Tasmania - the secrets unlocked...

pink poodle

pink poodle

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Greetings Burners,

It has been brought to my attention that Tasmania is offering serious competition to overseas locations as a mountain biking holiday destination. I do enjoy a bit of mountain biking and a bit of holidaying...so perhaps those in the know can shed some light on our nearest neighbour?

I believe I can travel there without visa or passport, but what else will I need to know?
- Is it seasonal or year round?
- I dislike heat and humidity with passion...tell me it's cool?
- Where are the must see locations?
- Is the coffee any good?
- What about food?
- What type of riding will I encounter? Miles of xc or hours of dh?
- Is Dutch really the primary language?

I am thanking you all in advance, as I'm rapidly preparing for my next adventure.

Poodle
 
It is bloody expensive to travel there. Either drive over via ferry, and pay shitloads for the ferry. Or fly there and pay shitloads for a hire car.
 
Good idea for a thread, if you don't mind I've got some questions to add:

- what kind of dirt does one find on the trails, i.e loam, hardpack, clay, gravel, rocky, sandy etc?
- how much enduro riding is to be had vs XC and DH?
- are the DH tracks easy to ride to the top of and do-able on a trail bike?
- is there much riding around Hobart?
- outside of Hobart, how far does one have to travel to get to the really good stuff?
- are there lots of long and steep decents or is it more undulating?
- is it all gum forrest or is there some fir trees or pine forrest?
- is it as good as NZ?
- what side of the flannel curtain is best to avoid?
 
pink poodle said:
- Is it seasonal or year round?
- I dislike heat and humidity with passion...tell me it's cool?
- Where are the must see locations?
- Is the coffee any good?
- What about food?
- What type of riding will I encounter? Miles of xc or hours of dh?
- Is Dutch really the primary language?
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Based on a 3 week (non-riding i'm afraid) trip I did in May, from top to bottom:

- Depends which side you're on. The west coast and central plateau get a lot more rain than the east. The north east in particular is quite temperate and fortunately, Derby is in the north east. Somewhere like Strahan (west coast) is particularly wet, windy and cold in winter.
- I spent the entire three weeks thinking "shit eh......perfect riding temperature". I too hate heat and humidity.
- Depends what you're after. Shit loads of walks and such.......the Wineglass Bay loop in Freycinet National Park is really good. Cradle Mountain.....Tahune Airwalk......Hastings Caves......one of the more amazing things I saw was The Wall in the Wilderness.
- Yes. Bit more difficult to find top notch stuff in little towns but Hobart is awash with great cafes.
- Food is brilliant. If you like seafood you're in the right place. Other than that, it's all fantastic. The Apple Shed makes top notch cider. Wineries and distilleries are plentiful.
- Everything. http://www.tassietrails.org/
- Dutch and bushman I found.

Paid $250 return with Qantas which is perfectly reasonable as far as i'm concerned. A Corolla for 3 weeks (2400kms) was $900.
 
Tassie... AKA bloody paradise - but dont tell anyone because every other bastard will want to go there.

Take the roadie as well - the climb to the top of Mt Wellington and the consequent descent is heaven on a stick.

The Nth-Sth Track is bliss - canberra has god trails, but then there this. There are new trails in Hobart since I was last there on the Nth Shore, and there is a new park opening near Mt Field NP.

Take hiking boots also - some seminal day walks that will blow your mind (Mt Field for instance).

Doesn't matter what is costs - just go.

I'm going back in June for Dark MoFo, and taking the roadie. (we'll be flying and renting a corolla)
 
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scblack said:
It is bloody expensive to travel there. Either drive over via ferry, and pay shitloads for the ferry. Or fly there and pay shitloads for a hire car.
Click to expand...

Disappointingly I Just had to cancel a riding trip to tassie because it just became too expensive. Unfortunately when you have limited funds it quickly losses out to other destinations, I.e rotovegas.
 
willsy01;3041393 Paid $250 return with Qantas which is perfectly reasonable as far as i'm concerned. A Corolla for 3 weeks (2400kms) was $900.[/QUOTE said:
I got quoted $2k for a small 2 berth camper ( hi roof transit) for 6 days with insurance. all in the timing I guess. Seems the 'high demand vehicle' warnings I kept seeing are a clue to seek alternate options.
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Worked in Tassie for 3 years.

Winter is properly cold and wet, avoid. Summer isn't stinking hot as such, but you get sunburnt really quickly, something about a hole in the ozone layer. Best time is probably autumn (spring is unpredictable and rainy). Having said all that, the weather can change in an instant, especially on the west coast, so be prepared.

Trails are rocky, with boulders, and gravel and small rocks. And then some rocks thrown on top.

Trails are gorgeous, hard to find and miles apart from each other. Best resource is www.tassietrails.org. A car/van/bus is essential.

All types of trails are there but the DH is pretty limited. I'd take a trail / all-mountain bike if I had to choose one bike. You'll need to do some proper climbs if you want to go exploring.

Best trails (IMO) are Blue Dragon, North-South and Ben Lomond. But there are so many others.

Is it as good as NZ? No. Is it a good holiday destination, absolutely.
 
Haakon said:
Take the roadie as well - the climb to the top of Mt Wellington and the consequent descent is heaven on a stick.
Click to expand...

Wow, someone else who actually likes climbing! I've always wanted to climb Mt Wellington on the roadie, problem is that if I get over there (which will happen soon) I may have to chose only one bike. First world problems...

What's Derby like?
 
Yes agreed... What is Blue Derby like?

I was considering a riding trip there in May but seems the shuttles don't run then?
 
I live in the central north of the state and there is great riding about Tassie but the official, signposted, trail map style riding is only just getting going. Not to say that there is nowhere to ride.

As far as Bike parks the North East has...
Derby is awesome with about 80km of single track by the end of this year Suitable for XC/All Mountain. http://www.ridebluederby.com.au/
Hollybank is on a smaller scale but the 10km Juggernaut descent trail will sort your enduro itch out. http://flowmountainbike.com/post-all/new-trail-opening-hollybank-tasmania/
Launceston has Kate Reed and Trevallyn which are good for a half day spin close to town.

Down south near Hobart...
Glenorchy MTB Park with a good DH track, Jumps park and XC trails and is where the famous North/South track finishes.
Over the other side of the river is the Meehan range which has an ever expanding range of XC/All Mountain Trails and Jumps park. http://flowmountainbike.com/features/flow-nation-meehan-range-hobart/ https://www.facebook.com/meehanrange/
Maydena about an hour and a half from Hobart has some big things planned. http://flowmountainbike.com/post-all/massive-private-mtb-park-approved-for-tasmania/

And in the North West around my stomping ground....
Penguin MTB Park/Dial range. The park has a XC trail network, Pump track/skill park and in construction right now an epic jumps park with container jumps and 6m high wall rides.
Wall ride.jpg
The Dial range has great riding but unmarked at this stage but the local Cradle Coast Mountain Bike Club has future plans of a large official network of trails to be started very soon. https://www.facebook.com/Cradle-Coast-Mountain-Bike-Club-171694296195611/
Latrobe (my home town) Will have a 80km+ network starting this year between it and neighbouring towns of Railton and Sheffield. Really keen for this to kick off. https://www.facebook.com/groups/697666843614644/

Other than that there are many other unofficial trails to ride in state forests most listed as mentioned before in Tassie Trails but also Ride Tassie
http://www.tassietrails.org/
http://www.ridetassie.com/

Trail conditions vary widely from loamy soil to harsh rock, sandy gravel to huge granite slabs and everything in between. It gets a bit wet in winter to ride some areas but places like the Meehan range and North South Track are quite rideable all year around, as long as you don't mind getting a little wet. Derby was only closed for a week or two in August for some maintenance when things were quiet. Summer is around 20 to 30 degrees with low humidity and winter 10 to 15 degrees (overnight lows will get close to 0 though). We actually have a lower rainfall than Sydney!

It might be a bit expensive to get over but if you plan your trip you can get a lot of diverse riding done in a week or so, as 300km is about the furthest you will travel from one destination to another. Like the rest of Australia we are behind NZ but things are in the plan to catch up!
 
Moggio said:
Cheers, will do. If they were running I can get 4 or 5 of us to go, but whether that is enough?!
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Bring on the MTB tourists I say to continue the awesome trail building that's happened over the last decade! Also I'm pretty sure you need a minimum of 4 for the Blue Derby Shuttles, I was up there a few weeks ago and from memory that's what was posted on the shuttle info. To add to what others have said here:

Getting here: Unless you get a stonking deal on the ferry for bringing a car I wouldn't bother taking it unless you are looking at a more than 10 day trip. I've done the maths a few times for mates and that's about the break even point where car hire costs start to hurt.

When: Feb - April. Weather generally very settled, not much rain, good temperature (around 20C on the east and north coasts where most of the trails are, cooling off into April) and water still warm enough to swim at the end of the day. Forget coming over the peak summer period as the costs are massively increased, and it can get warmer than ideal.

Bike: Around 130-140mm travel light trail/ AM would be the sweet spot in my opinion, it'll give you enough travel to tackle some the more Enduro stuff, but Tassie has a LOT of climbing so you don't want something that's going to kill you riding up.

Trails: Generally XC, or XC/ Enduro. Not much official DH, that tends to fly under the radar. In addition what others have already provided there are a shedload of trails on and around Mt Wellington and it's foothills (Waterworks, Tip Top, Mt Nelson, Knocklofty). Some official maps here: http://www.wellingtonpark.org.au/maps/, but to make the most of them you'll need a local (feel free to get in touch) as there are plenty of unofficial ones. Strava heat maps can also give you some ideas, and several of the bike shops in town have evening rides you could tag onto. Official trails are generally hardpack/ loose over hardpack and quite rocky at times, but the unofficial trails are a real mix.

Food and Coffee: In the big towns great, although can be a bit pricey. Smaller places choice is limited, but the pub fare is generally decent.
 
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