Motorcycle Road Guide to

General. Avoid 1, to Launceston to Burnie if possible. Locally the Hobart to Launceston section is called the Midlands Highway and the Launceston to Burnie section is the Bass Highway. These 2 roads are only useful if you want to travel from one end of the state to the other in the shortest time or if you don’t like corners. Then again, if you don’t like corners, you won’t like riding in Tasmania.

The vast majority of A and B roads are in good condition. However, there are major differences in the C roads. The very minor C roads will be narrow and the tighter corners will not be signposted.

Road workers can be careless about gravel placement. They are also good at leaving fine dust on the road after road repairs. Normally there will be signs to indicate that there is gravel on the road but there are some roads where there never seems to be warnings.

Watch out for very tight 90 degree corners around paddocks in farming country. These can be as sharp as an intersection in towns and may not be signposted

Unlike the big island, 400klms is a reasonably long day in Tasmania because of the roads. Assuming you stop to look at the scenery or check out the towns, it can take most of the day to do 400klms. It is certainly possible to do much greater distances but it defeats the purpose of coming to Tasmania if you don’t relax and enjoy the scenery.

North West Number Where Comment

C132 Forth going Known as the Cradle Mountain link road. Arguably the south west to best way to get to the west coast. the A10 on the Nice corners through farm land from Forth to Moina west coast although the last few kilometres to Moina are very narrow and rough with lots of blind corners. Take this part gently. There are lots of corners on the climb past Moina with a couple of decreasing radius left hand corners that can catch you out. After the climb, the road opens up a lot and although very high speed is possible, the police do patrol the road occasionally. Keep an eye out for livestock as the road isn’t fenced past Moina. It’s worth a detour to Cradle Mountain. The last part of the road is dirt but the scenery and walking is great Ride 32 in the Australian Motorcycle Atlas.

A10 Somerset going This is the original road to the west coast that runs south to through farm land and forest. Plenty of corners to Fingerpost provide entertainment but be careful in Hellyer Gorge as junction on the the corners can be very tight and can stay wet for a few A10 days after rain. In the dry, it is real fun on a good handling bike.

B18 Burnie going Built as the truck route to the west coast. Mainly south to straight with gentle bends. The quickest but most boring Fingerpost way to the west coast. junction on the A10

A2 Burnie going Nice scenery and small towns but the road carries a lot west to of traffic and is fairly boring. Links to the Western Marrawah Explorer (dirt road) which goes from Smithton to

C136 Moina going Lots of corners (some very tight) especially the descent east to Sheffield into and ascent from Cethana. A lot of fun. Ride 31 in the Australian Motorcycle Atlas.

C138 East of Cethana Links the C136 to the B12. Great views from the top of going east to the the climb from the C136. The road is in reasonable B12 condition but it is narrow in places with tight corners but still good fun. Ride 31 in the Australian Motorcycle Atlas.

B12 Deloraine going Nice ride through farm land with good sweeping corners west to Mole for a bit of entertainment. Creek and the C138

West Any road is a good road. It’s worth the time to try and ride on all the roads in this region. Number Where Comment

C252, Tullah to Reece A must do loop. C249, to Zeehan Road surface is generally good and the road has A10 to Tullah everything. Tight corners, sweeping corners, long straights, little traffic and good views. Note: I have a map that shows the section of road between the A10 and C249 as the C250. However the other 2 maps I have show it as the C252 so I will use that number.

A10 Tullah going Very nice road with plenty of corners. Watch out for south to tightening corners that aren’t signposted, particularly Queenstown down hill left handers. Much more traffic than the B28.

B28 South of Tullah An excellent alternative to the A10. going south to Was built to provide access for dam construction. Runs north of up and around the side of mountains so it has lots of Queenstown good corners with very few surprises, nice views and very little traffic because most of the traffic doesn’t bother to turn off the A10. Try not to look at the views too much whilst moving because if you run off the road, you may never be found.

B24 Just north of Lots of corners but the surface doesn’t inspire Queenstown confidence all the time. Light coloured rock used to seal going west to the road hides gravel well. This can be a problem on a Strahan number of the west coast roads. Still a nice bike road. Part of ride 37 in the Australian Motorcycle Atlas

B27 Zeehan going More open than a lot of the west coast roads which can south to Strahan make a nice change from all the corners. Part of ride 37 in the Australian Motorcycle Atlas

South of A good ride with great scenery. It isn’t a through road Queenstown to so you have to backtrack to Queenstown. Lynchford and

A10 Queenstown Great road. Has some tight corners in spots, mainly on going south east the mountain climbs and descents. Be careful of damp to Ouse patches in sheltered corners if it’s rained recently. Be cautious on the very windy sections as trucks can take up most of the road. There are a number of blind tightening left hand corners around rock faces on the climb out of Queenstown where it is very easy to end up on the wrong side of the road even at slow speed. Part of ride 35 in the Australian Motorcycle Atlas.

South Number Where Comment

A10 Ouse going A pleasant ride through farm land with some fast south east to corners between Hamilton and Gretna to play on. Hobart Part of ride 35 in the Australian Motorcycle Atlas

C608 A10 near Ouse Alternative to the A10. going south east The first part of this road is in poor condition. Look for to Ellendale and potholes and repairs with fine grey dust left on the road. Westerway Once over the second hill (4 to 5k) the road improves and is a nice ride to Ellendale and Westerway.

B61 Westerway Definitely worth the 200k round trip. going south Great scenery in Tasmania’s south west. Lots of west to corners. Watch for damp corners and road repairs with Strathgordon fine grey dust left on the road. Section of road south of is a bit bumpy but it is worth the inconvenience. Go through to the Gordon dam. A very impressive drop from the top of the concrete dam. There is petrol available at Strathgordon but it is very expensive. Would be better to fill up at Westerway or Maydena. There is some accommodation available at Strathgordon.

B61 Westerway Alternative to the A10. going east to Very pleasant ride but not as well surfaced as the A10. The salmon hatchery is on this road which is worth a visit if only for a nice afternoon tea. You have to pay to wander around the fish ponds.

B110 A10 near First 12k of this road is superb. It was rebuilt a couple Hamilton going of year ago. Lots of corners signposted at 55 and 65kph. north to Surface is highway quality. Bothwell Last 20k to Bothwell is very average. Lots of straight bits and the surface is very poor. It is still worth the side trip. There is a golf museum at Bothwell and the oldest golf course in .

A5 Miena going Nice highland road although the surface is average in a south east to number of places before Bothwell. Contrary to what the Bothwell and maps say, this is all sealed. However, the roads on the Melton other side of Miena are gravel. Mowbray The turn off to Poatina and Cressy (B51 see North section) is about 10k south of Miena on this road. Bothwell to Melton Mowbray is a nice combination of straight bits and corners. The road is in excellent condition although it isn’t particularly wide. Once past Melton Mowbray, you can take

East Number Where Comment

A3 Fingerpost A very nice ride up the east coast of Tasmania with a Road turnoff nice mix of straight bits and corners. There is a very going north to nice series of corners just before Buckland, and again St Helens before Swansea and between Swansea and Bicheno. Good water views. It’s worth a visit to Coles Bay. The road in (C302) is good and Coles Bay has a nice relaxed feel. There is a 30 minute walk to a lookout that gives magnificent views over Wineglass Bay. It is a reasonably steep walk so I wouldn’t recommend doing it in riding gear. You can walk to Wineglass Bay, but this will take between 2 and 3 hours each way.

B34 North of Known as the Lake Leake road. Arguably the best bike Swansea going road in the state. Do not miss it. Built for log trucks so west to all the corners are fast constant radius sweepers. There Campbell Town are only a few corners on the road with advisory speed signs on them. They are sharper than all the other corners and you do need to slow down a bit for them. It is policed more often than it used to be. The first 24k to Kalangadoo (not shown on maps – it is just a store) from the east coast is the best although the whole lot is a good ride. Even if you don’t want to go to Campbell Town, do the bit to Kalangadoo, turn around and come back to the A3. It’s worth it.

A4 Conara going From Conara on Highway 1 just north of Campbell east to St Marys Town to St Marys is a pleasant ride. Not that many corners to get excited about though. Not much traffic.

A4 St Marys going I don’t like this road much although it is listed as part of south to the A3 ride 33 in the Australian Motorcycle Atlas. via Elephant A lot of it is very narrow, with very tight corners and Pass the road surface is indifferent. Large vehicles will take up most of the road in lots of the corners. Ride fast on this stretch of road at your own peril. However, there is an excellent pancake shop on Elephant Pass that is worth the trip. Note, the shop doesn’t take credit cards. You will need cash.

A4 St Marys going The corners are not as tight as Elephant Pass. north to the A3 Part of ride 33 in the Australian Motorcycle Atlas via St Marys pass

North Number Where Comment

A3 St Helens going Road surface is generally good and the road has north west to everything. Tight corners, sweeping corners, long Launceston straights. Very entertaining ride. Beware of trucks in the tight sections. Ride 36 in the Australian Motorcycle Atlas.

B81 Scottsdale Alternate route to the A3 past Scottsdale. Doesn’t go going west to high into the mountains and the corners are more open. Lilydale and Still an entertaining ride through farm land and forests. Launceston Try this road if you want a change from the tight sections on the A3 from St Helens. It’s not easy to find the turnoff in Scottsdale. If you are coming from the east coast, turn onto the A3 as if you are going to Launceston. Go through the main shopping area of Scottsdale and turn right just over the railway crossing. I think the sign says Winery Route. The turn is poorly signposted. At the next intersection, the road you want isn’t directly opposite you. It is about 20 meters away on the left. There is no signpost. In Launceston the B81 comes off Georgetown Rd in the suburb of Rocherlea. This is north of the city centre and on the east side of the river.

B82 The A3, 50k Fairly open road. About 16k of gravel. Gives access to from St Helens lots of dirt roads in the north east. going north west to Gladstone, Bridport and George Town

C401, Fingal (on the Pleasant ride on sealed section from Fingal to Upper B43 A4) going north Esk with some corners. Good tight hilly dirt road from west to there to Upper Blessington (20k). Nice sealed country Launceston road from Upper Blessington to Launceston with some good corners. The dirt section requires caution on road bikes.

B71 Exeter going Nice road, well surfaced with enough corners to be west to enjoyable. The best way to get from Launceston to the Devonport north west coast. Ride 34 in the Australian Motorcycle Atlas.

C522 Campbell Town Pleasant country road. A little bumpy in spots but there going north to is little traffic. Far more enjoyable road than Highway 1. Cressy and At least there are some corners. Gives access to the Longford Poatina/Great Lake road (B51).

Recommendations Although the basic lap of Tassie tour below goes around the island in a counter clockwise direction, there is no reason why they can’t be done in a clockwise direction. Your choice may come down to whether it is wet on the west coast when you want to leave the north west coast as the windy roads on the west coast aren’t much fun in the wet.

The Basic Lap of Tassie  Devonport to Strahan. There are a number of alternatives depending on how far you want to ride in a day. Alternative 1: The C132, A10 and turn left onto the B28 just after Tullah, then the A10 and turn right onto the B24 just before Queenstown to go to Strahan. 220klms. Alternative 2: The C132, A10 and turn right onto the C252 before Tullah to go to Zeehan via the Reece dam. Take the B27 to Strahan from Zeehan. 270klms Alternative 3: The C132, A10 and turn right onto the C252 before Tullah to go to Zeehan via the Reece dam. Take the A10 north from Zeehan to just south of Tullah and turn right onto the B28. Then take the B24 to Strahan. 330klms. I would recommend this route. This is the longest ride but it allows you to use one of the shorter rides to Hobart so that you do roughly the same mileage each day.  Strahan to Hobart. There are a number of alternatives depending on which roads you took to get to Strahan. Alternative 1: Direct route via the B24 to Queenstown and the A10 direct to Hobart or via the A10, C608 and the B61 to Hobart. 300klms. This is a good route if you used alternative 3 above to get to the west coast. Alternative 2: The B27 to Zeehan, A10 south to Queenstown and on to Hobart. 340klms. This the best route if you used alternative 3 above to get to the west coast as it means that you have ridden on all the good roads on the west coast. Alternative 3: The B27 to Zeehan, A10 north from Zeehan to just south of Tullah and turn right onto the B28 onto Queenstown and Hobart. 380klms. This is a good route if you used alternative 1 or 2 above to get to the west coast. No matter which way you go, try and do the first part of the B110 just south of Hamilton. It’s worth the detour.  Hobart to St Helens via the C324, C350 and A3. Remember to do the first part of the Lake Leake road (B34). If you like corners and pancakes, turn off the A3 and go to St Marys via Elephant pass and return to the A3 via St Marys pass. 300klms. An alternative may be to stay at Coles Bay. This would shorten this day by 60klms and increase the final day by 60klms.  St Helens to Scottsdale and Launceston either on the A3 all the way to Launceston or via the A3 to Scottsdale and B81 to Launceston. Then Launceston to Exeter and Devonport on the B71. 250klms

Additional Day Trips  Day Trip 1: Devonport to Sheffield, Railton, Deloraine, Mole Creek, Cethana, Moina, Forth and back to Devonport on the B14, B13, Highway 1, B12, C138, C136 and C132. You could also include a trip up to the Central Plateau and return from Deloraine on the A5. 200klms without the side trip to the Central Plateau and 280klms with the side trip.  Day Trip 2: Hobart to New Norfolk, Westerway, Strathgordon and return to Hobart via the A10, B61 and C608. 320klms.  An alternate option to day trip 2 is to go from Strahan to Strathgordon via the A10, C608 and B61. 300klms. Stay in Strathgordon overnight. There is limited accommodation available. Then from Strathgordon to Hobart on the B61. 160klms.  Day Trip 3: Hobart to Kingston, Margate, Kettering, Gordon, Verona Sands, Cygnet, Huonville, Dover, Southport and return via Mt Wellington on the B68, A6 and B64. 280klms. These roads (as well as the C626) could be done as 2 one day loops. One including the roads to Kingston, Margate, Kettering, Gordon, Verona Sands, Cygnet, Huonville and the other venturing further south to Southport and Hastings via the more direct A6.  Day Trip 4: Hobart to Sorell, Port Arthur and return via the C324, C351, A9 and B37. You can use the A3 to get to Sorell if you want but it is just a normal highway. 210klms.  Day Trip 5: Hobart to Richmond, Colebrook, Campbell Town, Cressy, Poatina, Bothwell, Melton Mowbray and Hobart on the C324, B31, Highway 1, C522, B51, A5 and Highway 1. 350klms.  Day Trip 6: Covers the same territory as day trip 5 but starts at Launceston. Launceston to Longford, Cressy, Poatina, Bothwell, Melton Mowbray, Campbell Town, Cressy and Launceston on the C522, B51, A5, Highway 1, C522. 370klms.  Day Trip 7: Launceston to Lilydale, Scottsdale and Bridport on the B81, B84. Bridport to Georgetown and Launceston on the B82 and A8. There are wineries and a large lavender farm on this route. You can add a detour via the B73 just south of Georgetown over the to Beauty Point and Beaconsfield to see the seahorse farm and mining museum to complete the tour. About 260klms.

The Grand Tour  Do Day Trip 1 to Deloraine and return.  Devonport to Strahan via the C132 or A10. See above for options.  Strahan to Hobart. See above for options. I would suggest travelling to Hobart all the way on the A10. No matter which way you go, try and do the first part of the B110 just south of Hamilton. It’s worth the detour  Do day trip 2 to Strathgordon and return.  Do day trip 3 to Southport or split into 2 day trips to the south of Hobart.  Hobart to Melton Mowbray, Bothwell, Great Lake, Poatina, Cressy, Longford and Launceston on Highway 1, A5, B51 and C522. 230klms. Plenty of time to look at the National Car Museum or the gorge in Launceston  Do day trip 7 to Bridport and return.  Launceston to Conara, Fingal, St Marys, Swansea and Hobart. There are 2 main ways to get from Launceston to Conara. Either south on the C522 to Campbell Town and north to Conara on Highway 1 or directly south from Launceston on Highway 1. From Conara use the A4, A3, C350 and C324. 350klms.  Do day trip 4 to Port Arthur and return.  Hobart to Campbell Town, Lake Leake and St Helens. There are 2 ways to get to Campbell Town. Either north on the C324 to Richmond and then via the B31 and Highway 1 or directly to Campbell Town from Hobart via Highway 1. From Campbell Town, use the B34 and A3. If you like corners and pancakes, turn off the A3 and go to St Marys via Elephant pass and return to the A3 via St Marys pass. 310klms. An alternative may be to stay at Coles Bay. This would shorten this day by 60klms and increase the trip to Launceston by 60klms.  St Helens to Scottsdale and Launceston either on the A3 all the way to Launceston or via the A3 to Scottsdale and B81 to Launceston. Then Launceston to Exeter and Devonport on the B71. 250klms