Cycling Tasmania – Day 10

Cycling Tasmania Day 10 – Dunalley to Richmond
57km, 680m elevation

I haven’t talked much about where we’ve been staying on this trip. For the most part, we’ve been just showing up and seeing what we can find or booking a day ahead of time. That gives me a lot of flexibility in cycling and I love the spontaneity of it. Last night we stayed at Casilda House B&B in the picturesque town of Dunalley. It’s a lovely spot, right on the water with beautiful views out to the bay. We really lucked out on this B&B. Not only is it a lovely place to stay but no sooner had we paid than another hopeful guest showed up. Casilda is the only place to stay for miles. We almost had to sleep in the car (well, Sil in the car and me under my bike)!

This is part of a month-long cycle tour around Tasmania. If you missed the start of this journey, here’s how it all got started.

It felt great to get back on the bike after taking some time to learn about Tasmania’s history at Port Arthur and the Coal Mines over the last two days. From Dunalley I cycled along the coast heading west, rather than taking the busy highway. I really enjoy cycling the little country roads and avoiding the traffic.

The scenery here is particular. Tasmania is experiencing a drought and everything is very dry. It feels strange to me to see the ocean right there and yet there’s almost no rain. The dry grass and cracked tress look out of place with all that deep blue water surrounding the island.

Compared to the Tasman Peninsula, cycling through fairly flat farmland was pretty easy. Maybe my legs are getting stronger!

We stopped for lunch in the historic town of Richmond then continued on into the Coal River Valley, a hot-spot for wine making. And where better to stay in wine country than right in a vineyard! Charles Reuben Estate rents out a very nicely renovated cottage surrounded by grape vines. It’s actually one of Tasmania’s oldest wineries, having started in the 1980s. This is certainly the most luxurious accommodations on the trip so far and incredibly spacious.

Where will the bike take me tomorrow? Where will I sleep? I can’t wait to find out!

If you’re planning your own cycling trip in Tasmania, you can see today’s track and download the gpx from strava.