Day 33 19th June Melbourne to Tasmania
Shirl and I are up early doing our regular podcast with our international friends on Adventure Rider Radio RAW. It has been rated the best podcast world wide for motorcycling. But 0530 is bloody early. As the boys get up and have breakfast around us they try to keep the noise down. It’s great to have fellow travellers around but there’s a few things that need to be done. Luke wants to have his back brake looked at. It’s really soft and spongy. Also he needs new gloves to replace the ones he lost. Huddo lent him his spare gloves and is riding in typical Harley fingerless gloves. A bit cold for that as they roll out for Melbourne.
It’s our first big frost for the year and there’s black ice on the Calder highway. Take care boys.
I wait for my eldest son Stephen to arrive around lunch time and we head off in better weather direct to the Victoria Police Centre. There we meet up with Superintendent John Foster, who is on the Victorian Wall2wall committee and who is coming to Tasmania with us. Then the others arrive. My youngest son Gavan arrives on his Triumph as well (both boys have Triumphs).
We have a great chat with CCP Graham Ashton , who is a big supporter of what we are doing and hopes to come along again albeit in a car.
After our meeting with Graham, it’s a top of fuel and down to the Ferry terminal. We board, find our cabins. I’m sharing with my two boys- who are not looking forward to my snoring.
I get a message from an old friend from my days at Mildura before I joined the Police. Terry (Moose) McGowan and his wife Sandra are also on the ferry with their Harley Davidson sidecar. Moose is a very good artist and in high demand in the Sunraysia District. He’s also on motorcycle road safety .forums. He’s been involved in motorbikes for as long as I have. His son raced speedway over in Europe for over a decade. We talk ab out old times.
As we leave the heads of Port Phillip bay, the ship gets a roll up… time for bed. We’re right up near the bow.
Day 34 20th June Davenport to Hobart.
The early morning wake up call is 0545 via the ships PA. How can the girl be so pleasant at this time of day. We’re actually berthed at the dock. A quick shower. Some grumbles about my snoring from the boys. And we’re geared up.
Down to deck 5 and into the car/motorcycle holding area. I can feel the bite in the air. We finally roll out into the dark morning gloom and get hit with an icy chill. The bike’s gauges are reading minus 5.
Gavin Cahion and Drummy are there to greet us with a couple of other Tassie riders. There’s also two marked police bikes. Wow. Once we’re all together we head off down the highway for about 25km to a nice place for breakfast. It’s bloody freezing. Minus 3 stays on the gauges, the ice warning light is going crazy. We park up and splash out on big breakfasts. After thawing out we go outside and there’s ice settled on the bikes. No worries, there’s a couple more marked police bikes here too to help get us to Hobart safely and show the flag in the Northern part of Tassie. We’re led through back roads past pretty little towns, paddocks with cows and sheep trying to warm up just like us. It’s beautiful as the sun comes up on the frosty ground. The heated handgrips are on and I’m not too cold really with all the good riding gear.
We pull up about 50km back on the main highway for a coffee and there’s more Tassie boys there to meet us including Pat Howard from the Union and others. We have a very pleasant ride through to Truingain where we go down to the little fish shop on the jetty. It’s a great spot on the East coast.
Some of the Tassie boys leave us here but the ride down the highway to the Richmond turnoff is great. Into Richmond and then to the Hotel. Where John Laird presents Huddo with a wooden baton from Vitoria. Huddo is rapt. He’s done a great job carrying the batons all the way round.
The last little ride into Hobart is 2ithout incident but it’s a beautiful view riding across the Derwent river. We have to ride right through Hobart to get to our air B&B which is on a steep hill overlooking Sandy Bay. There’s a bit of angst getting the bikes up the steep driveway and into the double garage but the views are spectacular. Georg and Spike went ahead of the main group and Georg has grabbed the main bedroom and ensuite but there’s plenty of beds to go around (except one. John Foster put’s his hand up to take the couch.
We catch Ubers the Oceans Child Hotel that Gav and Tracy Cahion run. We have a great feed of Parmas with the Tassie mob and share a lot of laughs. Gavin Cashion has put in a power of work for the wall2w2all ride and Police Legacy in Tasmania. His efforts will have a positive impact for years. Well done mate.
Some of us retire – others go out and party hard in Hobart.