Spirit of Tasmania back to Geelong

25th Feb 2023

The Spirit leaves Devonport at 10.30 am and Rosevears is about an hour away. As boarding starts at 8.00 am, we plan to arrive at around 9 am, giving us plenty of time before the close of boarding at 9.45 am. We arrived at just after 9 am, to find a very long queue of cars, trucks, caravans etc all lined up waiting to get their boarding passes and enter the loading area. It took us a good 30 +  minutes to get through this process and were advised when we received our pass that the sailing was delayed due to the lkate arrival of the ship. Apparently the overnight trip was a bit rough.

Eventually we were all loaded on board and departed Devonport at 11.30 am, and hour late. It is hazy with some light rain, but dead flat seas and only around 10-15 knots of breeze from NE, so a pleasant crossing is likely.

The trip is uneventful, and the captain does not make up any lost time, so we ended up disembarking at around 10.30pm. The new Geelong terminal still has a bit to sort out in managing the traffic flows from the vessel to the main road junction, as progress was slow.

Finally we arrrived at our motel at just before 11.30pm. Arrangements had been made for a late checkin so there was no issue getting room access.

Very tired and feeling a new hay fever attack coming on, having arrived in Victoria, I took another Antihistamine, and had a restless nights sleep.

Next time we catch the Sprit of Tasmania, we will opt to go overnight.

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