Places to tour

I remember it being that wet because I remember making exactly that
comment (ie. raining every 2-3 days for about 2 months) to mainland
relatives at the time. I don't have figures to back it up myself, and
perhaps the total rainfall wasn't that great, but the time of rainfall
was certainly quite extensive.

I was there for a bit over 5 years myself, and that was by far the
wettest of the years I experienced. Compared to your 25 years in the
same location, it is entirely possible that it was nothing more than an
anomaly.

Either way, it was still one of the best places I've ever lived, and the
only place I still want to go back to. Maybe one day it will actually
happen!

 

Did a leisurely lap of the island yesterday. 1010 km and 14 hours
including stops. It was 7 degrees C when I left at 6 am. Was still
registering 7 between Burnie and Queenstown at about 8:30. With
thermals, flannellete shirt, polar fleece vest, riding jacket with
thermal liner, and wet weather outers, I stopped shivering about 9:00
am. I think we nudged 19 or 20 around St Helens in mid-afternoon.

Spent the Christmas and New Year break at Lake Pedder. In 6 days, I saw
sunshine for about 20 minutes. Temps never got above 12 the whole time.
It snowed on Scott's Peak on NYE, and hailed and sleeted NYD.

Counter all that with last Wednesday, when it got to 38 near Epping
Forest about 49 km away.

 

I didn't have to buy wet weather gear til I moved to the mainland . .
.. although that probably was more due to not having to travel as far
to get where you wanted and you put up with a bit of water.

Especially Sydney. I remember 1988 when I was living in Chatswood and
working in French's Forest which from memory was about a 40 minute
ride peak hour. It got to a point where I just put my wet weather gear
on every day as 4 out of 5 days it would start raining, ven if it was
bright and sunny when I left home. It was just easier to assume it was
going to rain. It was an insane year. Around 7pm every day for most of
that year a thunderstorm would roll in from the south-west. I love
thunderstorms so we'd sit on the front porch and watch them. But after
a while the amount of water being dumped on me got boring.

 

Best I've managed was when we were doing a spec ride for Australian
Motorcycle Week. Headed up over the highlands. I was wearing thermals
under my leathers plus wet weather gear. Heated grips, waterproof
boots plus high quality winter gloves. When we crested above Poatina
it was basically a blizzard. Didn't like the concept of heading back
down the zig zag so pushed on. The other two guys were on road-trails
with knobby tyres, but I was on a Hayabusa. I was getting battered by
strong crosswinds that had snow attached to them. There were
log-trucks coming the other way, so to get traction I'd go onto the
wrong side of the road and ride in their wheel ruts until I could see
another one coming towards me then cross back onto the snow on my side
of the road. Eventually the blizzard slowed to sleet and the road was
just wet, the nasty stuff was just on the edge of the mountains. I was
able to open up the busa and catch up with the other guys. We stopped
at an intersection and my mate looked at me and said "Kev - slap your
chest". I did so and all these chards of ice fell off me onto the
tank.

Later we stopped at Bothwell and I made the mistake of leaving my
gloves on a table outside the pub. When we moved off again it was
still too cold for the heated grips to overcome the now waterlogged
gloves and the airflow over the gloves was cooling them even more. I
was ending up in real physical pain to the point where I had to stop
at Melton Mowbray, take the gloves off, put them on the exhaust and
hold my hands directly on the the heated grips until I could feel my
fingers again.

But it's all relative. 1987: riding from Sydney to Port Macquarie at
night mid-winter. Kerry and I froze. Not as bad as that Tas trip as I
had prepared better. We were staying at a friend's holiday home there.
The bugger when we got there was that we hadn't counted on the power
being turned off so no hot water for a shower. Turned power back on
and went to bed and found another way to warm us up

 

I never go on a long trip without three pairs of gloves.

Theo

 

I never go on a long trip without three pairs of gloves.

Theo

Agreed, a winter gortex lined waterproof pair, a long summer leather pair
and a short BMW airflow pair. (and sometimes a pair of rubber washing up
gloves for really rainy weather) not to mention 3 sets of disposable
surgical gloves in my firt aid kit.

Boxer

 

Interesting
What clothes do you carry/wear on a long trip (riding and non riding)?

Mr H

 

Depends upon the season, in cold weather a Aerostich Roadcrafter suit (one
or two peice) http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Roadcrafter-p-1-c-249.html
thermal underwear t-shirt and electric jacket liner.
http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aerostich-Kanetsu-WINDSTOPPER-Electric-Liner-p-18922.html
..Gortex Boots

In warmer weather a BMW Airflow suit, gloves and boots, or BMW off road suit
depending what bike I am riding at the time and where I am going, Jeans and
sneakers with a t-shirt and lightweight jacket for lounging around the pub
after the days ride.

Boxer