TAS day 26: Strahan to Roseber

January 21, 2016. 77km.

Today was fairly uneventful. The first 18km were almost (gasp) flat. Then there was a small rise and the mountains appeared behind it, and it was back to the standard Tasmanian topography.  

There were a couple choices for distractions on today’s trip. The first was a museum in Zeehan. The other was a waterfall right before  Rosebery. The waterfall involved a big hill and a walk that might have taken a couple hours. Plus, it’s been so dry that waterfalls are somewhat less impressive than they might be. So I stopped in Zeehan. The town itself is a small mining town, still in existence but smaller than at its boom.

The West Coast Heritage Center is a sprawling museum with an impressive mineral collection. They also have historical photos, mining equipment, and a bunch of other odds and ends. The outdoor area has large equipment surrounding a collection of buildings like a blacksmith shop.

The museum was a nice break for a couple hours. I probably could have spent more time there, but I wanted to get on the road. The rest of the biking was pleasant but not too remarkable. Nice forest, with hills in the background. I made it to Rosebery around 5pm. The town seems to be perched on the side of the hills without much in the way of a flatter spot. It just sort of pops out of the forest as you go around a corner. I found the caravan park, though it took a while to find the office person (though it was technically within the open hours) and I got a nice cheap campsite on a grassy shelf with a great view. The showers were free too. Definitely a campground I recommend.

I briefly met a group of 4 lightly loaded tourers (they aren’t camping) who I had seen leaving Strahan this morning. I believe they are also making the long, steep ride up to Cradle Mountain tomorrow. I’m sure they will get there faster than me.