22 March 2025

Over the years I have often overtaken heavily laden cyclists slogging up hills and wondering if their having fun, well, I have the answer, and it’s a resounding no! It’s all effort and pain!!!

Beauty Point to Latrobe, no way to avoid the hills. Fun freewheeling down them, but a laden bike quickly slows on the next hill….

Pushing a bike up a hill is equally not fun, but it gives the legs a rest, besides, it’s dangerous when you’re travelling so slow and wobbling into oncoming traffic.

Stopping every five kms for the last fifteen. Absolutely bushed, turns out my diversions to stay on bitumen turned out to be an 82km day.

Latrobe Campsite - Mersey River Caravan Park

After a bread and cheese tea, I’m in bed by 5:30pm, dreaming of a pack on my back and climbing in the mountains🤣🤣

21 March 2025

A blustery southerly slowed things down heading south. East Tamar highway a dangerous road with limited shoulders and fast moving trucks. I was very happy to turn off towards Batman Bridge to cross the Tamar😊

Batman Bridge, Northern Tasmania

Had a break at the bridge and not for the first time wished I was younger and fitter! Used to be easy to get fit for the mountain trips but something about getting on a bike stifled my enthusiasm. Am hoping by plugging away, day after day, fitness will come.

Decided to walk across the bridge on the footpath as the southerly was forcing me into traffic, but got halfway across and there’s a bloody concrete pole in the middle of the footpath!!! I had to lift the bike over a concrete barrier and face the traffic… the first truck that passed knocked me into the barrier (rush of wind) which was of a height to catch the rear pannier, suddenly the bloody things come off and lying on the road.

I’d had enough, got off my bike and slowed traffic down. Already dreaming of the empty roads on Flinders.

Two coffees and a peanut brownie in Beaconsfield, feeling much better😂

Lazy afternoon at Beauty Point, takeaways for tea in preparation for the Asbestos Range tomorrow.

Low Head Lighthouse

Happy chap on East Beach

Beauty Point Campsite

18th, 19th March 2025

Hard to say goodbye while questioning my motivation as we set sail from Lady Barron, but the plan’s in place and it’s all too late now. My bike’s lashed to a bulkhead and there are cars and agricultural machinery blocking my escape….

A pleasant passage through Franklin Sound before the westerly roll sets in beyond Cape Barren Island. Not enough to be uncomfortable, but enough to keep sleep at bay through the long night.

Arrived outside Bridport at 2am and waited outside for the tide to rise, with entrance achieved by 3. Alongside, I asked the skipper if I could stay on board until first light as it was pitch black outside, Captain and crew were very obliging and I disembarked with the faint light of dawn on the horizon. 

Kona Rove DL Loaded to go

The road to Georgetown, what a nightmare! So many truck and trailer units, forestry and gravel, and it was as if they were competing with each other to get as close to me as possible, while overtaking. Needless to say, there were a few choice words vented towards a deaf audience.

Coffee break after forty kms, why not? I was really tired and it worked, as I plugged over ‘the last hill’ before Georgetown. Another coffee after fifteen kms because there was a mobile caravan at a busy intersection. Should have taken a photo, but an old guy, well, a guy my age, turned up and proceeded to tell me his life story. I made my apologies and beat a hasty retreat.

East Beach camping is perfect for a couple of nights (easing into this trip!). Lovely couple running it, though they’ve just sold up, probably why they are so happy. They’re about to take off on a five year holiday around Australia, in a luxury caravan, lucky sods!

A shower and relaxation to follow.

20th March 2025

Excellent sleep other than the 3am prostate call, oh, and a deflated air bed… tested it before I left home to… Sod’s law.

No internet here, 21st century and all that. Didn’t think that would happen till after Adelaide.

Cycled into Georgetown and found a café open. Coffee and eggs, very basic but there is internet.

Rain today, will review Bulldust with a view to start writing again after all, it’s the reason for this trip.