50% through 2019 – 50% distance covered.

Well, that’s looking on the bright side! June has been underwhelming in distance travelled but … hey … 3,000 kilometres and 6 more months to go!!

OK, I knew this week would be sad for distant ridden. Only one ride in the week is possibly a record in itself. BUT it was a nice ride along the Intercity Cycleway along the Derwent River, Hobart.

I began the ride at Salamanca Place in the heart of the Hobart warehouse area. Here, old warehouses have been converted into Cafes and Restaurants which entice the rest of Australia and a lot of Asia to come down and see us. Today it was just really, really, bloody cold. It reminded Sue and I of the days we would set up Sue’s Saturday Salamanca Market stall in the middle of winter and the lazy, icy wind would blow through all your clothing, freezing you to the bone. Today Sue watched me get the trike out, muttered something about “nutter” and drove off to somewhere warming.

Undeterred I set off. Immediately the pedalling pressure thrown onto the seat dislodged it and the seat sank, connected with the steering mechanism and made everything uncontrollable. Whoops! Drag trike into the roadside, sort out a loose seat, lock it securely into place (unlike a few mins ago) and out onto the cycle track leading though the docks.

My first stop was opposite the Aurora Australis. This ship is the current supply vessel to Australia’s Antarctic base(s). I don’t profess to know exactly where it goes but I do know the ship was built in New South Wales and is chartered by the Antarctic Division from P&O Maritime Services. Currently it is “parked” in Hobart waiting for summer when it can head south for one more season. Australia’s new state-of-the-art icebreaker, RSV Nuyina is due to arrive in Hobart in mid-2020 and begin its Antarctic service in the 2020/21 summer season.

My second stop was by the Bernacchi Tribute Sculptures near Hunter street.

(From Wikipedia). Bernacchi was born in Belgium and migrated to Tasmania in 1884. He joined Carstens Borchgrevink‘s Southern Cross expedition (1898–1900) which wintered at Cape Adare, Antarctica, joining the expedition in New Zealand after the previous physicist candidate had been rejected on medical grounds. The expedition was the first to spend the winter on the Antarctic continent (the Belgian Antarctic Expedition having been first to overwinter in 1898) and the first to sledge towards the South Pole. He was again a physicist on the Discovery expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott (1901–1904). Bernacchi was the only man on this expedition who had previously been to the Antarctic. 

That’s him – just behind the trike.

Following a quiet run through the docks I reached the start of the Cycleway. Still cold and now into a headwind strangely I was actually warming up. The weather didn’t look too promising but the clouds were not producing rain, sleet or snow – so I set off.

The Cycleway originally ran about 6-7 kilometers alongside the rail line from Hobart to Glenorchy. It was then extended a number of times and last time I rode it we ended at Claremont. At that time the rail was used for freight but it is now disused – maybe the basis of a light rail in the future. For now though – nothing rides on it. There is a sub-category of cyclist called rail-riders. Riding home-made devices that sit astride the lines they pedal down the tracks. This stretch of disused rail beckons!!

Not today though. I rode out past Glenorchy and found the trail ends a block beyond the “End of Cycleway” sign just past Claremont after just over 15 kilometers.

Here I turned and headed back. Ah… peace. No more cold wind blowing past the ears, no more riding into the sun .. it was very nice.

About 1 k from the turn-around point I noticed a sign to Cadbury’s and there is was, a trail heading to the Cadbury’s chocolate factory. I cycled up there and enjoyed a short trip I hadn’t done before. There are a number of older people’s residences up here and several were out with their “pushers” walking the track. All had a great smile and a “Hullo” greeting so we got on splendidly. Cadbury’s on the other hand was fenced off and sort of institutional looking – so I turned around there and headed back to the main track.

By now I needed to find relief! But no toilets were visible. Eventually I saw a turnoff to the Berridale Park and hoped facilities would be there.

Now in comfort, I cruised back to the New Town Station Nursery and Cafe where I met up with Sue and we had a delightful lunch.

Back home on Saturday and hopefully July will see more riding with the 2019 goal of 6,000 kilometers in sight.