OzSTOC
OzSTOC Ride Reports, Pictures & Videos => RIDE REPORTS => Topic started by: Williamson on May 14, 2026, 12:31:26 PM
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(https://i.ibb.co/prZK6QcP/Pete-Tassie-26-074.jpg)
Some mates (Doug, Gero & Pete) from AusTouring set-off on the Spirit of Tasmania on Friday 10 April, me on Sunday 12 April. The passage on the SoT was bumpy, nearly fell out of my bunk a couple of times, and very low on numbers (fewest of any trip I've made). The Corio Bay deparature is well organised, but I preferred the much closer Port Phillip Bay departure point. Overall a good passage though, rode off around 6:30am at Devonport and met up with mates at Smithton on Monday 13, and the fun began.
A little tootle (about 250km) around some back roads, gravel roads and lookouts, before returning to the Smithton Bridge Hotel for the night.
Trowutta Arch:
(https://i.ibb.co/TxBmJJCx/IMG-2921.jpg)
The blue sign suggests it's a 15 minute walk, I only got about 10 minutes down the track and turned around, whether that was due to war or ride (falls) injuries, or just old age, or whatever ....
(https://i.ibb.co/MxfCSkb6/IMG-2920.jpg)
Suumak Lookout:
(https://i.ibb.co/27z5C9yT/IMG-2923.jpg)
Again, too far to walk to the lookout.
Returned to Smithton to find the rear brakes on the CFMoto were kaput. A quick check revealed the disc pad linings were about as thin as a cigarette paper. Whisket Tango Foxtrot!!! Only 4100 km from brand new, 500km from the 5000km service.
Already had some stern words with the guy who serviced the bike, not that it will do much good. Shoutout to Circular Head Motorcycles at Smithton who go me back on the road again(for ony $110), in time for beer o'clock (5:00pm) at the pub.
Fingers crossed for the next the month.
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Tuesday 14
Today's route was something like this:
(https://i.ibb.co/Y7qhJn41/day2.jpg)
Lighthouse Beach - there's no lighthouse and couldn't see the beach, and it was that windy, pics I took of the coast got blown away:
(https://i.ibb.co/M51DCDsx/IMG-2930.jpg)
The Mighty Moto parked 15m ahead to get a quick start, I soon found that this wasn't enough to keep the lead.
Even at the isolated, cold, wet (but not yet today), wind swept, god forsaken location there was enough mobile coverage to ping my location.
(https://i.ibb.co/j2kYwQV/IMG-2931.png)
Back to the main. sealed road:
(https://i.ibb.co/CKF9j80P/IMG-2933.jpg)
The Edge of the World, Arthur River:
(https://i.ibb.co/hGQ6QVk/IMG-2928.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/Dq6QDwg/IMG-2948.jpg)
Some quaint fisherman's cottages at Couta Rocks:
(https://i.ibb.co/dwNJynLf/IMG-2943.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/VW1DLpCp/IMG-2942.jpg)
A confusing sign at Temma:
(https://i.ibb.co/1f7MYnJ0/IMG-2946.jpg)
Lunch at the northern end of the Western Explorer track:
(https://i.ibb.co/Dq6QDwg/IMG-2948.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/pjd18H0s/IMG-2951.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/B2G0tdy8/IMG-2947.jpg)
On the road again:
(https://i.ibb.co/FLjygzpz/IMG-2954.jpg)
On the Fatman Barge across the Pieman River, Corinna.
Doug & Pete:
(https://i.ibb.co/XZ1HBP8W/IMG-2959.jpg)
Gero & me:
(https://i.ibb.co/MkYq0RHR/IMG-2958.jpg)
Up to this point we'd had some heavy mist and a few showers, very cold (around 6 to 8C), heated grips stopped working), between Corinna and Zeehan we had some very heavy rain.
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Looks like you having a great day. Enjoy
Thanks for sharing :hatwave