A 6-Day Ride report is just like being there… Sort of 
Wayne Gerdes -
CleanMPG - April 27, 2010
BMW rider on the Tasmanian Coastline overlooking the Pacific. Few will ever experience the great expanse and beautiful views that a Adventure Tour provides unfortunately.
197 participants on this year’s BMW Touren Sport Safari left the Station Pier at Port Melbourne to board the Spirit of Tasmania ferry and travel the 150 miles across the Bass Strait to this amazing island for six days of riding on the fantastic roads of Tasmania.
Riding a variety of BMW bikes, the latest arrivals were those who had squeezed in a trip on route to Phillip Island circuit to watch the opening round of the 2010 Superbike World Championship. Once aboard though, everyone found their cabins, dumped their gear and made it down to the rider briefing that informed all the participants exactly what to expect during their next six days of adventure.
With the promise of decent weather and lots of riding ahead, many chose an early night in their bunks – especially as they were greeted by the swell in Bass Strait – although there were, of course, the usual suspects who preferred sleeping upright at the bar!
Monday – Day 1
A fully loaded BMW R on an adventure of a lifetime.
On the Monday morning at 5:30 AM, the Spirit began its docking procedure in Devonport and the day began for all 197 Safari participants with a hot breakfast at Perry Bros Bakery just a few hundred yards from the dock. Bacon and egg rolls and hot coffee were consumed with gusto, and then it was on the bikes to begin the trip to Strahan over on the west coast.
The sun was up and all was looking good for a great day of riding, although the trip over to Cradle Mountain was decidedly chilly! From there it was a choice of the long way round via Reece Dam or the shorter way via Rosebery and by early afternoon most had arrived and checked into their accommodation in the picturesque town of Strahan.
Tuesday – Day 2
Tuesday morning was a little cloudy, with light drizzle on the ride up and out of Strahan via Queenstown. But things soon brightened up and the skies cleared for a brilliant run via Bothwell and Richmond into Hobart. The evening rider briefing was at the Customs House Hotel, after which everyone dispersed, with new and old friends, for more drinks and dinner around historic Salamanca Place and Hobart harbor before what was to be another very exciting day.
Wednesday – Day 3
Wednesday dawned bright and beautiful and many chose to join a Tasman Island Cruise out of Port Arthur. The BMW Safari had chartered two 44-seater boats and the trip along the sheer rock cliffs, with many caves and the sighting of seals, dolphins and other wildlife turned into the highlight of the day. The riding was exhilarating with a wide choice of routes to choose, going east, south and west out of Hobart. And with hardly a cloud in the sky, it was a great day to make the trip up to Mt Wellington, from where participants had fantastic panoramic views of Hobart, the Derwent River and Storm Bay, and the southern section of the vast World Heritage Tasmanian Wilderness areas.
Thursday – Day 4
Thursday was another weather treat for the whole Safari group and on the way up to Launceston the temperature was absolutely perfect. It was the A3 all the way and what a road that is – spectacular coast-line scenery and bends that just never seem to stop! Everyone made it safely to Launceston and to the Star Bar for that evening's rider briefing.
Friday – Day 5
One of the best ways to enjoy the world is with new and old friends alike while on an Adventure Tour.
The following day brought yet more good weather and the BMW riders journeyed through the winery district of north eastern Tasmania and back via the Batman Bridge. It wasn’t a long a day in the saddle, as everyone needed to be on good form for that evening’s final dinner and prize awards at the Hotel Grand Chancellor. The next morning saw a late check-out and a final ride up to Devonport, to take the overnight ferry to Melbourne and a return to the rain that had kindly stayed well away from Tasmania.
The final word went to BMW Motorrad Australia’s Marketing Manager Miles Davis, who rode a BMW HP2 Megamoto during this year’s event.
“The 2010 BMW TS Safari and the choice of Tasmania as the venue was considered to be another great week away and many are looking forward, very much, to the next event,” he said. “A big thanks and congratulations to all who took part, as it was everyone’s enthusiasm and camaraderie that made this a really enjoyable event for all who took part.”
Have you ever considered group touring? It’s a great way to get to know other BMW riders and a choice of approved partners worldwide mean that you can visit just about any country you wish and benefit from local knowledge, years of experience and the fun of meeting riders from other countries and backgrounds than yours. Visit the ‘travel and training’ pages of the
BMW Motorrad website, view the list of approved touring partners and then get out there and explore in 2010!
All we can add is to say, “Get out and ride”
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