Strahan

Thursday, 2 February 2012

I really like Strahan. I've been saving this walk to Hogarth Falls for when I do my Summer of 60 Walks (details some other time) but I was going a bit stir crazy in our cottage so I rode around to People's Park then walked to the falls. It was all very pretty:

Wildside Day 4

Thursday, 2 February 2012

The weather was crappy again unfortunately but the organisers reversed the direction of the long cycle down Ocean Beach so the cyclists had a tailwind. Jonno said it was pretty good except there were probably a dozen or so whales rotting on the beach which took away from the purity of the experience somewhat. I've got no decent photos from the day but there are good ones here.. There's even a nice shot of Zali and Jett at Tullah - Day 2, second photo..

So in the final wash-up Jon finished 81st just seconds ahead of his buddy John W who had some really strong final stages. My Jon definitely faded a little in the later stages but managed to finish with no major mechanicals or injuries. Yay.   On the way home we discussed what we'd do the same or differently next time (Wildside is on every second year) and came up with the following..

 

  • Despite the expense and the hassle of moving 4 times we'd still stay in Cradle Mtn, Tullah, Zeehan and Strahan (2 nights) as it made the driving so much less arduous.  It would be tempting to skip the Cradle night and stay 2 nights at Tullah but that would mean more driving to get there from Hobart in the first place, then an extra hour on the 2nd day as well so it would be too much.
  • I'd probably not order the vegetarian stir fry from the Zeehan Heemskirk motel and just stay in the motel room and eat cardboard or something instead.
  • I wouldn't take the kayak again - it made loading the car a pain (literally - my back is still sore) and the roof box would have been way more useful.  There were ample opportunities to cycle instead.
  • We wouldn't bring the hand pressure water pump thing. We'd buy one which plugs into the car instead or go without entirely as all our stops had places to wash bikes.
  • We'll stay somewhere else in Strahan as although the place was cosy it had signs everywhere threatening to debit our credit card the cost of for 2 extra nights accommodation if we committed any heinous crimes such as not putting the washing up away or checking out at 10:01.
  • I would take more photos on day one - the flowers and scenery was amazing. In fact there's still heaps I want to see next time (such as Zeehan's spray tunnel and Montezuma Falls).
So all in all it was a good trip and when it comes around again in 2014 I'll be looking forward to it.  Now the big task is settling back into regular non-holiday life. ugg.

 

 

 

Aiming for 2nd best..

Monday, 30 January 2012

Despite looking after my rider I've snuck out early for a couple of little rides and another paddle in the past couple of days.  This has been great however I seem to be carrying a lower back injury from packing and unpacking the car a zillion times as we've stayed in a different place every night which is a bit of a pain with all the packing and unpacking of the car.   Also having the kayak on the roof has contributed to this as we can't fully open the back so you have to stoop to put bags and bikes in the back of the car. Anyway although I'm injured I'm still attempting to be the 2nd best support crew going around.  Apparently the 1st best support person sets her husband up on the wind trainer to warm up while she loads the car around him.  Jon also pointed out that the 1st best support person would have let her husband pack his bike stand whereas I thought this was frivolous - although it turns out tonnes of people have a bike stand with them so they can fiddle with it all evening - oh well.

Wildside Day 3

Monday, 30 January 2012

Day 3 threw some real wild into Wildside. In beating rain we have travelled (me driving, Jon riding) from Zeehan to Trial Harbour, then over to Granville Harbour.   Then we've all driven to Strahan where we are now hunkered down in a little cottage listening to the rain beat against the house and the wind rattle the windows.  

Wildside Days 1 & 2

Monday, 30 January 2012

The first two days of Wildside have been hot and dusty - yesterday it got to 32 degrees  which was tough on riders as well as supporters.  Zali, Jett and I cooled off first in the Roseberry pool, then later on in the Zeehan pool.  I'm not saying I'd like to spend any more time holidaying in these towns but it has been good to see the mining heart of Tasmania.   Jon is riding well and despite a puncture on one of the stages is hanging around in the 70s out of the 480 or so competitors (see photo of the start - every blob of colour is a cyclist).  This makes it easy to be a support crew as I know that as soon as the first mouton bikers arrive i have 10 or so minutes to get to the finish.  The only downside of this is that I'm really just seeing the top section of the riders finish - not the other 400 so I recon I'm not getting a true feel of the suffering! Although really I guess everyone suffers about the same, it's just  the times are different.

Wildside

Friday, 27 January 2012

After 3 nights at home we've repacked (or really just transferred stuff from various not-yet-unpacked bags to other bags) and headed out to Tasmania's west coast for the Wildside mountain bike race.  It is 7 racing stages over 4 days starting at Cradle Mountain and ending at Strahan.  It starts tomorrow and apparently a good support crew is vital to competitors.  Unfortunately for Jon, he's only got us.   Being the not very dedicated support crew that I am, I also have my bike and a borrowed little kayak with us so I can get out when ever there is free time.   Today I had time for a quick paddle on Dove Lake. The water was so warm the whole family had a swim afterwards.