Stanley..North West Tassie
I was itching to get on the road in Tassie but the weather wasn’t being very friendly, I’d picked up a bug in the hostel in Melbourne that had settled in my chest and I was having trouble shaking it off. My immune system struggles in good conditions, due to years of abusing the liver, which as we all know is evil and must be punished. The cold wet weather was making it even harder for me to get over it. I was here though and I came here to ride the bike, my first trip a couple of days after arriving was along the north coast. It was 18 degrees but the sun was peeping through the clouds occasionally, so I gave it a go, after about 50kl I’d have to stop and thaw out but it was only a 400kl round trip. I was immediately taken back to my youth in the Northumberland countryside, riding the Lambretta when I was a Mod, before turning into a hippie. The green rolling hills, the temperature, the cloudy sky and roads Ah! The roads. Fantastic long winding roads with very little traffic to get in the way, these roads were made for the guy… or gal… on the bike. I got a little wet that day and I was coughing and barking at the end of it but a couple of Kilkenny’s later, it didn’t seem to matter. After Devenport and the north coast, it was time to head south to Hobart, I decided on the direct route, as I really wasn’t feeling that good and I would be able to come back up the east coast, so got on the highway which was more like a country road anyway,compared to anywhere else. More beautiful country but still cold and wet, I pulled into a small town off the highway and went into the bakery to thaw out, took my boots off and hung my wet socks over the open fire without any objection from the proprietor, in fact she looked over smiled and nodded her head in approval. Tasmaniac’s are wonderful folk. On the way out a young fella saw I had a spare helmet hanging on the back of the bike and wondered if I would like to sell it as he was picking up his first bike the next day and needed a helmet. I was in a good mood now with my dry feet and feeling cosy. $20 dollars and it’s yours, he was over the moon and I was almost in Hobart.
I am….THE LONESOME TRAVELLER….travelling east….BE HAPPY!