5 - 11 March 2018
Tasmanian Motorcycle Tour
Day 4 ~ Thursday - March 8
Hobart - Queenstown ~ 260kms
Hobart - Queenstown ~ 260kms
Everyone was on time for breakfast and ready to leave by 8.00am. The day was overcast with a heavy cloud cover, but fortunately it was only a slight drizzle, so no need to put on the full wet weather gear.
We had decided on a ride to the top of Mount Wellington before heading for Derwent River then onto to Queenstown. The ride to the top of Mount Wellington for the first half of the journey was through residential areas, with numerous signs indicating concealed driveways. The ride was in the drizzle and mist of the clouds covering Hobart. As we continued to climb the region became more bushland and the guideposts, road markings and signs all indicated that we were heading into the areas of Mount Wellington that often had snow. No snow for us just a continuation of great tight corners. Towards the top of Mount Wellington we rode into bright sunlight and a spectacular view over the top of the clouds covering Hobart.
It was like looking from a plane window at the cloud cover as you climb to cruising altitude but we were still standing on ‘terra firma’ - amazing views and to top it off very few tourists, just a couple of Asian ladies ‘singing’ to the sun! We left the bikes for a few minutes and did some rock climbing to the summit of Mount Wellington, taking the time to take some amazing photos.
Back on the bikes it was time to descend into the mist and drizzle, get petrol, navigate our way out of Hobart and begin the ride to Queenstown. Thankfully as we found our way out of Hobart and began to climb into the wilderness area of the Franklin-Gordon National Park the sun welcomed us and stayed with us for the rest of the day.
Our morning tea stop had been planned for the small settlement of ‘Plenty’ - unfortunately the town name is definitely a ‘misnomer’ as there was nothing really there! Fortunately we had just passed the Salmon Ponds and the Museum of Trout Fishing which advertised a cafe. We back-tracked the 2 kilometres and enjoyed a great morning coffee, brewed tea, pancakes and orange cake. The roads so far had been open and sweeping as they followed the River Derwent through farming land.
As we continued towards our next stop at Derwent Bridge the terrain changed with the area more timbered and undulating. It was also an area renowned for its trout fishing, with signs to a number of lakes flashing passed and more cars encountered towing boats or adorned with fishing tackle.
This part of Tasmania is also the area where a lot of the island’s hydro electricity is produced. We passed a number of large pipes climbing and descending the slopes as we rode through the area and had to navigate a very steep and sharp corner before crossing the bridge on the Nive River at the Tarraleah Power Station and repeating the cornering process on the other side.
Just before Derwent Bridge we passed The Wall in the Wilderness sign, a tourist destination for another time as to appreciate what has been lovingly carved takes a few hours, time unfortunately we didn’t have. Mark as a future place to visit. Derwent Bridge was our stop for lunch and a chance to shed the warm jackets and apply some more sunscreen as the temperature had climbed into the high 20’s. It had turned into a beautiful, warm, sunny day, decidedly different to how it had started!
For further information on The Wall in the Wilderness have a look at this link: http://thewalltasmania.com.au
We were all hungry so the ‘fare’ available at the Hungry Wombat Cafe was going to be eaten even if it wasn’t exactly what would have been considered at other times. The fact that it was the only place left open to eat at this time of the day in Derwent Bridge made it even more palatable! Then again for ‘wombat’ food it wasn’t too bad.
Back on the bikes it was time to descend into the mist and drizzle, get petrol, navigate our way out of Hobart and begin the ride to Queenstown. Thankfully as we found our way out of Hobart and began to climb into the wilderness area of the Franklin-Gordon National Park the sun welcomed us and stayed with us for the rest of the day.
Our morning tea stop had been planned for the small settlement of ‘Plenty’ - unfortunately the town name is definitely a ‘misnomer’ as there was nothing really there! Fortunately we had just passed the Salmon Ponds and the Museum of Trout Fishing which advertised a cafe. We back-tracked the 2 kilometres and enjoyed a great morning coffee, brewed tea, pancakes and orange cake. The roads so far had been open and sweeping as they followed the River Derwent through farming land.
As we continued towards our next stop at Derwent Bridge the terrain changed with the area more timbered and undulating. It was also an area renowned for its trout fishing, with signs to a number of lakes flashing passed and more cars encountered towing boats or adorned with fishing tackle.
This part of Tasmania is also the area where a lot of the island’s hydro electricity is produced. We passed a number of large pipes climbing and descending the slopes as we rode through the area and had to navigate a very steep and sharp corner before crossing the bridge on the Nive River at the Tarraleah Power Station and repeating the cornering process on the other side.
Just before Derwent Bridge we passed The Wall in the Wilderness sign, a tourist destination for another time as to appreciate what has been lovingly carved takes a few hours, time unfortunately we didn’t have. Mark as a future place to visit. Derwent Bridge was our stop for lunch and a chance to shed the warm jackets and apply some more sunscreen as the temperature had climbed into the high 20’s. It had turned into a beautiful, warm, sunny day, decidedly different to how it had started!
For further information on The Wall in the Wilderness have a look at this link: http://thewalltasmania.com.au
We were all hungry so the ‘fare’ available at the Hungry Wombat Cafe was going to be eaten even if it wasn’t exactly what would have been considered at other times. The fact that it was the only place left open to eat at this time of the day in Derwent Bridge made it even more palatable! Then again for ‘wombat’ food it wasn’t too bad.
A10 route - Derwent Bridge to Queenstown
Our next section was through some of the best motorbike riding roads in Tasmania (perhaps even the world - bit of Aussie bias I think!), not just the type of road, but the surface, the limited traffic (mainly only other motorbikes) and the amazing scenery and views you get. A look at Google maps and the sinewy, worm-like track of the A10 between Derwent Bridge and Queenstown shows what you are in for - an awesome ride!
Riding a motorbike on these types of roads is almost the ultimate for a ‘weekend warrior’, a motorcyclist who rides for the sheer pleasure of the ride, not necessarily the destination.
Riding a motorbike on these types of roads is almost the ultimate for a ‘weekend warrior’, a motorcyclist who rides for the sheer pleasure of the ride, not necessarily the destination.
Possibly the best section was the last, the ride into Queenstown through the area they call 99 bends, aptly named because the 3km decent into Queenstown is through 99 corners.
A video of the 99 bends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QbVJPmqbt8
Not only is the ride magnificent but so is the view. Queenstown is an old mining town so the area has been substantially cleared of any timber and further denuded through the use of sulphur in the ore extracting process, the area looks like you have journeyed onto the moon or another planet. It has different colours, smells and a starkness that is in complete contrast to the areas we had been riding through. As Guy said at the end of the day, he didn’t think what we had been through for the last three days could get any better but he was truly astounded by Queenstown. I think given the opportunity he and Geoff would have loved the chance to have re-ridden the route back up the 99 bends, or even better still have done it as a hill climb! Given a choice we think Beck would have stayed ‘in town’, the continuous corners for the last 85kms had her feeling a little motion sick.
After getting fuel we found our accommodation, the Silver Hills Motel, a very friendly, welcoming place who happily booked us in for dinner even though it was getting late. We unpacked into what were just adequate motel rooms, but comfortable and warm, showered and found our way to the bar, a few beers before dinner (James Boags stubbies!) and a ‘chin wag’. Dinner was consumed in the motel restaurant which had a magnificent view of Mount Owen, a ‘silver mountain’ looking right down on the motel. The table talk continued well into the night with a decision made that we would explore Queenstown in the morning whilst looking for a place to have breakfast.
A video of the 99 bends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QbVJPmqbt8
Not only is the ride magnificent but so is the view. Queenstown is an old mining town so the area has been substantially cleared of any timber and further denuded through the use of sulphur in the ore extracting process, the area looks like you have journeyed onto the moon or another planet. It has different colours, smells and a starkness that is in complete contrast to the areas we had been riding through. As Guy said at the end of the day, he didn’t think what we had been through for the last three days could get any better but he was truly astounded by Queenstown. I think given the opportunity he and Geoff would have loved the chance to have re-ridden the route back up the 99 bends, or even better still have done it as a hill climb! Given a choice we think Beck would have stayed ‘in town’, the continuous corners for the last 85kms had her feeling a little motion sick.
After getting fuel we found our accommodation, the Silver Hills Motel, a very friendly, welcoming place who happily booked us in for dinner even though it was getting late. We unpacked into what were just adequate motel rooms, but comfortable and warm, showered and found our way to the bar, a few beers before dinner (James Boags stubbies!) and a ‘chin wag’. Dinner was consumed in the motel restaurant which had a magnificent view of Mount Owen, a ‘silver mountain’ looking right down on the motel. The table talk continued well into the night with a decision made that we would explore Queenstown in the morning whilst looking for a place to have breakfast.