Strahan to Lake Burbury: up, up, and along...

Saturday November 14, 2009, 66 km (41 miles) - Total so far: 923 km (574 miles)

Today will be the first of two days of climbing away from the west coast and back to the high country. I'm heading first to Queenstown and then on to Lake Burbury, where I'll use my tent for only the second time of the tour.

The weather bureau is having two bob each way - they have forecast a fine but cloudy day with a few showers. A cooler day for climbing will be welcome.

I set off from Strahan in misting rain. The climbing started immediately upon leaving the town, quite gently, and feeling fresh after my lay day I quickly settled into a rhythm and waited for the fireworks to start. They never did. In my mindscape of Tasmania, this 'climb' was one that featured high on the fear factor, but it was a fizzer - the grade was a fairly constant 5% to 6%, only occasionally rising briefly to 8%, and it turned out to be the easiest climb so far. Yet other climbs such as Black Mountain, entering Roseberry were much harder but had not registered on the mental map at all.

I completed the 40 odd kilometres to Queenstown before midday, and stopped at a cafe for lunch - a monster burger, and a cappuccino, then called at the supermarket for a few supplies before letting out for Lake Burbury in bright sunshine.

The climb out of Queenstown (the infamous 99 bends) was another that registered high on the fear factor, but it too was a fizzer, and I was soon over the crest and plunging down to Gormanstown, where the road flattened along the shores of the lake, and I completed the ride into a brisk headwind.

The campground at Lake Burbury would have been a pleasant one if not for the wind. I set my tent up in the sparse cover of some shrubbery near the picnic shelter, where I took refuge to prepare my evening meal, and was in bed by 7:30 to escape the wind.