Our bikes are very sturdy but heavy steel framed hybrids. Triple chain ring with lots of low gears. They are about twice the weight of our road bikes and have fat chunky 38mm tyres compared to our slim 23mm road tyres. They are easy to ride and will do us well. We each have two new Ortlieb (the very best German) panniers on the back and a small pouch on the handle bars.

My bike needs a new cassette and chain as it slips a lot when in low gears. Manfred says these bikes will be replaced by wonderful new ones next year but he probably says that to all his clients every year.

Kevin and Owen will be interested that we took a different route from Hobart to Richmond to the one Pedaltours used in 2013. We crossed the Tasman Bridge, not the Bowen Bridge, and the Clarence Foreshore Cycleway around the harbour to Bellerive.  Then Cambridge Road through suburbia to Cambridge and the B31 through farmland to Richmond. This route bypassed Grasstree Hill and only had the bridge and one moderate hill to climb.

Tasman Bridge was quite an experience. 1.4km long and 60m high, about the size of Auckland Harbour Bridge.  There is a narrow  footpath separated from the traffic with a low rail and a higher rail on the “drop off the edge side”. Meeting oncoming cyclists and pedestrians was interesting as we did sideways contortions to squeeze past.

The ride around the harbour through forest was very pleasant and we stopped at the boat harbour in Bellerive for coffee to slow the journey down as it was such a short day – 30kms. Here we got a bit lost but Brian charmed two blue rinse ladies into showing the route on their iPhone. Manfred’s tour notes are detailed in the extreme and he says a few odd things.

eg:” halfway down you go ignore the right turn off of the Rose Bay esplanade what is signposted as the Foreshore cycle way”.

From Cambridge we did 17km on country roads past many vine yards and “pick your own fruit” farms. The road was quite busy but no buses and only one eighteen wheeler.

At Richmond it was farmers’ market day so quite a few people around but no coach tours so the tourist places were not crowded out. Yesterday there was a cruise ship in town in Hobart and I think they all went to MONA to get out of the rain!

Richmond is one of three Georgian Historic towns in Tasmania, dating from the early nineteenth century. It is noted for having the oldest bridge, prison and Catholic Church. We did a tour of the prison which operated from 1825 till 1851. The best thing about it is that today it is still exactly like it was in its heyday. It had up to 70 prisoners, mainly men but also women, and included bush rangers and captured aborigines. Tasmania was divided into ten police districts of which Richmond was one. The prison here is five years older than Port Arthur. Most of the public buildings and many private houses and structures were built by the convicts. They were assigned to settlers and used basically as slave labour.

We are staying in a lovely two bedroom, two storey apartment, called the Barracks. Part of it dates from 1830 and the new parts have been constructed using matching materials, proportions and detailing. Living, dining, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom downstairs and another bedroom and bathroom upstairs in the roof. Would like to stay here a few days.

Yesterday was a grey day all day and it looked like it could rain anytime . However despite the clouds often being black we escaped and had a nice dry warm ride in light winds. Long may it last.