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Post by Norm on Mar 11, 2016 5:55:24 GMT 10
Norm........if you could consider a mid- March start then it would be after the Avalon Airshow (28 Feb til 5 Mar) and I could join........just saying...... Grahame No worries, Grahame. I am sure we can make it work. Vic school holidays start Saturday 25 March, so we would want to finish it by then if possible.
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roscoau
Life? Don't talk to me about life!
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Post by roscoau on Mar 11, 2016 6:59:57 GMT 10
Norm........if you could consider a mid- March start then it would be after the Avalon Airshow (28 Feb til 5 Mar) and I could join........just saying...... Grahame I was also thinking last 2 or 3 weeks of March. Gotta sneak over when the rain's not looking...
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Post by Piper on Mar 11, 2016 21:13:21 GMT 10
Each time we go to Tassie taking the 4WD it has been very little extra cost for the Cabin overnight, day time ferry runs for the summer period usually until early April 0900-1800 , just saying . The so called recliner chairs are not sound proof . take ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones . Yeah I am interested in the Tassie venture , not sure my other half will go.
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Post by Norm on Mar 15, 2016 18:46:22 GMT 10
We must have done some good things at NARSTy.
Paul Whelan has volunteered to finalise details for our ride next March. Paul will decide the dates and itinerary, and will apply his planning skills once he returns home.
Many Thanks to Paul and his able assistant Robyn.
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Post by Uralee on Mar 15, 2016 20:43:45 GMT 10
Norm........if you could consider a mid- March start then it would be after the Avalon Airshow (28 Feb til 5 Mar) and I could join........just saying...... Grahame Grahame, how would the 6th or 7th work for you to make the boat....?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2016 13:35:33 GMT 10
Hello All,
With Norms blessing and hopefully every one else's I have taken on putting the ARSTTy '17 together, assisted by my girl! Rob.
A bit of background----I did a 9 year stint with the Australian Army so like my T's crossed and i's dotted! with the remainder as a charter/commercial fisherman, now retired, or sort of! Rob and I spent 11 months travelling Aussie in our Troopy and off road van and a year or so later did Tassie for 10 weeks which was brilliant. Back in the early 60's I bush walked from Waldeim to Derwent Bridge and climbed Mt Ossa the highest mountain in Tassie (it snowed on xmas day) so know a little about how rapidly the weather can change down there.
ARSTTy '17 dates---7th March to 28th March, this avoids all Aussie school holidays and Easter. I would suggest travelling over on the night of the 7th as this would allow a full day on arrival at Devonport and then those that wish could use the night of the 28th to travel back to the mainland.
I have some Ulysses Club friends that have just returned from the AGM in Tassie, and they said the Grey Nomad brigade make bookings at caravan parks absolutely essential (the good ones anyway) and better sooner than later. The same applies with cabin bookings. Keeping this in mind we unfortunately don't have much of a choice on the direction of travel to suit the current weather conditions, so from experience I think it would be wise to go DOWN the east coast (which is fairly protected from the prevailing SW winds) and up the west coast, as you do not want to be riding into a blustery South Westerly in Tassie especially on the west coast! better to have it at your back.
Norm has suggested an itinerary to me which is a great starting point which I have slightly modified and is subject to change, but basically it's Devonport, Launceston or some place close to, St Helens, Bicheno or Swansea, Hobart or some place close to, Derwent Bridge or Strahan, Stanley, Devonport. We could stay 2 or 3 days at each place with the exception of Hobart where maybe 5 or 6 days would suffice as there are some great trips around there. Also there would be no need to overnight at Devonport as we will see it on arrival and departure. As far as seeing the interior e.g. Cradle Mountain etc we could do these on day trips from wherever we are located. I will put a heap of research into the quality of the caravan parks (there are quite a few crook ones in Tassie) this will take a while, but my best aid is the Wiki Camps app which sorts the good from the bad, and brains Camps Australia Wide, Caravan Parks Australia Wide etc. Wiki Camps was recommended to us by an adventurous young French couple with two kids. We met them at Omeo some time ago. They were spending a couple of years travelling Australia towing a caravan as well as tenting it with backpacks as they thrived on bushwalking, ski ing etc and they really new their stuff re organisation. They were right on with Wiki Camps and it has got Rob and I out of potential trouble many times but be assured it will not be the only aid I use.
For all those that have not been to Tassie there is a lot to see and impossible to do in 3 weeks. Rob and I still have not seen a lot of the interior, but going around Tassie with the occasional offshoot inland is for my reckoning the way to go. We have done it, and it was diversified and spectacular. It is well to keep in mind that doing a couple of hundred km's in Tassie takes a bit longer than on the mainland a bit like driving in the South Island of NZ.
I have a bit of a concern for those that are maybe taking their caravans/motorhomes/trailers as the stopovers are not that long, and you sort off miss out on what is otherwise a great ride getting from one location to another. Rob and I with the ural only will be camping and doing cabins in inclement weather and I think Sue and Bob are doing cabins and Geoff and Jenny indicated taking their ural/caravan setup. It would be great if I could get an idea of those that are coming, those that of thinking of coming and what you intend to use e.g. ural only, caravan etc.
Any sensible input via the forum or to me direct would be appreciated, it will be taken onboard, but please remember " It is hard to please all of the people all of the time " and all plans laid will be for the common good. I will use the Forum to keep everyone up to date and will maybe post a few pics we took in Tassie to whet your appetites.
Ride Safely Paul (Wheels)
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Post by Uralee on Mar 21, 2016 15:11:55 GMT 10
Current approximate prices....RETURN fares
Sidecar and 2 passengers in recliners. $1000 Ute and caravan length 12 metres 2 pass. $2000 Share cabin. $66 twin porthole cabin. $360
Effectively, if you want to take a van, it will cost you at least $1000.00 more for the ferry. Add the park costs per night and fuel etc. and that grows to over $2000 more. My take on it is that cabins are easier and break even would be about $100 per night.
Working out a price for the Spirit of Tassie is like trying to figure out a phone plan or an ex.......!
ACCOMODATION EXAMPLE
Snug Beachside Caravan park camp site $29 powered site $33 budget cabin $89 studio cabin $95 deluxe water view cabin $135
Cabins are a "no brainer" in my opinion...........all too easy.
Lee
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2016 17:40:00 GMT 10
I was just talking to Lee and he raised a good point------If you decide to book a campsite in Tassie and use cabins if the weather turns lousy there is a pretty good chance you may NOT get a cabin. So I guess there are only three choices, book a camp site and take a punt on a cabin if you don't like camping in inclement weather, camp for the whole of the trip rain hail or shine or cover your butt and cabin all the way. Lee said he will probably use cabins hence no need to carry camping gear. Food for thought!
In fairness to Tassie the weather at that time of the year is generally good (thats why every one goes there then) but it's best to have a plan B if it turns.
Once I get the Caravan park situation worked out I will get the details of the best park at each location onto the forum so you can check out their website and book whatever accommodations needed well ahead, be it a campsite, caravan site or cabin.
Cheers
Wheels.
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Post by robclarke on Mar 21, 2016 18:56:39 GMT 10
Now if I can just find the 2017 Diary, it's here somewhere under all this bloody.....................
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Post by batmansnr on Mar 22, 2016 6:03:41 GMT 10
Norm........if you could consider a mid- March start then it would be after the Avalon Airshow (28 Feb til 5 Mar) and I could join........just saying...... Grahame Grahame, how would the 6th or 7th work for you to make the boat....? A bit too close. Associated with my role there will be a post Airshow debrief and shutdown process. I think I would need a week after the show before I could go.......
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