info wanted - good roads in tassie

some friends of mine are heading over to tassie next month - im still tossing up the idea of going.. a week at least, plans are to take bikes down on the boat from sydney, cost is only $38 per bike which is alright, and 21 hours getting seasick..

anyway - im sure some of you have been to tassie, i know phil has some... memories of the place.. if any you would happen to know which roads are tops for riding, i'd like to know about it and my friends would too!

or if there's been another topic posted on this, sorry! direct me to that one then!

thanks guys

well, all the roads are awesome that i saw (from a cage )... but going from hobart up and over to the west coast via queenstown and then to Zeehan and Strahan... well, those looked like absolute heaven (not while on the bus tho!).... well, if you like really TIGHT turns and cliff side views and hills.... just gorgeous country-side.
and of course the boys/gals from there can tell you more..... very friendly bunch!

They're all good




mario

Here is a little something me and a few mates threw together a while back. It is a summary of our opinions of some of Tassie's great roads.

Refer the map below - the numbers allocated to the rides refer to the specific location on the map.


1. Richmond-Swansea. Combination of high speed sweepers and tighter sections with coastal views. A personal favourite as the action starts a mere 15 minutes from the CBD. High(way) speed , amazing views & the road is very open so there isn't as much moisture on the road in the cooler months. Can get a bit of traffic but plenty of opportunities to pass.

Rating: 9/10 (summer) - 7/10 (winter)

2. Swansea-St. Helens. Serious high(way) speed sweepers, coastal scenery to rival the G.O.R. Opportunity to wind out your bike if you're so inclined (up to the national speed limit of course) while banked over in glorious sweepers. A bit of twisty stuff just before St.Helens to top it off. A good ride is Hobart to St.Helens via Richmond, lunch at St.Helens (nice seafood - coastal fishing village) and then back to Hobart. About 550-600 k's but with no real boring sections ... it's entertaining almost the whole way.

Rating: 9/10 (summer) - 7/10 (winter)

3. St. Helens-Scottsdale. Tight but flowing. Surface can be a bit dodgey/bumpy in sections but in general quite good.

Rating: 8/10 (Spring, Summer, Autumn).

4. Scottsdale-Launceston (Sidling). Again, tight but flowing. Bring your ZX6R for this one

Rating: 8/10 (Spring, Summer, Autumn).

5. Mole Creek-Tullah (Cradle Mountain). Roughly 60% tight, 40% sweepers. Stunning views. Variable surface.

Rating: 7/10 (Late Spring, Summer, early Autumn).

6. Wynyard-Tullah (Hellyer Gorge). Combination of sweepers and tight sections. A real eye opener!!!

Rating: 8/10 (Summer, early Autumn).

7. Tullah-Zeehan (Reece Dam). Combination of sweepers and tight sections. Road condition not too bad, bit dodgey just after winter tho. Amazing views ... BUGGER-ALL TRAFFIC

Rating: 7/10 (Summer, early Autumn).

8. Tullah-Queenstown (Henty By-pass). One of the best! Great ride and great views with very little traffic ... you'd think it's your own private road! AWESOME. The last 10-12 k's before getting back to Queenstown is like a roller coaster .... my favourite bit of road bar none!!!
Rating 9/10 (Summer, early Autumn).

9. Zeehan-Strahan. High(way) speed sweepers. I'll repeat - high speed sweepers. Great views ... great road. Has to be seen! Less traffic than you'd expect. Bring a ZX12R for this one

Rating 9/10 (Summer, early Autumn).

Strahan-Queenstown. Tight in some places open in others. Surface sufferes from high tourist traffic. Couple of unposted corners that can catch you out. Definitely not one to go silly on

Rating: 6/10 (Summer, early Autumn).

10. Queenstown-Hamilton. Fantastic ride which includes the '99 Bends' at Queenstown and tight sections at Surprise Valley and Tarraleah and teh legendary Mt Arrowsmith. This one has everything - stunning views, sweepers, hairpins, straights, damns, mountains, rivers. Does require full concentration though as there are a few traps that await the unwary. Blind corners/hairpins etc. Makes it more enjoyable if you ask me. Surface is a bit variable though and can be bumpy in sections. This ride is an absolute must if the weather is good. If wet/cold/icy, TAKE IT EASY or pack a parachute

Rating: 8.5/10 (Summer, early Autumn). 5/10 (Winter)

11. Bushy Park-Strathgordon. Nice twisty ride but let down by the road condition sometimes. Also there are a couple of 'surprise corners' to keep you on your toes. Great views of the South West Wilderness though.

Rating: 7/10 (Summer, early Autumn).

12. Melton Mowbray-Cressy (Central Highlands). Great ride over the Central Highlands of Tasmania. Some real tight turns around Poatina.

Rating 7/10 (Late Spring, Summer, early Autumn).

13. Swansea-Campbell Town (Lake Leake). High speed sweepers but tighter at the Swansea end. Fantastic Road, catches out a lot of riders though so pay attention. Very high tyre wear, road is abrasive but a lot of fun. Pick a warm day though as it gets very cold through here on all but the warmest days.

Rating 8/10 (Summer).

14. Campbell Town-Cressy. Nice country road. Much more fun than the Midlands Highway. Watch out for the occasional patch of gravel tho.

Rating: 6.5/10 (All year).

15. Geeveston-Dover (Verona Sands). Great afternoon ride. Nice crusing road. Gets mossy during Winter though.

Rating: 6/10 (All year).

My personal favourite rides are Richmond to Swansea/St.Helens (depending on time available) and anything on the west coast, particularly #8 & #10.

Hope this helps anyone intending to head down our way. Also note that I live in the south and am most experienced in the south, east & west coast rides as they are closer. Undoubtedly there must be more good biking roads in the north of the state that I am not privvy to but this should be enough to keep you happy.

Ride safe people.

Cheers - Tony

Dont Hesitate! Seriously!!
Ive literally just returned from 2 MAGIC MAGIC weeks in Tassie with a group of 15 bikes and 1 car. 1x day of rain total...
Great company, great food, brilliant roads and beautiful scenery - way too many kodak moments! Had an absolute ball of a time.

Drinking plenty on the ferry helped me sleep (that's my excuse anyway). There's not much to do on the ferry; eat, drink, sleep, play cards, TV and computer games. However I found it quite easy to watch the water for hours as we cruised - being hungover probably helped
Be aware that if it is wet when you board the ferry, the flooring is VERY slippery, so just go easy.
We were stressed about the strapping of our bikes, and used towells and jackets to put on the seat to reduce the impression left from the strapping (plus the straps are fairly dirty) - however it wasn't as bad as expected and the impression did go away, trust me!

A lot of road works happening at the moment, so we did travel on a few gravel roads, and it seemed like every carpark at our accom. was gravel. The Ducati club were there during our first week, and a couple of Ducati's did go down due to the roadworks (I believe).
We covered the majority of the island with the exception of some of the middle (gives me an excuse to go back!). I also put together a map of our travels very similar to that posted by Wannabe however would have probs scanning and attaching, but if you want a copy give me your postal address and I'll send it off to you!
We did a similar tour as Wannabe has mentioned and I agree with the comments made therein.

The hard part is having to come back, a couple of us were very very tempted to stay another week.

I tried to attach pics to entice you, but there are way too many to choose from and they are too large to attach.
I hope this helps with your decision and if need any further info, don't hesitate to ask...

Seriously don't miss it!! MAGIC, MAGIC TIME! I can't wait to go back.

What about Waratah -- Savage river ?????



mario

D. The Ducati club were there during our first week, and a couple of Ducati's did go down due to the roadworks (I believe).

seriously, every time ive heard of the ducati club heading down that way (i have family south of hobart) at least two of them crash.

more money than sense some of those fellas.

Sounds like a good idea just get to sydney and lob onto a ferry and its all lobster and abalone from there and maybe a few king island steaks.

What about Waratah -- Savage river ?????



mario

That Savage River Rd was bloody awesome when I worked there in 1989, don't know what it is like now but it is a no-through Rd down to the river past Corinna.

Does anyone know if the mine is still operating?

We travelled from Hobart via Derwent Bridge, then to Queenstown, Strahan, Zeehan and Waratah - on the way to Waratah I recall seeing an old mine and the buckets overhead, however think we may have went though there too fast, and as such couldn't say if it was still operating?? Sorry cannot answer your question in this instance.

Would have to say one of the best rides for me was from Pyegana to Elephant Pass via St Helens and St Marys - brilliant AND Strahan to Waratah, not to mention Hobart to Queenstown. Seriously its ALL GOOD!

Oh, and I forgot to mention in my initial post, be aware of the hidden everyday (unmarked) cars and 4wds that the police park in the bush and alongside of the roads - and sit speed camera's in them - so we found out 3/4 into the trip.... could say there are a few of us worried bout licences!

Cheers
Rob

Cheers TONY!
I copied that map and comments for a buddy of mine (hell, a brother-in-law now!) who is down there visiting relatives, and who has an MV Agusta at his disposal! He will be out and about this weekend I do believe.... say hey for me if ya see him!

You don't have to look hard to find good roads in Tassie, but that road out of Queenstown is the best motorcycling road I've even seen. Its absolutely fantastic and a must see.

As Mario says Waratah to Savage River is great too. No traffic, no cops.

Right now is the best time of year down there too, wish I was there!

great bit of info from you guys - much appreciated for all your posts, i'll definitely be looking into a trip down there soon - altho probably not as soon as i'd like due to starting a new job tmw.. next month is out too..
so perhaps a january/feb trip in '06... wait and see!

thanks again all.

Hey guys, hope this info isnt too late for your ride!!!!
Theres heaps of great roads here in Tassie, some of which I still havent managed to see yet. However, I can highly recomend the Lake Leake road (Campbell Town to Swansea (which Ive done in 23 minutes on my ZX9), Swansea to Hobart (East Coast), Launceston to Scottsdale (The Sidling) and down through Derby, St Helens etc, also Elephants Pass. (Great Pancakes there too!!!!). Dont know much about the West Coast as havent been there. The road out through Deloraine, Mole Creek, Moina, and up past Cradle Mountain are fantastic, as is the road through Hellyer Gorge which isnt far away! The Frankford Highway isnt too bad either (Devonport to Launceston), but be careful of COPS!!!!!
Hope this has been helpful to you, ENJOY your ride, but please be careful of damp patches on some roads as not all of them get enough sunlight!!!!

yeah i have to agrre with simon a bit there. roads dont get enought sun in morning so take it easy. roads down west are perfect. as for the ducatti ride last year a group went down but that was an individuals fault who took the rest out and this year i didnt hear of any downs. as for cops ud be surprised where they are. there is normaly a cop that drives from burnie to west coast and back all day. and yes he has got me 2wice lol.
as for the spirit i bought my bike in melb and was told horror stories just take a towel with u when u board so the greasy straps dont get ya bike all dirty and just stand there and watch em. i originally got one fella that was a bit up himself so i just said i want to put something on my seat he went and this lady came over and she was more than helpful. some other people i have heard put there jacket on seat. love to catch up with some of yas on a ride when ya down this way but unfortunateld my bike will be out of action soon with brake issues. but hopefully ill be back on road again in summer 05.
just remember take it easy all