The second day of the tour started with a visit to Launceston’s National Auto Museum (www.namt.com.au/). For a small museum this one certainly packs in the quality, with lots to see including vintage bikes and a couple of quite significant race cars.
The next leg followed the Tamar Valley north from Launceston until we reached the picturesque Batman Bridge over the Tamar and stopped to take some photos. Then the leg continued into Georgetown for lunch at the York Cove resort. More drooling over the cars on the tour.
Continuing on from Georgetown we travelled through some great countryside to Scottsdale. This section really opened up with some fast open corners with good visibility, well made roads, and virtually nothing on the roads except us Alfas. Scottsdale is a quiet little town, and the local gallery and cafe was overrun by the sudden influx of visitors.
The best was yet to come – as the sun set we drove back into Launceston incorporating a popular Targa stage called ‘The Sidling”. Start with quick and sweeping roads through farmland, the road quickly climbs up a ridge line into rain forest and a very pretty observation point where we stopped. The road is quick, with lots of varying camber, rock walls and drop offs. It must be a hoot to run at rally pace, and although we were taking it easy for the sake of the carsick nine-year-old, we saw a few tour members setting a pretty good pace and having a ball. I believe some brake pads may have earned their wages on the descent. Great stuff. I think Fiona enjoyed the drive very much.
