My St Helens To Hobart Run...

[Wayne_J]

Since I serviced the 34 on Saturday and hadnt driven it much for a while, I decided to go for a run down to Hobart from home (St Helens) if only to see what the roads are like.

The route along the east coast is brilliant over all, good quality surfaces, a good drivers road suitable for 'interesting' speeds.

There were one or two inexplicable dips in the road on some straight sections that anyone in a really lowered car may come undone on if they're going fast enough though... something to be aware of. The only thing it lacks is a really tight/twisty section - but it has pretty much everything else you could ask for I reckon. Not much traffic at all either.

I didnt spend much time in Hobart itself (drove around Salamanca Place a bit), once I spotted the towers up on My Wellington, I made a beeline for that tower

Thats where these pics were taken obviously.

It was freakin' freezing up there (literally) and I certainly wasnt dressed for it either, lol...

Also had a real fun time trying to disarm the immobiliser due to the high RF levels up there, but I perservered!

Came back down and refuelled somewhere close to the city - I spotted one white and one purple (?) R33 in quick sucession but they're the only other Lines I saw the whole day.

It was by then 2PM, so decided better start heading back, so headed up north along the Midland Hwy, made a detour through Richmond, had a look around, then back to the highway north until the Tasman Hwy. 567KM in about 8 hours all up, I didnt see a single patrol car or radar the whole trip either.

Edited May 18, 2008 by Wayne_J

[Dragonforce]

Hey man,

Sounds like an awesome day

Your car looks friggen sweet as, some nice photos there to

[sav man]

Next time go from St Helens to Launceston via Scotsdale the roads are even better.

[NI55ANLUV]

Awwwww I miss Tassie for that Sounds like a great day!

*glares at Brisbane road surfaces*

[WHITER33GTS-T]

If it was a white 33 with gold wheels it was probably me. I was running in my new engine.

What time did you go up Mt Wellington? I went for a cruise up there 2 LOL

[Drifterdan]

I saw you both on my way back down to Hobart

[Wayne_J]

Hey man,

Sounds like an awesome day

Your car looks friggen sweet as, some nice photos there to

Thanks. I really need to plan ahead next time, as once I got to Hobart I had no idea where to go or what to look at, lol.

But going up Mt Wellington was well worth it

[Wayne_J]

Next time go from St Helens to Launceston via Scotsdale the roads are even better.

Yeah, did that one only a few days after arriving actually... had to go all the way to bloody Westbury just to pick up the cat from the cattery Wridgways decided to use!

As you say its a good drive, on the day I was lucky because once I got that last really windy stretch (just after Scotsdale) there were only 6 slow vehicles all bunched up together, and I managed to pass them all in one go on what was probably the only straight bit of road... gotta love that RB power

When I first arrived here, I freaked out a bit about how much loose gravel and stones there seems to be on even the sealed roads (Tasman Hwy in particular).

Was even considering selling the R34 because I know it'd drive me nuts each time theres a new stone chip, but now that I've driven the 3 main routes out of St Helens it doesnt seem as bad as I thought it'd be (or I'm just getting used to it

I just need to keep reminding myself it's only paintwork... the rest of the car will be fine

Still, I've never seen so much damned gravel on what are otherwise good roads before, and I've been just about everywhere in Aus and just came from another country area on the mainland. I dunno why they seem to do that here? Case in point was the main road through Fingal, they had just resurfaced the road about 4 weeks ago - and I'm not kidding - they had put at least a 1cm thick layer of loose gravel over the whole stretch. I was driving through there at walking pace, hoping like hell no one would pass me too fast, lol.

[Wayne_J]

Awwwww I miss Tassie for that Sounds like a great day!

*glares at Brisbane road surfaces*

I feel for you, I lived in Brissie for a couple of years (2000-2002) and yeah - not many good driving roads around there come to think of it.

You need to go up the coast a bit to around Maleny or maybe south of the border?

[Wayne_J]

If it was a white 33 with gold wheels it was probably me. I was running in my new engine.

Hmm... could've been?

The fuel receipt says I went to BP in Nth Hobart, I saw the white 33 going in the opposite direction but didnt notice the wheels.

What time did you go up Mt Wellington? I went for a cruise up there 2 LOL

Looking at the photo info, the last pic was taken at Mt Wellington @ 1:52PM, too bad it'd wouldve been good to meet you

[Wayne_J]

I saw you both on my way back down to Hobart

I hope you didnt see me on the Midland Hwy.

I was... erm, a bit over the speed limit somewhat, very keen to get home and relax by then

[Wayne_J]

I did basically the exact same trip again yesterday (except didnt go up Mt Wellington), as I had to pick up my Mum from Hobart airport

[Medium Dave]

Its a good run from Hobart - St Helens - Launnie, I did that a few months ago with some mates, nice summers day, and I had my first drive of a GTR, a R33 Vspec, absolute magic