Devil's Ride Tasmania 2019 - East Coast
- Devonport to Launceston to Coles Bay to Port Arthur to Hobart: February 10, 2019 to February 25, 2019. 785 kms, 6873 m climbing and 5 exploring/rest days.
The full tour began in Devonport and started with the East Coast. The East Coast leg ended in Hobart where the West Coast leg begins. The West Coast tour ends in Devonport. The map shows the rough route. The actual route was a little longer.
This trip brings together pretty well everything that Tasmania has to offer the tourist. Wilderness, mountains, beaches, craggy cliffs, settler history, waves, unique fauna and flora, towering forests, pastoral lands, inland lakes, vineyards, big blue sky, amazing stars.
The East Coast ride starts in the harbour city of Devonport on the North West coast. In the North West you'll find stunning coastal drives, food trails, amazing national parks and beautiful nature reserves. Devonport is a great place to start a tour of Tasmania as it brings together ocean, river and mountains. From here, we leave the Mersey River valley and make our way across rolling farmland and forest reserves into the Tamar River Valley to Tasmania's 2nd largest city, Launceston. We have an explore day here - take in the tumbling Cataract Gorge, a short ride from the city centre, or visit some of the old colonial heritage sites, or head to Tamar River wineries. Rest might be an idea as the next day is an arduous hilly ride through the forest reserves to Scottsdale, a vibrant farming, forestry and mining town. In keeping with the hills effort, we take an explore day the next day in nearby Derby, home to some amazing mountain bike trails. Hire a mountain bike and test out your skills and stamina.
From here, we strike out for the East Coast and the famous Bay of Fires, rated by Lonely Planet as a top 10 region of the world. The beaches are long, the seafood is fresh and sublime and the people are friendly. This has to be one of the nicest (and most compact) coastal rides/drives in all of Australia. We will spend our first national park camping night at Binalong Bay on the Bay of Fires. Then it is coastal road all the way past Douglas-Apsley National Park and the towns of Scamander and Bicheno (home to the small fairy penguin) to Coles Bay. We have a day and a half to explore Freycinet National Park with its coastal cliffs. A trip to Wineglass Bay, one of the top ten beaches in the world, is a must.
Heading further South, we will have another explore day in Triabunna, a short ferry hop from Maria Island, home to an important historic convict settlement. Maria Island is a delight to visit with no cars and busy with wildlife, from wombats to wallabies to kangaroos to pademelons. It is a great place to walk and the Painted Cliffs are spectacular. South again, we make our way to Tasman Peninsula home to the Dog Line and the iconic Port Arthur convict settlement. The coastal scenery moves from Painted Cliffs to soaring cliffs to tesselated pavement. The contrast of history and nature will be a pull as you decide how to spend an explore day - walk, kayak, cruise, or history.
Leaving the east coast, we head back inland and west to the historic town of Richmond, on the Coal River, with its oft photographed sandstone bridge (oldest in Australia) and thence to our first end point in Hobart. Hobart is dominated by Mt Wellington behind and the Derwent River in front. We have two explore days in Hobart, for those doing both legs. There is so much to see and do in Hobart, from walking, from riding the rail trail up the river, from riding the big bridges, to musuems, art galleries and great places to eat and drink. Whatever you do, take your time and savour. For those joining or leaving in Hobart consider heading South to take in the Huon Valley and/or Bruny Island reaching right into the Southern Ocean.
From here, we strike out for the East Coast and the famous Bay of Fires, rated by Lonely Planet as a top 10 region of the world. The beaches are long, the seafood is fresh and sublime and the people are friendly. This has to be one of the nicest (and most compact) coastal rides/drives in all of Australia. We will spend our first national park camping night at Binalong Bay on the Bay of Fires. Then it is coastal road all the way past Douglas-Apsley National Park and the towns of Scamander and Bicheno (home to the small fairy penguin) to Coles Bay. We have a day and a half to explore Freycinet National Park with its coastal cliffs. A trip to Wineglass Bay, one of the top ten beaches in the world, is a must.
Heading further South, we will have another explore day in Triabunna, a short ferry hop from Maria Island, home to an important historic convict settlement. Maria Island is a delight to visit with no cars and busy with wildlife, from wombats to wallabies to kangaroos to pademelons. It is a great place to walk and the Painted Cliffs are spectacular. South again, we make our way to Tasman Peninsula home to the Dog Line and the iconic Port Arthur convict settlement. The coastal scenery moves from Painted Cliffs to soaring cliffs to tesselated pavement. The contrast of history and nature will be a pull as you decide how to spend an explore day - walk, kayak, cruise, or history.
Leaving the east coast, we head back inland and west to the historic town of Richmond, on the Coal River, with its oft photographed sandstone bridge (oldest in Australia) and thence to our first end point in Hobart. Hobart is dominated by Mt Wellington behind and the Derwent River in front. We have two explore days in Hobart, for those doing both legs. There is so much to see and do in Hobart, from walking, from riding the rail trail up the river, from riding the big bridges, to musuems, art galleries and great places to eat and drink. Whatever you do, take your time and savour. For those joining or leaving in Hobart consider heading South to take in the Huon Valley and/or Bruny Island reaching right into the Southern Ocean.
Weather - East Coast
The maps below cover wind (the most important one on top), temperature and rain. The Bureau of Metereology has stopped publishing free wind maps. The chart below shows synoptic charts for last February. It shows wind blows mostly from the west and north west with the chance of south west. Temperature chart shows city temperatures and are all at sea level. The mountains will be cooler. The rainfall map shows February rainfall, lower on the East Coast, and wetter on high ground and futher South (day 3 into Scottsdale and later on Tasman Peninsula)
February Wind
