Taking the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to Devonport

Tasmania 2023, Day 0

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After more than a year of looking forward to, planning, stressing and organising, we’re finally on our way to sunny Tasmania!

Of course, we haven’t quite made it to Tassie yet. First we have needed to take the train to Geelong from Ballarat via Melbourne, and we’ve spent the bulk of the middle part of the day today doing that. We left this morning at 11:00 from Ballarat. Danielle was still packing at 10:45 so her bike was a little wobbly and off-balance. Mine is HEAVY but well-balanced.

Our bikes at Ballarat Train Station, waiting for the train to Melbourne.

Our bikes at Ballarat Train Station, waiting for the train to Melbourne.

The train was delayed due to a track fault but we made it. Danielle went shopping in Geelong for some last-minute Christmas gifts and I wrapped up some last-minute work tasks, then joined Danielle at Westfield. We went to Lou’s Pizza for a yummy wood-fired pizza and local beers. Danielle has the Hawkers Pale Ale and a supreme pizza sans the pineapple; I had a mushroom and salami pizza and a Lou’s Lager. Both were delicious!

We’re here now in the Best Western Geelong Motor Inn. Checking in was a bit nerve-wracking for an instant when the receptionist took one look at our bikes and complained: “I’m really not keen on those bikes being in the rooms!” We assured her that there wouldn’t be a skerrick of dirt or marks of any kind, that the tyres were clean and we even have an old blanket for protecting the carpet and furniture. We’re hoping we won’t have to deal with frivolous cleaning or “damage” bills later. We took photos of the areas around our bikes in case we find ourselves in a dispute.

Tomorrow morning we’ll head out to the ferry terminal in North Geelong, bright and early at 06:00! We’re hoping the ferry is kinder to our bikes.

Friday 8 December 09:10

We’re on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry. Checking in and boarding was simple enough. Disregard the “No bikes in the terminal” signage, as we were encouraged to remain with and bring our bikes as we moved through security and onto the boat. We checked our little Jetboil gas canister, but besides that everything else was hunky dory and we were waved through.

The area for stowage of the bikes onboard was just next to the gangway post at the stern. We strapped our bikes as best we could to the grate and hoped for the best. We brought an old shitty blanket with us for protecting the bikes, but they should be alright as I packed lots of straps for the purpose. I didn’t get a photo but It was raining and we were in a bit of a rush with other cyclists waiting for us so I didn’t manage it. to which any future two-wheeled travellers who follow us may refer.

Danielle resting aboard the Spirit of Tasmania.

Danielle resting aboard the Spirit of Tasmania.

We’ve grabbed ourselves a nice little post next to the windows on Deck 7 and we’re settling in for the crossing. I’m looking forward to going out on the outdoor deck amidships after lunch for a nice little smoke of my pipe!

17:05

We are still on the Spirit of Tasmania about 2 hours out of Devonport. It’s been a pretty smooth crossing of Bass Strait. I’ve had my pipe and a chat to an Exeter local named Tristan, a chippie with some advice on roads to take, had some beers and lunch, and altogether it’s been a pleasant journey. With the fair weather and smooth sailing I’m sure the bikes are OK.

21:10

We arrived in Devonport just after 19:00. Our bikes were fine — and they had company! Another Surly, a Karate Monkey in bright green, and a green Trek tourer were next to ours and loaded for bikepacking. They belonged to a German couple on their way to Cradle Mountain.

We collected our gas bottles from the LPG area and stopped by the IGA for some mi goreng noodle cups and some eggs.

We’re all set up in our cabin now with our bags off the bikes, which are locked up on the front porch with a fishing bell attached to the brake cable housing to alert Danielle to any late-night shenanigans. We’ve FaceTime’d Anneliese, had our dinner, repacked and redistributed pannier loads and now we’re retiring to bed. We’ve a big day tomorrow!

Our bikes at Ballarat Train Station, waiting for the train to Melbourne.

Our bikes at Ballarat Train Station, waiting for the train to Melbourne.

Danielle standing with our bikes in front of our house in Ballarat, ready to depart on our tour.

Danielle standing with our bikes in front of our house in Ballarat, ready to depart on our tour.

Danielle resting aboard the Spirit of Tasmania.

Danielle resting aboard the Spirit of Tasmania.

Follow the journey

  • Plan
    Planning our tour of the Apple Isle — and doing it this time!
    So we started planning this trip a few years ago, and unfortunately events at home (and not just the pandemic!) have transpired to keep us off our bikes for the most part, with a few exceptions such as my Great Ocean Road trip, but I had to do that one solo. In that time I’ve started a new job, Danielle bought a beautiful custom Velo Orange Pass Hunter gravel/touring bike and importantly, my children have continued to mature to the point I can now leave them for a few weeks to go a‑touring!
  • Day 0
    Taking the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to Devonport
    After more than a year of looking forward to, planning, stressing and organising, we’re finally on our way to sunny Tasmania! Of course, we haven’t quite made it to Tassie yet.
  • Day 1
    Poppies and hills to Gravelly Beach
    Our first-ever day of touring as a couple was, I fear, a bit of an eye-opener for Danielle! Not in terms of adventure, of course, as Danielle is a seasoned traveller who has roamed every corner of the world, but in terms of the physical demands of heavily loaded touring bikes.
  • Day 2
    Vineyards on the river, a family maritime history and... penguins!
    This morning was a lovely one as we packed up our gear, and rode around to the Paperbark Café, not far from the park we’d stayed the night in. The café was new, and the breakfast — “mushroom huddle” with bacon for me; smashed avocado with Tasmanian salmon for Danielle — was delightfully delicious. And cheap! $18 without the extras in this economy!
  • Day 3
    He cuts down trees, he skips and jumps, he likes to mow down cyclists...
    We slept well last night. Maybe a little too well. We didn’t get packed up and off until late and we rolled into George Town at about 09:30. We visited the post office and mailed ahead 3.9kg of extras to reduce weight from our packs. We stopped at a café and I bought a coffee and found a free copy of Deliverance.
  • Day 4
    Cherries
    We set off too late again this morning from Bridport and as a result rode in the peak of the heat. We only did 20 kilometres to Scottsdale but there were lots of hills, trucks and no shade nor shoulder. Scottsdale itself is atop a big hill. We rested, however temporarily, at a cemetery on the outskirts where a nice little park bench under a tree provided us shade. It was lovely.
  • Day 5
    The North East Tasmanian Rail Trail
    Today was a lovely day. We got up before sunrise (05:00) and were on the path to the North East Tasmanian Rail Trail before the sun came up. Compared to everything we’d ridden to date, and standing alone, it was a delightful leisurely roll through rainforest, farms, granite cuttings with overgrown ferns, old growth forest and logging areas and little makeshift station memorials where we had coffee and a breather.
  • Day 6
    Hitching a ride to the Bay of Fires
    We woke up this morning at The Dorset Hotel, and had our breakfast in the little dining room downstairs, packed our bags and bikes, and wheeled them across to the road to Bark Off Bikes. We took our fenders off in the rain then boarded the bus.
  • Day 7
    On our way to Biche—oh no!
    Today was… well… let’s start at the beginning, shall we? We awoke after spending a beautiful night under the clearest skies, to a gorgeous sunrise on the Bay of Fires. As we packed our tent, the sun poked up with beams of light streaming through the clouds and spread across the bay, and it was marvellous!
  • Day 8
    Bumming a lift
    We started the morning with a nice brunch at Sco. & Co. and The Lifebuoy Café in St. Helens, as we we had arranged a rendezvous with Steve at 11. I had a mushroom bruschetta with bacon and Danielle had the green eggs and haloumi. It was delicious and both dishes featured a really nice basil pesto. We finished breaking our fast and rode back to the park opposite the hotel to take off our fenders and await Steve.
  • Day 9
    On the road again...
    We left the holiday park in Bicheno this morning nice and early, about 07:00, and stopped at the Blue Edge Bakery for a quick start coffee before heading south. The hills were very flat and rolling along was easy enough.
  • Day 10
    Freycinet Lodge and Wineglass Bay
    A red letter day. We awoke naturally to the sunlight streaming over The Hazards and into our cabin as we nursed our hangovers from the wine and beer consumed last night. We dragged ourselves off to a breakfast of smoked salmon benedict for Danielle, and a Freycinet “Big Brekky” for myself, with two double espressos. We returned to our room for an in-room couples massage…
  • Day 11
    The end of the cycling portion of our cycling tour
    Well, fuck. We awoke late and had a nice breakfast, then packed up, checked out and headed off. At first we made good time.
  • Epilogue: Conquering the Mountain!
    I’ve had such an awesome tour this year around Tasmania, but I have to admit to some small disappointments and setbacks. So when I set out this morning at 05:45 to conquer kunanyi, the 1,270m high mountain overlooking Hobart, I was very dubious about my chances of making it successfully to the summit.
  • Epilogue: Kingston Beach
    Danielle’s parents live in Sandy Bay, and her aunt Jan lives in Kingston Beach. The Channel Highway connects the two seaside suburbs of Hobart and lucky for us, it’s a favourite route for local cyclists, and for very good reason.

Copyright mmxxiv Ryan Moore. All rights reserved unless otherwise specified.