Day 16 / 2015 - Warragul to Devonport

The day has finally arrived it is time to make our way to Tasmania. All we have to do is get to the port on time.

We had originally planned to drive from Warragul to Port Melboure on the day of departure. Being only 100km away straight down the Monash Freeway we would leave about 4am giving us plenty of time to get there. After a bit of thinking we decided we would leave the caravan park a day earlier and go and find a free camp spot somewhere closer to Melboure. The main reason being the size of our site prevented us from hitching up the night before and we didn't fancy hitching up at 4am most likely waking the neighbours in the process.

leaving Warragul we found ourselves a parking spot at the BP roadhouse about 40km East of Melbourne. The parking area was large and flat saving us from unhitching as we planned to get away before 5am. Setting the alarm for 4pm we turned in hoping to get a reasonable nights sleep Unfortunately it was a restless night due to the noise of the trucks coming and going.

At 4am the alarm goes off I briefly pondered pressing the snooze button but the thought of not making the Ferry on time put paid to that plan. Having Breakfast we then set off for the port. I was really surprised how busy the freeway was at 5am while the traffic flowed smoothly you could see great lines of headlights in the rear and tail lights ahead.

The exit point off the freeway was clearly marked and we had made good time arriving at the ferry port before 6am. Unfortunately the ferry wasn't and was delayed by about an hour. We could all still queue up and go through all the various checkpoints ready to board when the ferry did arrive. 

After passing through the front gates you first go through security and quarantine. You are met by security personel and depending on how shifty you looked would depend on how thorough they would be. We declared all our fruit and veg and after a quick look through the fridge in the van and the engle in the car they waved us through. 

Next you drive all the way down one side to the end of the pier then all the way back up the other side and park out in front of a gate. The gate was closed when we lined up as the boat hadn't arrived but we able to get out of the car to watch the ferry dock. Once the gate opens we all start driving through to the checkin booth where we were given our boarding pass and since we had booked a cabin the key for that as well then moved forward to join another line and wait. There were security personel giving you instructions on which lane you needed to be in. There must be some methodology to loading as there was no first in line first in I guess they need to distribute the weight evenly.

Finally we were called to come forward and drive up the ramp and as Anne said "into the belly of the beast". Once inside we were shown where to stop and asked to wait in the car while all the other car and vans came in I guess they didn't want anybody to get run over. Finally we were able to leave our car and make our way up the stairs to the main deck. They had advised you to pack stuff you would need for the crossing as your were not allowed back to you car untill the ferry berthed in Devonport.

First task was to find our cabin. We were crossing in the day so it was nice to have somewhere to lie down and get away from the crowd or if we felt a bit off colour as well as somewhere to lock valuables up. Next we decided to explore the ferry. Onboard there are 2 resturaunts as well as a number of bars where you can get drinks or snack foods. There is also a cinema and games zone for kids. Apart from cabins there is also an area which have recliner chairs similar to those in an aircraft and are located in a shared secure area and are only available to those who paid for the privilage. There is plenty of public seating around the boat which a lot of passengers use instead of paying for cabins or recliners especially if travelling through the day.

Leaving port we stood on the rear deck and watch Melbourne receed into the distance as we set out accross Port Phillip Bay. We then went down to one of the bars for a coffee and muffin. Once finished we retire to the cabin for a few hours and try and catch up on some sleep. Crossing The bay was quite smooth but once we passed the heads we could feel the swells of the open ocean. This went on for a few hours but gradually the swell got less and less until the ocean became quite calm making for a smooth sail right into Devonport. The weather was quite comfortable as we watched the coastline of Tasmania glide into view.

About 20 minutes before docking all passengers who came on in vehicles were asked to go back to there cars ready to drive off. Once in our cars we waited then heard the doors open and ramps drop and shortly after were given the okay to drive off. Once off the ferry we made our way once again through security and quarantine then out onto the main road. There was quite a queue of vehicles but we all managed to disperse quickly. We had booked a couple off nights at the Big 4 caravan park about a kilometre down the road. Ariving we booked in then setup on our site. We had sea views and in the evening were able to sit and watch the ferry we had come on depart as it headed back to the mainland.