Motorcycle travel: Spirit of Tasmania

A riding trip to Tasmania – unless you are hiring bikes when you get there – is all about the ‘occasion’, and the Spirit of Tasmania is a huge part of the revelry. Sure, competition for the ocean liner is scant, but now that I’ve made the crossing for the first time, I can’t think of a better way to bookend a trip -- from the nervous anticipation on the way over to the feel good factor of ‘a job well done’ on the way home.

The Spirit of Tasmania is actually two ships -- Spirit of Tasmania I and Spirit of Tasmania II -- criss-crossing like, err, ships in the middle of the night, as they make daily overnight jaunts from Melbourne to Devonport and vice-versa. There are also summer day sailings from 9:00am-6:00pm -- but there's something extra special about the moonlight crossings. The duo was built in 1998 in Finland, and the first commercial crossing was September 1, 2002. They are roll-on/roll-off designs -- openings at the stern and bow – for seamless entry and exit. Not that it’s really an issue for bikes, but a B-double driver would be happy with the arrangement.

Boarding on the Spirit of Tasmania begins a couple of hours before departure, and it’s a simple exercise – both in Melbourne and Devonport. Once it’s clear that you’re not harbouring any nasties like fruit fly in your luggage, the next port of call is a gatehouse masquerading as a check-in booth. You simply hand over your licence and you’re given the appropriate ‘credentials’, which for us included swipe cards for our cabins. There are some family rooms with televisions, but we had three twin cabins, which are more than big enough to store all your riding gear, whether it’s under the bed, on the side dressers or in your the cupboard. All the rooms have en-suites too. If your budget doesn’t stretch to rooms, you can book a reclining seat to whittle away the hours. There are 146 ocean recliners and 222 cabins – the latter offering four different spec levels.

After check-in, there’s a small wait before vehicles are herded onto the ship, where you’re then directed into position by staff. The only request is that you leave the steering unlocked so the bikes can be tied down. And don’t worry about other people playing with your bike, as the professionalism of the staff is beyond reproach. Once you’ve waved goodbye to your steed (and it’s permanent, as no access allowed to the vehicle deck until arrival) it’s then upstairs to deck seven, which is the central hub for the ship as far as dining, accommodation (rooms) and entertainment (games arcade, children’s playroom and live entertainment in summer) is concerned. That includes a free cinema, which has a child friendly screening time around 7:00pm, followed by another one later in the evening. Argo was playing during our cruise, but there wasn’t a huge turnout as the Logies were also screening at the same time and people were on tenterhooks on who would win the coveted Gold Logie, not to mention which soapie starlet looked the hottest.

Settled in and the ship hustling its way out of Port Phillip Bay en route to Devonport, we chose to dine in the ship’s restaurant – The Leatherwood. I eat everything except wasabi and stewed rhubarb, so I enjoyed the meal – but some of my colleagues who travel frequently to all corners of the globe commented that the food was sensational. The service is great too, so it’s a great way to settle in with your family and friends. But if your budget doesn’t extend to formal dining, there’s The Captain’s Table with a selection of cold and hot options.

We enjoyed benign conditions on both legs, so the first thing we knew that we were close to arriving was the wake-up call at 5:45am – from the sweetest, soothing voice I’ve ever experienced over a loud speaker. It’s then up and at ‘em before the call is made to make your way down to your vehicle, and within minutes you’re on your way.

SPIRIT OF TASMANIA FAST FACTS

The Bikesales Network travelled to Tasmania for our massive naked middleweight comparo.