Vanlife: Destination Tasmania - Part 2
Our road trip through Tasmania has landed us in Derby!
Words: Mike Blewitt Photos: Tim Bardsley-Smith
Our road trip through Tasmania landed us in Maydena first and now Derby. Click the link below to check out Maydena or read on to find out about Derby!
On the road to Derby
It was time to pack up our van and drive north. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make any side trips, but if you had the time it would be worth pulling into Launceston, or the revamped trails at Hollybank – and there will be more to talk about over the next 12 months as well.
The whole mountain bike world was taking aim at Derby and the town was already super busy on Thursday morning. There is still free camping in Derby, although for the EWS weekend you won’t be surprised to hear that space was at a premium. Still, everyone was open to where you could park and we saw a few small van conversions in nice private spots by the river. The camping area is in the lower part of town, with coin operated hot showers in a new facilities block. Next door is the Dorset Hotel. With great hot meals, a beer garden and some choice options on tap, not much could make the Dorset Hotel better. Except the fact they have a laundromat out the back, perfect when you’ve been living in a van for a few days.
Coming to Derby when the EWS circus is in town is one of the best ways to see the place, although the town gets packed. Just like in 2017, World Trail built some new trails for the 2019 race and as they did a couple of years ago, these trails have found their place in the trail network, adding to the range of demanding trails in the Blue Derby trail network.
Derby’s main street is a completely different experience to Maydena’s main street. It feels like Derby has been the beating heart of mountain biking in Tasmania for ages, and while there have been events and adventure rides here for a long time, thanks in part to Ben Mather, the Blue Derby network has really only reached its level of success since around the EWS in 2017. And it’s just snowballed since then. Each time we come back to visit there are more services and more trails. With at least four options to shuttle the trails, a vast range of accommodation options, and a development in the works for more shops and places to eat, Blue Derby will continue to set the pace for just how good a mountain bike destination can be.
While the vast majority of riders were in Blue Derby to gaze amazed at the best of the best putting it all on the line for race glory, most of them were there to ride as well. And not all of them (myself certainly included) have the tool kit of skills and confidence to ride the trails that the big kids in the EWS were riding. But that’s ok, as Blue Derby is about a lot more than that.
There are the friendly green trails around the lake, and a little climb up to a lookout back over the lake and Derby, with a slightly harder descent back down. Trails like Blue Tier are a long ride but something that is achievable for a wide range of mountain bikers, with some fun options on the trail for those with an eye to spot a good gap.
The harder trails tend to utilise a combination of man-made features like huge berms, and the natural rocks as well. This can mean lines are more committing, and therefore some trails won’t be able to be just rolled down to try it out. If you’re not sure, ask the people behind the desk when you book your shuttles.
We were in Derby for about 4 days and we did not hang around our van. We rode all day, whether we shuttled with Vertigo or rode up the trails. You don’t need to use a shuttle to ride most of the trails in Blue Derby, but for some like Blue Tier and Atlas it is a huge saving on time and energy. The network is quite spread out and that’s part of the appeal. If you really want to try your hand on the harder trails then the Black Stump shuttle point will be your pick.
With dirt being turned on the trails down to St Helens while we were in Tasmania, this visit was yet another case of “next time you come”. Blue Derby, like Maydena Bike Park, is continuing to expand. And with a long descent from Blue Tier to the coast, and another trail network near St Helens, Tasmania looks like it won’t be disappearing from the mountain bike radar anytime soon. I can’t wait to go back. The only challenge in the future is how long to spend in Tasmania. This week went really fast, and soon enough two weeks will barely fit it all in.
#VANLIFE
A van or camper can be the best ways to see Tasmania. Bring your own or rent one. We booked a 3-berth van and as most campervans don’t have a bike rack option, we figured the extra room would help for fitting them in.
Our van had power to charge via USB and for the lights and water pump when not connected to mains, but not heating or for 240V power to charge a laptop or an eMTB. Plan your trip and book the right kind of van for what you’ll need.
We had a shower and toilet, but never used the toilet and the shower was tiny. You might be better renting something smaller, cheaper, and staying in campsites for those facilities.
Read the full insurance policy. We had to have close to $8000 sit on a credit card as a security deposit before we could get the keys. That’s a big chunk of change, so make sure your #vanlife trip doesn’t end before it starts.
