SYDNEY TO MELBOURNE & TASMANIA GUIDED MOTORCYCLE TOUR

FIRST EVENING – SYDNEY

We’ll all meet at the city centre hotel where you’ll spend your first night. It’s within walking distance of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Darling Harbour and many other attractions. You’ll meet the BikeRoundOz team and your new co-riders, then we’ll run through the tour briefing and answer any questions that you might have. A 10 minute walk will take us to Circular Quay and around to the ‘Rocks‘ district where we’ll have a celebratory first night dinner, complete with superb views overlooking the iconic Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The views at night are simply spectacular and it makes for a great start to the tour.

NEW SOUTH WALES SOUTHERN COAST

There are more than 30 national parks scattered along the coastline of southern New South Wales, with incredible marine sanctuaries and nature reserves adding to the already pretty impressive count. The route follows the coast along the Grand Pacific Drive and over the famous Seacliff Bridge, a marvel of modern road building. It’s not possible to ride any closer to the ocean without actually getting wet.

SNOWY MOUNTAINS

Epic alpine scenery in Australia? You bet! Most people don’t realise that Australia has more ski runs than Switzerland, but a ride through this area will soon set the record straight. Although mostly recognised for its winter sports, ‘the Snowies’, as the area is affectionately known, is a playground for those looking for something different and adventurous motorcyclists alike.

Twist through the atmospheric alpine forests, sweep along the winding mountain roads and drink in the fantastic scenery.

VICTORIA HIGHLANDS

New South Wales has the Snowy Mountains and Victoria has the Highlands. A more relaxed alpine environment than the Snowies, but don’t be fooled, there are plenty of thrilling roads to ride and more breathtaking scenery to provide a great backdrop.

Wide open plains framed by rolling hills and jagged mountain peaks, the road stretching far into the distance meandering gently as it weaves through small settlements and tiny communities.

With such unrestricted views all around, there’s plenty of time to prepare for the corners, revel in the experience and then gaze about at the intricate beauty beyond the perfect ribbon of asphalt you’re speeding along.

THE GRAMPIANS NATIONAL PARK

The ancient hills of the Grampians National Park make for an awesome spectacle as you ride toward them. This area of granite highlands is jam packed with wildlife, superb lookouts and beautiful waterfalls. The visitor centre at Halls Gap can provide all the information you’ll need for getting the best out of your time there and will give you a great overview of the area, ensuring you get to see everything you want during your visit.

By the time you’ve ridden the roads in the park, taken a short walk to the two main lookouts and perhaps trekked to the base of one of the thundering waterfalls, you’ll need at least a half day to absorb what’s on offer, but will probably long to spend more time lost in the atmosphere of the national park.

THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD

Famous as one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world, words can’t describe the wonderful scenery and amazing riding on this 280km stretch of road on the fringes of Melbourne, but we’ll try anyway.

As soon as your wheels hit asphalt, you’ll realise just how special the Great Ocean Road really is. The route twists and turns, hugging the picturesque cliffs as it winds a sinuous path along the coast. Curve after sweeping curve are seamlessly stitched together, almost purposely designed to give maximum enjoyment to any motorcycle riders that are lucky enough to be there.

There are plenty of small coastal towns to stop for a break and a coffee, serving up fantastic ocean lookouts along with the great refreshments. The lovely Otway Ranges provide a lush backdrop to the quaint towns when the road darts inland away from the coast. It takes longer than you might expect to ride along this gem of a road, there’s simply so much to see.

Take a walk in the temperate rainforest at Maits Rest, try and spot that iconic Aussie creature the Koala in the trees above, visit the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, the Grotto, London Bridge, The Arch the list goes on and on! Don’t forget to watch the road as well as the spectacular views though!

Every motorcyclist should ride this road at least once in their life!

OVER TO TASMANIA…

Once we’ve finished enjoying the invigorating riding offered up by the Great Ocean Road, it’s time to hop over the Bass Straight to Tasmania.

First port of call in Tasmania, quite literally in fact is Devonport. Home to the terminal for the ‘Spirit of Tasmania I and II’ ferries, Devonport is a congenial port town that provides a great introduction to the Island State as we head off towards St Helens and the east coast of the island.

THE BAY OF FIRES

The Bay of Fires was thusly named by Captain Tobias Furneaux in 1773, when he spotted numerous fires along the coast which led him to believe the country was more densely populated than it actually turned out to be.

These days it’s more likely to be referred to as the Bay of Barbeques, as the prevalence of pristine, almost eye-wateringly white beaches, turquoise ocean and soothing climate, make this the ideal spot to relax, cook up some food and savour the atmosphere.

Boating, bird watching, camping, swimming, snorkelling and a wide range of other activities mean there’s plenty to see and do, along with revelling in the beach lifestyle. It makes for one fantastic coastline to ride along too.

FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK

Mid way up the east coast is this easily overlooked sliver of Tasmania, if it weren’t for the thin isthmus of land connecting it to the rest of Tassie, Freycinet would be an island by now. Whilst it would be easy to shoot straight past, revelling in the fantastic riding offered by the eastern coastal road, we’ll indulge in a detour to visit the natural wonder that is Wineglass Bay.

The near perfect swath of sand at Wineglass Bay has earned it the accolade of one of the top ten beaches in the world, as voted by several travel authorities and this motorcycle traveller alike. There’s plenty of fishing, boating, sea kayaking and rock climbing for those feeling energetic, and the spectacular pink feldspar and granite mountains known as ‘The Hazards’ provide a pleasant contrast to all the beach on offer.

PORT ARTHUR

Have you been speeding on your motorcycle? I certainly hope not, as you might well end up in a place like Port Arthur. A place like it perhaps, but the only way to get into this particular ancient convict settlement now is to take a tour like everyone else.

Port Arthur is an almost absurdly appropriate place for a penitentiary. The peninsula where the settlement is located, is only attached to the mainland by a 30m wide stretch of land known as Eaglehawk Neck. A formidable speed bump in any escape plans, but a great route to ride in on!

The guards and convicts may be long gone, but the atmosphere and fascinating history linger. The museum, historic buildings, informative displays, harbour cruise to the ‘Isle of the Dead’ and simply the setting itself, all provide an intriguing insight into what life must have been like for those convicts and soldiers alike, unlucky enough to be sent there.

HOBART

State capital of Tasmania and second oldest city in Australia, Hobart is strongly influenced by its maritime roots. It boasts a waterfront location to rival that of Sydney, the Tasman Bridge playing the part of the Harbour Bridge with considerable aplomb. Dominating every view of the skyline from within the city is Mount Wellington, towering to 1,271m above sea level it casts a watchful eye over the city below. The many hiking trails in the area provide an opportunity to get off the bike and stretch the legs, if you’re feeling up to that thousand or so metres of course! There’s always something going on in Hobart, so much so that you might find it hard to drag yourself away but trust us, there’s plenty more to experience on this tour.

MOUNT FIELD NATIONAL PARK

Founded in 1916 this is Tasmania’s oldest national park, and was the last refuge of the now reportedly extinct Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine. Reportedly extinct because, well, there are so many places to hide in Tasmania’s lush wilderness and more remote areas, that you never really know what you might happen across on a motorbike tour! Easy access to some spectacular waterfalls, rainforest and great camping makes this a popular day stop on the way to the town of Strahan.

STRAHAN AND THE WEST COAST

Riding through part of the ‘Tasman World Heritage Area’, the landscape formed by the dolerite and quartzite mountains offer up some serious scenery and provide some equally serious rapids for those interested in spending some time bouncing around in a raft rather than sampling the delights of the Lyell Highway.

The only road through the area, the Lyell Highway twists and turns, rises and falls as it threads a sinuous route through the epic landscape, providing some fantastic riding through unsurpassed scenery.

You may be loathed to clamber from your faithful steed, but trust us, it’s worth investigating the national parks in the surrounding area on a more intimate level.

A trip back across the waters of the Bass Strait overnight will find us arriving in Melbourne the next morning, and a better spot to relax after such an amazing motorcycle tour would be hard to find. But then…we would say that!

MELBOURNE

A bustling, cosmopolitan city with loads to see and do. The ‘Cultural Capital of Australia’ will do its very best to make you feel welcome. Plenty of superb restaurants offering great meals, shopping, parks and an easy to use tram system make touring the city a breeze.

NOTE: This tour is listed as 13 days and 15 nights because it includes two overnight crossings on the ferry over the Bass Straight to and from Tasmania. You’ll be asleep, don’t worry about it.

PRICING OPTIONS:

* BRING YOUR OWN BIKE:
If you decide to use your own motorcycle on tour, please be sure to let us know what it is before showing up – no scooters in the outback please!

Please note: Pricing for the ‘bring your own bike’ is based on a shared room. If you’d like your own room then that’s no problem, but it does involve and additional cost of AU$ 1,694.

** PILLION PASSENGER:
Add on this amount to the ‘Rider in shared room’ cost if you would like to ride with a pillion passenger and share a room with them during the tour.