Hobart to Launceston

This was our last day in Hobart and we had a few things to do before we hit the road. With the bikes packed we hit the road around 9.00 AM and into Hobart's peak hour traffic, hoping the GPS would play the game today. Despite my best efforts the GPS was still not talking to me so another adjustment was made when we refuelled. I gave up with the BMW GPS and used Google maps on my phone instead. It seemed to work a lot better and finally I was hearing the directions through the speakers. Our first stop was a motorcycle shop so I could get some new gloves. Mine had a blow-out on the index finger, and after yesterday's rain the inside of the glove was pretty wet, making it hard to take off and put on again.

We eventually stopped at Motorwork's Motorcycles and walked into a huge range of motorcycles and gear. We also got a look at the new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. It's a pretty nice looking bike and from all reports a step up from the very capable 410 we rode in Nepal. I picked up a good set of Dri-rider gloves for $50 and set off on our way to our next stop, the American Motorcycles shop. They had a couple of Indians in stock and a few Harleys. There were a couple of Harley 48s for sale that caught my eye, but then I remembered I liked  Indians better and am becoming attached to the BMW. After a look around it was time to hit the road again.

Peak hour traffic in Hobart is pretty easy compared to other cities. The traffic flows well and for the most part the drivers are courteous, with the exception of the Victorian tourists (terrorists). We were heading to Launceston via the Midland Highway, and in no time we were out on the open road absorbing the country side. The whole trip is around 200 km and will take around 2 1/2 hours. The rolling hills and old houses along the way were the topic of conversation as we travelled, eventually stopping for a coffee break and scallop pie at Campbell Town. On a scale of  1 to 10 this one rated a 7 as well. It was OK and edible, but the pastry was a bit too thick and we had to search for the scallops. The coffee was pretty good though.

We pushed on and in no time we arrived at our lodgings for the night, Alice's Cottages. These are themed B&B cottages and are very well maintained. We had the French Cottage which was completely self contained and had a carafe of port for a nightcap as well. We had actually arrived a lot earlier than expected and fortunately we were able to check in early. We went for a wander through downtown Launceston, and grabbed a coffee and snack to help us through to dinner.

Dinner was a toss up between a steak or a Chinese meal. The Chinese restaurant won and we were happy it did. The service and meal were excellent and all within walking distance from the cottage. After dinner we walked back to the cottage and found a fuel stop for our ride out in the morning. The rest of the night was just chilling out in the room and planning the next day.