Day 21

Day 21
Tuesday
September 28
Bass Strait to home.
440 km by sea, 1012 km by car –Big travel day.
Clear - 8 to 19 degrees

Feeling homeward bound.

Really nice watching the lights of Tassie slowly disappear over the night horizon. I seem to have this really strange body alarm clock. After leaving Devonport the Captain announced that we would be travelling at 25 knots and that we would pass the other Spirit of Tasmania around 12.30. I thought that would be really good to see but I didn’t want to set the alarm. We settled into our bunks around 10 pm and were rocked to sleep by the swell with the occasional big wave!

Then I woke up at 12.25am and there, out of our porthole, I could see the other ship passing by. Really pleased about that. Then I thought it would be really good to wake up and watch the ship go through the entrance of Port Phillip Bay at around 3.30am. Sure enough, the next time I woke up, I watched the lights of the Victorian coast come into view. The trouble then was that I kept waking up to see what else I could see for the rest of the morning and I felt pretty tired by 5.30 when we had to get up.

Arrived ‘Station Pier’ Port Melbourne around 5.30 and in our car waiting to go by 6.30. 6.45, we were driving along the streets of Melbourne. It is already 16 degrees which is warmer than many of the maximums we had in Tassie. Originally, we were thinking of taking two days to get home but we decided to try to get home in the one day. First stop at a Motorbike shop in Huntingdale. I have always wanted to check out this place as they specialise in restoring bikes that are between 20 to 40 years old. Nortons, Triumphs and old Japanese road bikes. Because it is so early I had guessed that I would only get to look through the window. We pulled in around 7.30 .... and the guy had already opened up ....YES!!!!! They import them from the ‘cold’ states in U.S. where they have low mileages because the riding season is only a few months a year due to the climate. Most of them have been sitting in sheds and are in fantastic condition. Beautiful bikes, as good as a motorcycle museum without the entry fee.

I have this crazy liking for old Honda twins, CB 450, which is a really unremarkable bike. But I have always liked them. He showed me pics of one coming in the next container with 8,000 miles. This is a CB350 which is very similar.

A beautiful Commando ... if only?????

Next stop at Healesville for breakfast in the park. Then on to a visit to Marysville. Marysville was always one of our favourite towns and we had not seen it since the bushfires. Although the forest seems to be slowly coming back, unfortunately, the town is completely different ... and does not seem to be regaining its former charm. Very disappointing.

And so we put our heads down for the big drive home. Arrived home around 8.30 pm feeling pretty tired and wishing we had gone for the two day option!.

Home Sweet Home.

What will I do now in the evening, that I am not writing this stuff?