2007 Tassie Trip

[Xtreme]

Just returned from four great weeks touring the southern island with a group from LROC (Sydney Bch). Met up with Robert & Martine (+some of their friends) for almost three weeks and found them really great company, loads of fun, interesting and good cooks.

Covered almost 7000kms all up including a fair share of windy, hilly black ribbon plus sand, mud (see pics) and rocky trails. Also experienced some fantastic scenery (some behind locked gates - with Parks Tasmania permission), some beautiful remote camp sites (to which we will return), great company, friendly locals (especially the fishermen on the west coast) and excellent weather (only two hours of rain and a few windy nights).

I've posted a few 'graphs in the Members Gallery for your perusal if interested. Look in: http://www.aulro.com/app/showgallery.php?cat=715

I'd like to thank the AULRO members who assisted us with planning and executing our plans for the Tassie trip, especially Justin from Kingston who also came to our rescue at short notice with a few repairs and routine servicing.

Looking forward to again meeting up with the kookynet crew for a Black Tie 'Rovers Restaurant' when they reach Sydney.
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[Defender=1st]

Great pics mate:D . next time you come to tassie Pm me and ill come along ;) How did the Big Td5 go ??

[justinc]

Glad all went well Roger, pass on our best to all , and hope to see you all again soon down here.

All the best, Justin, Juliet and family.

[rangieman]

great stuff ive gotta go back , we went there xmas 2005 in the wifes falcon we did the east coast to turana where my sis has a house , we did all the tourist crap
when i go back we will be in the defender and will do the west coast camping none of this hotel junk again:D

[Xtreme]

Glad all went well Roger, pass on our best to all , and hope to see you all again soon down here.

All the best, Justin, Juliet and family.

Thanks Justin,

I hope your move went well a few weekends ago and you are now resettled and comfortable.

The return trip is already being planned for 2009 and is already booked out! However, I don't think you Tasmanians will be able to reproduce the great weather we had last month - anyway, we'll take Tassie in all it's moods and I'm sure we'll still enjoy it.

[Phoenix]

We always have great weather ;)

So you were on the LROC trip that Robert & Martine met up with, I was wondering who on this forum was in that group :D

By the way, where was this photo taken??
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2007/03/266.jpg

[Xtreme]

By the way, where was this photo taken??

It was in the Rattler Range / Bells Hill area between Weldborough & Ringarooma.

It was a 'shortcut' that I decided to take while heading from the Blue Tiers to Sth Esk River - some shortcut - it took us about two hours to do 5kms. Its probably the first and last time that camper trailers have or will be towed through there! Some minor damage to two of the four trailers but bigest problem was proximity of trees and almost continuous bogholes - I'm just glad Tassie was in drought at the time!

Others on trip thought I'd taken them to Borneo!

[cornerofthegalaxy]

Nice photos. Sounds/looks like you saw a great deal.

I have also just come back from 3 weeks down in Tas with my defender. First 2 weeks - relaxing on the east coast & Bruny island plus a walk up Fenchmans Cap - then the last week was spent travelling up the west coast. Absolutely loved it!!!!!!

I have a question for anyone who has been there lately? How did you find the drive along the beach to Sandy Cape??? - like how was the quick sand?

My heart was in my mouth for most of the 10kms:woot: . I'll post my pics asap. Never put my car in a sitaution like that before. AFTERWARDS (once we were safe and back off the 'beach of hell') we heard the horror stories from along that beach.

The photo you have posted of the beach drive to Sandy Cape looks like a less gruesome day than the day we went....way dodgy! (as you can tell i am still recovering)

[Piddler]

Ahh Carly the Cape is not that bad just plenty of right foot, low tyre pressures and common sense. Ha ha.

It is a great place I live near there and spend a lot of time there with my Disco and Quad bike.

The bike is a whole heap of fun on the dunes.

Glad you enjoyed yourself
Cheers

[Xtreme]

Apart from a few minor 'failed to proceed' incidents (which were sorted out when we arrived at correct tyre pressures), we didn't find any of the beaches any problem. We actually searched for some quicksand, especially around the North Pedder River mouth and other minor creeks but couldn't find any at all.

Will attach a few more 'graphs in the Members Galleryof our sand running.

[cornerofthegalaxy]

Hey Piddler! sounding too relaxed about that beach!!! - must be a local - eh! ha!

So you are one of the lucky ones!!! - living on the west coast of Tassie. I saw some of the best places in the universe during the west coast bit of my trip. Fell in love with SO many of the little fishing (shanti) towns.

I liked your advice - "just plenty of right foot, low tyre pressures and common sense" SO TRUE about the right foot. We were driving in convoy and i was riding the clutch in 2nd just to keep my revs up - massively worried that i was going too slow, but couldn't go any quicker - due to car infront. AHHHH.

I was the last car in a line of 4. By the time i was driving through the worst bits were soaked and were bubbling - i got the scary view of watching the Landcrusiser infront of me drive on jelly.

Can totally understand why quad bikes etc are the go on that beach - not as much to lose! The dunes were fantastic looking, though!

Thanks again for your advice on surf spots from months ago- Todd only managed to surf at Trial Harbour- this made his day! He was very impressed with the breaks along the west coast - we'll be back (bar Sandy Cape - ha!)

[Piddler]

Thats the thing about the Cape it can change overnight with a big tide or sea and some wet weather.
Keeps you on your toes.

I have some great photos playing on the dunes with the Quad. You just point it at the biggest and back off half way up as you don't want to go over the top too fast. It is actually a lot more fun than playing with the Land Rover (I know hard to believe but 700cc V twin is a lot of fun).

We have had a great summer for surf; many guys feel its been the most easterly weather ever which is the off shore wind we need to get it to work. The swell is usually so large that in other directions than off shore it is unridable and out of control.

Sing out next toime you guys visit we may be able to ride some waves and some dunes.

Cheers
Piddler