February 14th - Port Arthur to Kelso

Since I haven't heard from anyone concerning donating funds for my travels. As I said before, not only am I offering the picture of the most southern loo in OZ but now I will also include a signed sheet of loo paper........... additional sheets at a major discount.

Another piece of factoid: England managed to ship 162,000 convicts over a period of 80 years to Australia and Tasmania. So all of you purist out there best do some background checks to see whether or not you have a checked pass. I know of 2 women that definitely fit the profile, one in Adelaide and the other in Portland. They both have that sly weasel look about them.......

Port Arthur to Coles Bay
Left with clear skies, temps in single digits and Port Arthur in the rear view mirror. Turnoff for Marion Bay(Gravel)-Kelevie-Wielangta Forest and caught an Echidna(mole like ) hot footing it across the road. Another couple had stopped for this bit of entertainment and the conversation got around to the track to Birdsville. Recommendations as to whether or not I get there to have a pint and vehicle sticker depends on the rains and flooding out of Queensland. Getting back to the road to Coles Bay, it was sealed all the way into Coles.

The night at Coles Bay was another wet one. With all of the gear on and temps still in the lower single numbers it was off to Bicheno for a stop at the bakery. After being fortified with coffee and pie it was north to Falmouth, damn it was a cold ride, then a sharp left to St Marys. It was twisty's all of the way and St Mary was cold, right bloody cold. After finding warmth in the bakery it was off to Fingal, Mangana and Rossarden. Rossarden was an old tin mining town that had gone bust years ago. What a hard pressed area with no future. From there Avoca, Royal George (farming but extremely dry) and Meetu Falls Forest Reserve (brutal gravel) and finally Coles Bay.

Coles Bay to Tomahawk
Underway bright and early and the weather was with me. Biheno for breakfast, St Helens, Derby; another tin mining town gone bust but as they are located on the major road through the region, the town has gone up scale with coffee shops and etc. Bridport on the coast was next fueling up for final leg to Tomahawk.

Into Tomahawk and the flies and mosquito's were at their best......Tomahawk had just gone through 7 days of straight rain and the sun was a welcome with open arms.

Next day it was gravel to Gladstone, terrible to the nth, heading north to Cape Portland, excellent dirt road except the road to the camping site. A great place to camp and you are right on the beach. Back to the main gravel road heading for Mt William National Park. A grader was working the road and it was living hell trying to keep the bike up right as the road surface was like soft sand. Made the wrong turn to Ansons Bay, sleepy fishing town with little going for it. Made a quick turn around and definitely didn't want to go back where the grader was working. So it was the gravel road down to St Helens. Does corrugations, mine trucks, dust and anything else come to anyone's mine. With the mine trucks you had to stop or you went blind with dust....a little like the road trains on the mainland(OZ). Did make it back to Tomahawk where the bugs were waiting with relish.

Tomahawk to Kelso
The mosquito's were waiting for me to crawl out of the tent. I couldn't get the gear on the bike fast enough. Back to Bridport for fuel and bakery bits. Next it was B82, boring run, so seeing that there was a gravel road to Low Head, it was a hard right to Lefroy/Beechford then the gravel to Low Head. Low Head is a historic pilot station and money is there. A bit of an upscale retirement community. Next it was through George Town, over the bridge and north to Kelso. Kelso was a great site but for the following.

Flies and a major poop site for both Wombat's and possums. And walking to any building in the caravan site was like going through a mine field. And they wonder why they have flies.........!!? Next day it was out to Bakers Beach at the national park then south to Deloraine. From Deloraine it was further south for the trip around the Great Lake. Damn was it cold at 1100 meters and the lake showed signs of a tremendous lost of water over the last 5 years. Getting around the lake and back to Longford chasing the sun all of the way and getting to lower elevation was all that I could think about. The scenery was worth every cold moment though.

The Grey Nomad