Corona Virus Blog- 31 March 2020

Welcome to the blog....

The whole world seems to be going through this crisis and I thought that it might be interesting to write my own story of this time as a record of something that will be remembered by us all in the years ahead.... much like in earlier times we heard about the Great Depression and the wars...

So today was a delightful day weather wise here in Melbourne the temp was in the 20’s and clear sky... typical of autumn in Melbourne 

I decided today I would pass on a ride as I have had daily rides for the past 12 days

The day began at at about 6.30 am with an update on the Covid virus on the television wise bad news continuing in the USA and the UK and even worse news in Spain and Italy where it seems the virus spread is out of control 

Here in Australia the news is a bit brighter with a slow down in the rate of increase in the cases of the virus 

We are in somewhat of a lockdown with the government advisory being to stay at home but for trips to the supermarket, medical appointments, necessary work and the like

It is forbidden to meet in groups of over 2 persons and there is limited visits to parks and bike riding is allowed 

Social distancing applies with persons not allowed to get closer that 1.5 metres 

I managed to get a coffee at my local cafe .... Zimt... which was in a takeaway mode. The staff are wonderful and the coffee was enjoyable 

After doing some Alkira business following a Board meeting on the previous evening it was off to Bunnings to stock up on supplies to keep me occupied in the lockdown. Some paint for the outside of the house and some new exterior lights will keep me busy.... funny really as I absolutely hate painting and I am sure that I might get an electric shock installing the lights!!!

In the evening it was delightful to wash the cars with the grandchildren who are living with us while their home is being renovated 

A few days a go Robyn organised some teddy bears to be hung in our front windows which seems to be a trend in Melbourne.... at least they provide a friendly face at the front of the house 

The highlight of the day was helping my grandson Cooper wash the cars with the high pressure hose... we ended being a bit wet

Hope you enjoy the blog 

Some photos 

Trying to decipher the colour of the paint at Bunnings!!!

A teddy bear in our window 

A clean car!

And another

Could be a good earner in these difficult times!!

Southbank in Melbourne 

Normally very busy 

Day 6 - Orford to Richmond 72 kms for the whole trip. I did 50 kms

Today we awoke to a windy and cold day at Orford. The good news was there was no rain... thanks heaven for small mercies!

The first part of the ride was quite pleasant with a lovely ride beside the Prosser River... then we hit a short sharp climb of gradients reaching up to 16 pc.... this combined with a head wind made for slow steady riding through gritted teeth with hope that the coffee at Buckland!!!

We arriving in Buckland for coffee was a big disappointment to say the least...it was terrible and most of us did not finish the coffee. In some way we were perhaps a bit anxious for the ride ahead through to Nugent which promised to be a big climb of over 5 kms on a gravel road. The ride ahead did not disappoint!

The climb started with some heavy climbing averaging over 8 pc in many parts so combined with a head wind the progress was very slow. To take our mind off the grind the views were quite spectacular which I hope might be seen in the photos on this blog.

At the top of the climb it was my turn to drive the Ute for the next 20 kms through to lunch at Sorell. The drive was eventful with Phil having a “ Flat” and I stayed both he and Abdy to direct them through to lunch

The weather continued to be quite overcast and the head winds continued with some real force on the more exposed country 

Lunch at Banjos bakery was well deserved with a chance to recover following some hard riding

After lunch I joined the riders for the short ride into Richmond. Shortly after we had another big climb of over 1.5 kms with an average gradient of 5 pc

The downhill after this was most enjoyable in to Richmond 

The accommodation at the Richmond Arms Hotel is “old school “ accomodation 

The meal tonight was real pub food and I had bangers and mash

I think the mood around the table was one of being glad the ride was over but respecting the fact that we had passed the challenge and seen some great country 

Now for the photos 

At the loo in Buckland after some terrible coffee!

The gravel road on here climb to Nugent

A good sign for the downhill

A view of the country we passed through

Phil and Abdy repairing a puncture

Home for the night at the Richmond Arms...

The famous Richmond Bridge

Our reservation marked on the table

Day 7- Richmond to Hobart- 30 kms

Once again we had a “later start “ to the day from Richmond with us all up for breakfast by 8.00am and on the road at 9.00am

The ride to to coffee was about 200 metres which was exhausting and was called so we could catch up on coffee for the day ahead of a big climb up grass tree hill!

It was beside the point that we wanted to fuel up to match Gary who had already had 2 coffees before we left the hotel....

The coffee was great as we braced for another day of riding in to a brisk headwind... luckily the sun was shining .

The first few kms were pleasant as we made our way to the start of the 5 km climb which had an average gradient of 5 pc

The road surface was good although there was a lot of road kill to avoid. The climb to the top was great in that I could get in to a lovely rhythm which after starting at the rear of the group enabled me to pass quite a number the guys. 

Reaching the top we regrouped for the descent which was auxhilirating with wonderful views of the outer suburbs of Hobart and the Derwent River

After negotiating the cross of the river it was on the bike path to the city which was fortunately with a lovely tail wind... the first real tail wind for 3 days 

Arriving at the youth hostel at about midday we unpacked the Ute and had a shower for the afternoon of exploring the city of Hobart 

Stephen, Frank. Ellio and myself opted to go to MONA for the afternoon by ferry.... a great choice!

The weather was perfect for the ferry ride and MONA is really something of a arts facility. The way the gallery works makes you really think about the relationship between the arts and the world around us... I want to come back and spend more time there next

The trip home by ferry was just in time for our final dinner at 6.00 pm at the pub next door to the hostel 

We had a wonderful meal and shared some of our wonderful experiences of the 7 days of riding. We also had an opportunity to thank Phil for his great organisation of the trip and for making sure we arrived safely each day

After dinner a few of us went for a walk to get an ice cream and continue our reflections not only of the day but the wonderful experiences we have had 

Now for the photos.....

Group photo at the start of the ride today 

Phil giving the days briefing.... we all listened carefully!!

At the top of the climb

And.... the view from the top!!

The Tasman Bridge

Ellio Stephen and Frank on the ferry to MONA

... does this ship carry the coranaviris???

The Tasman Bridge from the ferry

My Wellington from MONA

The drive in to MONA with the grape vines

The walk down to the ferry at MONA with 99 steps

A guest on the ferry on the ride back to Hobart

The final dinner.....

Day 4 - Bicheno to Coles Bay 42 kms plus 11 kms to the car park to Wineglass Bay track

Today we had a later start with us rising at about 7.00am for breakfast at 8.00 am and leaving for a trip around Bicheno ahead of coffee 

The trip around Bicheno brought back memories of my last holiday with mum and dad when I was doing year 12 ( called matriculation back in 1969)

The Harrison family had a holiday in September when we traveled around Tassie and stayed in Bicheno for a night.... the holiday was made better with us visiting the harbour and doing some fishing where we caught a lot of fish using orange peel as bait 

Good to see that the harbour remains much the same with a few more restaurants and seafood outlets

After the tour we had coffee in a cafe and made our way along the road to Coles Bay. The weather was warmish but every now and then we had a shower or 2 which meant that I needed a water proof jacket. Steve Seymour and I were at the back of the group at the early part of the ride but decided we should us “team riding “ to catch up.... and we did in no time at all with speeds averaging near 30 kms on the uphills and downhills... very auxiliarating riding!!!

We arrived at the accommodation at Coles Bay at about midday and as the rooms were not ready made our way to the cafe for lunch 

After lunch our rooms were ready and we unpacked the Ute and readied ourselves for a ride to the Wineglass Bay wall....  What we all thought was a flat ride turned out to be quite hilly with us recording a climb of over 200 metres for the 10 km ride to the track and back...

The walk to the Wineglass Bay lookout was interesting with a lot of tourists doing the walk of about 1.5 kms with a climb of about 250 metres... the view at the top was really stunning and well worth the walk!!!!

On the way back to the accommodation we managed to spy an ice cream shop to enjoy a well earned treat 

The dinner tonight was another of Ellio’s master chef occasions with very capable assistance from Dave Little

The food was great and the night was one to remember complete with a guest from the United Kingdom on the final leg of a trip around the world 

Sitting here tonight at 10.15 doing this blog gives me a great perspective on the trip so far and it has been great 

We are indeed fortunate to have Phil in leading us on this adventure and everyone is very thankful for this

I am looking forward to the next few days of our adventures 

Now for the photos 

The Harbour at Bicheno.... brings back memories of 1969!

Coffee in Bicheno with the boy’s

A view across the water near Coles Bay

Up the walking track to Wineglass bay lookout

At the top with the boys and Wineglass Bay in the background

Phil stayed in the car park doing his blog while we trekked

Home for the night

Day 3- Ross to Bicheno - 104 kms

Today was planned to be our biggest day for the whole ride both in terms of distance traveled and metres climbed so we made an early start.... up at 6.00 am and ready for breakfast at 6.30 and on the road by around 7.30....

All a good start to the day, particularly as we could refresh with coffee after a short ride to Campbell Town where we picked up our sandwiches for lunch.... great coffee again!

After coffee it was on to the Bicheno road which had a very big climb of about 8 kms with an average gradient of about 5pc. I made a comment to Rob Baker that the climb looked okay when we surveyed the mountains ahead.... silly me as the climb was really quite difficult and we all felt quite good having put this behind us. 

The next 15 kms were broken with a second morning tea courtesy of “chef Phil” who boiled the billy for coffee and tea. After refreshments it was on again for another 2 km climb to the top of the mountain ranges at about 640 metres....wow were we glad this had been completed safely and in good time!

Then.... we had the most magnificent descent for about 18 kms to the main eastern road along the coast. We were achieving speeds well over 50 kph for a lot of the time on a good road surface. Dave Little boasted that he saw his Garmin had reached 67 kph for some of the ride...well done Dave!

We then stopped for lunch at Cranbrook outside a lovely Church. The sandwiches, coffee and tea were gobbled up quick smart after a great morning of riding

It was here that I learned that a very dear friend and former work colleague, Phil Picking had passed away on Sunday... Phil was a very good friend to many and supported me greatly during my AECOM days and will be missed by many of the folk who were at AECOM at the time.... RIP Phil

After lunch we the made the final trek to Bicheno.... this was not without a misstep.... several guys missed the turnoff through to Glen Galan road and continued along the main highway... Dave Bonnet sent them back to the lunch site to begin the ride again not realising the Glen Galan road rejoined the highway a short distance along the way.... bugger!

Well I waited for the 3 intrepid riders who had the misfortune to miss the turn off.... they were a bit grumpy!!

This was eased a bit as there was a short sharp climb after I met them....

The next 20 odd kms to Bicheno were fairly hard riding as we had a head wind and at about the 100 km Mark we had another short shag limb in to Bicheno 

We arrived shortly after 3.00 pm after a good day of riding with everyone pleased with completing over 100kms and over 1100 metres of climbing 

The weather today was ideal with temps around 18 degrees and overcast 

I am looking forward to dinner as the ride has made me somewhat famished 

I want to say something about the “ road kill “ we are seeing and smelling as we ride here in Tasmania... “road kill” is Aussie for dead animals which have been struck by cars or trucks....

We are seeing a lot of this as we ride.... yesterday I counted 97 dead animals lying on or at the side of the roads. The animals we are seeing include kangaroos, possums, foxes and even snakes....

Now for the photos.....

Deals had a flat courtesy of a thorn.... we think

Des changing his tube...

Morning tea near the top of the second climb...

The road to the top!!

At the top.... hooray!!!!!!

Towards the end of the big descent.... I failed to stop earlier to take a photo of the country.... silly me!

At the turnoff after the thrilling descent we regrouped!

Home for night in Bicheno

Day 2-Launceston to Ross 85 kms

The day started at about 6.30 am with a quick shave and shower and then breakfast at the backpackers hotel.the rooms were very comfortable and I had a wonderful night of sleep.... as I was sharing the room with Rob I hope that my snoring did not keep him awake... I must admit he looked a bit groggy when he woke this morning...I suspect he was joking when he said he had a good sleep??

Last night we had a great dinner at a local hotel (the Jail House Grill) with very good steaks and salads. We were joined by Phil’s daughter for dinner who lives in Launceston and she gave us a real insight in to life in the town and was a delight to chat with...

Anyway we were off at about 7.45 on the ride.... the first 12 kms were pretty much a climb out of Launceston . The climb was steep in some parts but was a steady 2 pc in other parts

After a short time after the climb it was on to Evandale for morning tea.... a lovely town where they were holding a Penny-farthing festival complete with a 24 mile bike race...

We managed to chat with a few of the riders and sort out how to get on and off the penny farthing bikes. It requires some skill and a lot of balance

Morning tea was at a lovely pub which had great coffee and cakes.... I think I am putting on weight rather than losing it!!!

After coffee it was on to Campbell Town for lunch. The ride took us along a very pretty and quiet road where the penny farthing bikes were racing.... quite interesting to see them in full racing mode

The country here seemed to be sheep farming with an area allocated to farm marijuana for “ commercial use” we thought!!! Seemed a bit of a haze really!!!

The road was unmade for about 7kms but with very few cars we traveled easily.

After joining the main Highway to Hobart it was on the Campbell Town for a well earned lunch at a lovely cafe and bakery....we had done over 70 kms by this stage and were quite hungry! 

The main highway was a bit hairy with a cars traveling at about 110 kmh and although there was a shoulder on the road .... we needed to be very careful 

After lunch it was another 12 kms to Ross for the night 

Ross is a lovely town with very old buildings which were built in the early 1800s probably by convicts 

We arrived at about 2.30 pm and settled in to our rooms and to have a look around the town 

Today’s weather was almost perfect for riding at about 21 degrees with very little wind

A most enjoyable day!!!

Now for the photos 

A water tower near the top of the climb 

Ellio and “ Phil “ with the penny farthing at Evans Town

The bikes taking a rest at morning tea at Evans Town

A view of the country on the unmade section of the road

A cop of marijuana....

Our home for the night at Ross

The Main Street at Ross

Day 1 Devonport to Launceston-72 kms

We were woken at about 6.30 am after a good night of sleep courtesy of a calm crossing after a shower and getting in to our riding gear it was off to the reception area on the ferry to meet the rest of our team making the ride to Launceston 

After a discussion regarding meeting arrangements Phil

Rob Abdy and myself made our way to the Ute to drive off the boat

The trip off was delayed with a large group of motorcyclists who were on the ferry traveling to Tasmania... many of the riders were seniors doing the ride like the movie a few years ago....forgotten the name but many of you will remember it!!!

The funny thing about getting off the boat was a female rider 

lost balance and fell off the bike... quite frankly the bike was huge and she was struggling to hold it up when it was stationary 

After traveling off the ferry it was on to a cafe selected by Phil for breakfast...great to have a coffee and bacon and egg sandwich to start the day 

It was my turn to drive the first 15 kms out of Devonport which was quite a climb...

The country was mainly vegetable farming with what seemed to be a lot of potatoe farms

After swapping the Ute for the bike it was on to Frankford for morning tea at the Blue Barn Cafe... this was the halfway point of today’s ride and we had good coffee and cakes for morning tea . The ladies at the cafe were delightful and we were treated to a lovely bowl of blueberries grown locally on their farm

After morning tea it was on to complete the climb to begin a lovely descent to the Tamar River valley ... the country here was very much pine plantations with a lot of forestry 

We passed the turn off to Beaconsfield which was the scene of a mine disaster a few years ago

The ride to Exeter for lunch was about 25 kms and lunch at the Exeter Bakery was good although a big breakfast and morning tea meant that the lunch was a light one!!

After lunch we were treated to a very picturesque ride along the Tamar River aided by a tail wind so the 25 kms to Launceston was quite fast... often hitting speeds of over 45 kms per hour 

We arrived at the backpackers hotel in Launceston at about 2.30 pm and were met by the guys traveling by plane from Melbourne for the ride... good to see them all 

We now have our full compliment of 12 for the rest of the ride

The weather today has been very good for riding although for some parts we have had to have an extra layer to stay warm 

Looking forward to dinner in Launceston and an early night ahead of tomorrow’s ride

Now for the photos

The ride out of Devonport... Frank and Des leading the way!!

Morning tea at Frankford

.... at the Blue Barn

.... and lunch at the Exeter Bakery

The Tamar River and Valley ....very pretty

Abdy could not resist the blackberries!!!

Home for the night at Launceston!!