The Tassie Buggy Trip was a resounding success! In case you didn’t know, Melbourne Sea-Doo and Can-Am recently embarked on a four-day trip around Tasmania, exploring various 4x4 trails in the latest Can-Am Mavericks. Simultaneously adrenaline-packed as well as wholesome, the trip ended up being great family fun. Some brought their kids with them, and we would not be surprised if all the dirt, water, the smell of BBQ on the fire, and the roaring of the engines coalesced together to form lasting memories for these kids who joined their parents.
Monday was the beginning, and what a start it was. Everyone met at Bakers Beach, near Port Sorell, a small town on the north-west coast of Tasmania. Bakers Beach is a great spot, especially considering you get the best of both worlds, whether it be mountains you want or a beach, and this trail near Narawntapu National Park is scenic as well as challenging. The plan was to stay closer to the mountain trails, which had great technical dirt trails with patches of water in between. The drivers were quivering with excitement, a mixture between the cold air of a Tasmanian morning and the excitement of being able to put the Mavericks to the test.
It got hot quickly, with the trail initially leading from dry dirt roads down into more lush and green tracks, full of rocks, stones, and logs to really test the limits of the Maverick suspension. At the end of the trail, there were hot beverages and BBQ waiting for them, where the team re-energised and spoke about the new things they were going to try on the trails the next day.
Tuesday came quickly, and with it another rush of excitement. This time the location was Black Bluff, about 13km of out-and-back trail near Loongana, Tasmania. This trail stretches through the Leven Canyon Reserve and is located in the Tassie North West. If Monday was going to end with the green, Tuesday started with it, as this trail goes through a forest with a bit of a run before reaching the stunning Paddy’s lake.
The Can-Am Maverick was again put to the test here as the trail always had a degree of wetness, if not outright mud, so the Rotax engines was put to work. On the trails, there were many muddy inclines, which meant a lot of manoeuvring and throttle, but the Turbo-charged engine obviously pulled through. As you get to the end of the trail, it opens up to an amazing scene of alpine greens and browns, which makes tackling this trail very worthwhile. If you were looking, you could squint and see Winterbrook Falls, which isn't too far away from the trail. This time the group decided to go with seafood BBQ as well as a warm drink to get them ready for what was to come on Wednesday. By this time, they were getting used to the vehicle and how it performed, so their confidence was high.
Wednesday brought more excitement but also a bit of disappointment, which comes with every second last day of a trip, but the group didn’t let that deter them - those who seek adrenaline always live in the moment. The location was close to the Walls of Jerusalem National Park. This part of Tassie is the second home of those who love fishing, with some great bush-based trout fishing spots, home to rainbow, brown and other native trout species. This is a hydro-lake, part of the Mersey-Forth catchment, which is a system of lakes used to generate electricity.
At this point, the Can-Am Mavericks were so dusty and dirty from wear compared to how they looked when they arrived on Monday, but they were still ready to go. The trail itself had a rocky road which raced down from the top of the mountain, eventually circling around the lake and coming close to some of the pipes that form part of the power generation facility.
At the end, the vehicles raced over a stream, which splashed some of that dirt off of them, which is always fun. At the end, you guessed it, some good old BBQ was in order.
Thursday - the final day. This day would turn out to be the most eventful of all the days prior, and this day’s setting was the beautiful Smith Plains. Smith Plains (also known as Jean Brook) is northwest of Tassie, in the vicinity of Bell Mountain and Mount Jacob. The trail the group took also started out with some forest area, which eventually went to a long dirt road perfect for drifting. This is where things got interesting - one of the vehicles got a niggle while driving the trail because of the hard underbrush, and the group had to do a quick reset on it before moving on. This was done really quickly, and they were off again, only to be stopped by a huge tree trunk in the road. Off road drivers are always prepared, however, and one driver in the group produced an electric saw, which caught nobody by surprise.
The trunk was reduced to logs, and once again, the vehicles went through. Once the trail was finished, the group had their final BBQ, and said their goodbyes, thoroughly tired by their trip but definitely satisfied.
