Spirit of Tasmania

[spybo]

Hi all
We are going to Tasmania next month
Have never been before and was wondering about the ship
What do i need to know about boarding etc

Where to stay while waiting to board

Thanks Andrew.

[T1 Terry]

If the gas bottles can be removed they want you to put them in their gas bottle locker, make sure you mark it well so you get the correct one back. Any fuel containers must be placed in thre flamables locker as well, make sure it's full of fuel, if not, you must fill the container with water, a right shit to get all the water out later. no idea where the best place to stay and wait, we have friends close to the ferry so we stay at their place. If you are first on you are also one of the first off, this can be a bit of a rush first thing in the morning, but last on can have you hanging around for ages so some where in about the middle works well.

[baysidetas]

Just a few points about the ferry.

If you are coming down the Hume then take the Western Ring Rd (M80) and stay on it until you cross over the WestGate Bridge then take the exit to Todd Rd and follow Todd Rd across Williamstown Rd (ignoring the notice about local traffic area) until Todd Rd takes a left hand turn and becomes The Boulevard. You can park along there in sight of the ferry and take a walk on the beach while you wait. When you feel like joining the queue continue along The Boulevard, go through the roundabout and then take the next turn to the right. Continue along there past all the units and at the round about turn right and go a couple of hundred metres to the ferry terminal.

There appears to be no rhymn or reason to the loading except big rigs get special "attention" as they are usually loaded on vehicle deck 5 along with the semis. First on is not likely to be first off. On Tuesday I was one of the last to get on and about the eigth to get off.

[generdawg]

My experience:

Don't eat ferry food.
Take empty fuel containers or tbey will be emptied for you.
Don't take salmon. dur

I stayed in a reserve on the Mornington pennsula, which was listed in camps 4, but disappeared from 5 onward.

dawg

[graynomad]

If you're going on the seats be prepared to sleep on the floor, I can sleep anywhere and even I felt they were unusable.

Despite the rules about sleeping in the bar area most people grab a good spot on the settees and when the crowd thins out they sleep on them. Take a book and some food/drink.

If you have a cabin forget all that

If your rig is over 3.9m (IIRC) high you'll have to go via the fright entrance, that's good because you don't wait in the queue. You still wait just not in a slowly-moving queue.

On the truck deck it can be FOFO or not, it depends on whether you go up to the front of the boat when you load or get put at the back. The front leaves first.

_____
Rob

[pop's coaster54]

Hi spybo.

Hope you enjoy your time in tas.

Karen,Ron and the Girls.

Just coasting along.

[TassyJim]

What size rig do you have?
Which day of the week are you traveling?

I always return south on a mid-week day.
I park along Beaconsfield parade on a meter with the Iveco and 5th.
I wouldn't like to try that on a busy weekend....
To get their, we head down to St Kilda and do a u turn at the lights at Pier road.
Lost of eateries and dogs are welcome on the beaches and some of the eateries.

The shortcut via the The Boulevard wasn't open a couple of months ago due to roadworks.
Todd road, left into Williamstown road, right at the light into Graham st and right into bay street is easy to do and the preferred truck route.

If possible, we take a salad roll or two on board. I tried their 'posh' restaurant once and never again.

You will go through quarantine at Devonport so no fruit, veggies or drugs etc.
The dogs are good at their job.

Jim

[spybo]

Thanks for all the replies

Tassy Jim,
The rig is 6.9m long, 2.4 wide and 3.3 high
We are traveling on Sunday night, ( I thought it would be less crowded at the port on a Sunday, it just shows you can't assume anything)
Thanks for the directions, we now have a couple of ideas on where to park

Pops coaster 54
Thanks we hope to, will be asking more questions later.

Greynomad
We have booked a cabin

Baysidetas
Thanks for the great advice and directions

Terry
We have been told if the gas bottles are in a locker and permanently connected we just have to turn them off. ( Hope this is right)

[graynomad]

I had 4 gas bottles and didn't have to remove them, two were spares and not connected. AFAIK as long as they are securely mounted and tied down they are OK.

_____
Rob

[pop's coaster54]

Hi Spybo.
I think you will find that extra gas bottles that are not connected to anything are required to be handed in and collected at the other end and fuel containers/jerry cans will have to be filled with water.

Karen,Ron and the Girls.

Just coasting along.