Hobart and find a motorcycle shop and buy some winter gloves.

9th March
Today we are off to the east coast. The morning sky looks a bit ominous but we’ll give it a go. So far it isn’t raining but navigating out of Launceston provides a few surprises for a few. As soonas we leave the city we are back into the windy Tasman Highway, this will take us almost to our destination. The clouds are treating with the odd glimpse of the sun. The roads are wet from overnight rain and are quite slippery in places with leaves or gravel mixed in. The road continues to live up to expectation and we stop at a lookout looking down to a green valley and Scottsdale. It was time to take a photo and warm the hands.

In Scottsdale I fueled up at an attended servo. The attendant started to fill my tank then let the nozzel escape from the filling hole and cover my tank and seat with fuel. He was good in that he did splash some water over the tank after he had finish and before it ignited. Time for a prize winning pie at the local bakery.
On to St Helens and the road doesn’t vary, its still twisty and fantastic. They are bikes of all sorts are out on the road.
Lunch was a salad roll then back on the road for a further 20 odd Ks to our overnight accommodation at White Sands Resort. This is right on the beach with chalets restaurant and it’s own micro brewery “Iron Horse”. Haven’t tried the brew yet but I’ll let you know tomorrow.

8th March
Look out window. Looks like water covering the carpark, gaze across to the bike, definitely beads of water on it, look skywards, big black fluffy things low in the sky. I think that means it has rained and will continue to rain. Today we head for Launceston, not straight up the main highway thats to easy. We have to use the back roads you know the ones with the bumps and the twisty bits still in them. We set off in a light sprinkle, not bad really. We go through Bagdad still just a sprinkle and make it to Bothwell for fuel and morning tea. Get a pie and wander into the rear of the shop and there is a full blown gun shop for all your clothing, guns and ammunition and anything else you require in the bush. Shades of Dueling Banjos. The first real hint of things to come came when a group of bikers came in from the way we headed. They were wringing out their gloves before refueling.
I decided to take-off by my self. I got a couple of K’s out of town and the sun burst through the clouds. This we just to tempt me further. On I went across St. Patrick’s Plains and the rain got heavier. By the time I got to the Poatina turnoff in was persisting. The road to Poatina is steep and very twisty and bad enough in good weather but by now the fog had come in as well. By the time I made it to Longford for lunch I was wet through from waist down. My gloves were saturated and the dye staining my hand blue or was that from the cold. After lunch it was the final leg into Launceston and this was dry. We booked in to the caravan park and got out of our wet gear into shorts and tee shirts and the sun had came out.

The beautiful afternoon weather allowed us to do some sightseeing including the City Park and the Cataract Gorge