Day 20, 21, 22 and 23 Lauderdale (Dan & Betty’)

How good is it to be surrounded by nice people?

Dan & Rosann (aka Betty ) have been so good to us since we reached Hobart that just saying thankyou will never be enough.  They have opened their home up to us and have made us feel so welcome it has been fantastic.  Even their two Labradors, Paddy & Moby, have made us feel welcome.

After some bush mechanic repairs to the bike we were going to go for our first ride today and had planned to go down to Cygnet & Hounville but for the first time since we left Edithburgh the weather really wasn’t good and by the time we got to Hobart city we decided that we would settle for a nice coffee and a look around at some of the shops.  Of course you can’t come to Hobart and not go to the Cat & Fiddle Arcade to watch the Cow Jump over the moon on the hour (Google it if you are curious).

Saturday is Salamanca Markets day in Hobart and we were able to enjoy a nice leisurely breakfast with Dan & Rosann before having a good look at what the stall holders had to offer. We also adopted Rupert who is named after Dan (his nickname) and inspired by their blue food critic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a good look around the market we took a little drive through Huonville, Cygnet and Kettering. 

Then we returned to Dan & Rosann’s for a relaxed evening. 

Day 19 Hamptons on the Bay to Hobart

Well the plans have changed slightly now.  We gingerly made our way into Hobart today so the bike could go see the BMW doctor and we went off to the Hobart hospital to get checked out.

What a beautiful view.

Hamptons on the Bay cabins.

 It took us twice as long as it normally would to get to Hobart and we had two stops along the way just so we could get off the bike and we needed our caffeine fix more than ever today.

Richmond Bridge our second stop for the day.

Day 18 Bicheno to Sheepsville

Well just when every thing was going along smoothly along came a sheep!!!!

Most of you already know the story but I am going to tell it again any way.

The day started out nicely with both us taking an early morning walk around the hotel area and thinking how about how securely the boats were moored.

We were enjoying a lovely ride from Bicheno making our way to Richmond.  We had just had a nice morning tea at a coffee shop in Swansea and were enjoying the scenery along the Tasman Highway.

Then a sheep decided to try and join us on the bike.

Unfortunately we were doing about 95 kilometres an hour at the time.  Maurice did a great job of keeping us upright for as long as possible and reduced our speed when the front wheel dug in and we ended up in the ditch on the side of the road.  We were really lucky that we didn't hit the road straight away and that we were not badly injured. 

 The locals using the road were great, especially Andrew Fahey.  They helped Maurice get the bike back up on the road and one of the local police officers who just happened to be passing, stopped and took down the details and gave us some water.  

Minus a front mud guard.

Sheep guts & sh__ every where on the left hand side.

Lots of damage on the right hand side.
Hard to tell in this photo but the indicator is missing and that little plastic wind deflector isn't suppose to be at that angle.

We don't normally pack this much grass into our top box.

We spent the night at Hamptons on the Bay which was only a couple of kilometres up the road , a really nice place to get ourselves sorted and some of the bike back together.

Day 17 Bicheno day trip the Motorcycle museum & Freycinet National Park

Well we had to come across one sooner or later, 

a Motorcycle Museum that is. 

They only want a mere $65,000 for this HRD, bargain.

Maurice rode one of these 750 4cyl Honda's from Adelaide to Melbourne in 1973 

You would think after walking around Cradle Mountain NP in bike gear we would have learnt our lesson, but no we still walked up to the Wine Glass Bay lookout (Freycinet NP) in it.  Not a good idea at all!

After a beautiful day we walked to the pub for dinner and just made it back to the motel before the dark clouds rolled in.

Day 16 Launceston to Bicheno

A pleasant ride today via Scottsdale and Ledgerwood.

These carvings in Ledgerwood were amazing.  The trees were originally planted after WWI  and all have stories about the diggers depicted in the carvings.

The view from our room in Bicheno.

Part of the Australian Merchant Navy memorial in Bicheno.

Day 15 Launceston day trip to Low Head & Cataract Gorge

That's a little lighthouse?

Perfect morning for an excursion to Low Head.

Now, that's a lighthouse!

And a perfect afternoon for a chair ride and a walk through Cataract Gorge. 

Nice to see them alive instead of on
the side of the road.

Maurice finally found the Macro setting Rob.
Now he just has to find the backlight.

Day 14 Stanley to Launceston

Another nice day for a ride along the North Coast line and into Launceston.

This is as close as we got to the lighthouse because of another dam gravel road. 

It was a very pretty view from this look out anyway just wish I could remember the name of it.

Just a couple of the unusual things you only see in Tassie.
A motorcycle made from farm equipment leftovers and a horse in a straight jacket

The "Universal Joint" bar.  We didn't get to park our bike in the bar but we did have a couple of drinks and when I saw the pool table I thought I had already had too many!

Ace Cafe, been there done that.