Tasmania. Bicheno to St Helens

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Bicheno to St Helens
After a hard night on a put-up bed with no springs I loaded my bike, whilst I waited for breakfast, I found my rear tyre was flat. Inspection found a 6mm piece of glass in the tyre, which I poked out with a fork. I put on a patch and then was ready for off at 8.20 after my bacon and egg at the nice accommodation at the Wintersun in Bicheno. Unfortunately it started to drizzle, which kept up all morning. Several riders stopped off at the local wildlife centre to see the Tasmanian Devils tear a piece of meat apart and to inspect the snakes at a safe distance. On the way north they also saw another echidna and a wallaby. Helen and I meanwhile soldiered on in the rain and stopped for coffee and cake at Eureka Farm near Scamander. The cake was plum and ginger with cream and was to die for. Scamander Bay was nice when the sun came out momentarily and then the rain came again.
Today was quite easy after our previous days with gentle I undulations following the coast and none of the hills steep. The mileage was just under 50 so that was another bonus. I feel that this is just a sop for tomorrow's ride up to Scottsdale. Some riders were worried about it so I arranged, with the generous help of the hotel staff, to have our bags taken to our hotel. The kind volunteer was the man who takes the post to Derby for transfer to the Red- Line bus for onward transfer to Scottsdale. Our bags will follow the same route for $2 per bag. A bargain. Bill and myself looked at the Rotary Club roll of honour to find that they met the next night. Shame, we could have attended their meeting. A good meal at the hotel and we were in bed for 9pm getting ready for the 100k and 2000m of climbing tomorrow.

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