MOTORCYCLE TOUR -
Van Diemen’s Expedition
New South Wales, Victoria,Tasmania
Van Diemen's Land Expedition Motorcycle Tour – this ticks off most of the most exciting and iconic motorcycling roads NSW, Tasmania and Victoria has to offer.
TRAVEL ON A MOTORCYCLE, FROM THE ALPINE HIGHLANDS OF NSW TO THE MAGNIFICENT ISLAND OF TASMANIA, AND THEN ONTO SOME OF THE BEST MOTORCYCLING ROADS IN VICTORIA – AND SHARE YOUR JOURNEY WITH WORLD CHAMPION MOTORCYCLE RIDER, ALEX CUDLIN.
Description
Join us on our “Bucket List” Motorcycle Tours Tasmania, starting from the Alpine region of NSW and taking in Tasmania and the spectacular Great Ocean Road in Victoria, encompassing some of Australia’s most iconic motorcycling roads on the way there, and then some of the best, endless winding and scenic roadways NSW,
Tasmania and Victoria has to offer.
We will also have a great return ride back together.This 11 Day/10 Night tour will let you experience the sweeping Alpine roadways, then the largely world heritage area of Tasmania, bursting with beautiful landscapes, fascinating history, intriguing wildlife, award winning food and wine and friendly people, as well as some of the most twisty and scenic roads that Tasmania has to offer.
After that you will get to experience the spectacular Great Ocean Road in Victoria – an experience never to be forgotten.
Highlights
•Snowy Mountain roads of NSW
•Victorian High-country roads
•Spirit of Tasmania Cruise Ship
•12 Apostles
•Tasmania's best tarmac roads
•Cradle Mountain
•Port Arthur
•Hobart
•Great Ocean Road
•Glenrowan
•Bonnie Doon
•Guided by Motorcycle World Champion Alex Cudlin
$3550 AUD
solo
$2950 AUD
Pillion
11
DAYS
28th March to 07th April 2022
SOLD OUT~
DAILY DISTANCE:
200 TO 550 Kilometres PER DAY
The tour Aussie Bike OR Hike have designed will be mostly places where traffic is at a
minimum and scenic routes sights and Twisties are at a maximum!
Our aim is for the ride not to test you physically but to be enjoyable, whilst still covering a
decent distance. A lot of thought has gone into the route for our tours to make it as enjoyable
as possible and still make it loads of fun on a motorcycle. We will endeavour to have only
tarmac, apart from the inevitable roadworks that may occur (this is Australia after all!)
BIKES:
This Tour is designed that you bring your own bike.
This means you can ride what you feel comfortable on.
One thing to remember on this tour is that the complete route is tarmac. No dirt at all (unless we get roadworks)
So, its suitable for Road bikes, Sports Bikes, Adventure Bikes and Cruisers.
Seeing that you’ll be riding your own bike. It must be registered and in a good working conditions. If the bike breaks down, We will put it in the trailer, and you'll continue in the car or get yourself to the local bike shop and catch back up on the tour along the way. The choice is yours!.
How much will it cost?
Price for Riders is AUD $3550.00
Price for pillion passenger is AUD $2950.00
Itinerary
Day 1: 28th March 2022 - Arrival in Cooma
Day 2: 29th March 2022 – Cooma to Bright
Day 3: 30th March 2022 – Bright to Port Melbourne
Day 4: 31st March 2022 – Davenport to Strahan
Day 5: 1st April 2022 – Strahan to Hobart
Day 6: 2nd April 2022 – Hobart to Port Arthur
Day 7: 3rd April 2022 – Port Arthur to St Helens
Day 8: 4th April 2022– St Helens to Davenport
Day 9: 5th April 2022 – Port Melbourne to Warrnambool
Day 10: 6th April 2022 - Warrnambool to Bonnie Doon
Day 11: 7th April 2022 - Bonnie Doon to Cooma
Difficulty Level:
5 out of 10
Dirt VS Road
0%-100%
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1: Arrival in Cooma
We will gather together in the country town of Cooma for an evening Meet and Greet dinner. This will be a chance for you to get to know your tour guides and your fellow tour participants. We will also run through tour guidelines in a rider’s briefing and talk about the tour itself.
•Hotel Included
•DAY 2: Cooma to Bright
Distance: 411 km
We will start our journey from the beautiful country town of Cooma, where we will ride some glorious byways via Kosciusko, past Mount Beauty, a small Victorian town, set against the backdrop of Victoria’s highest mountain – Mount Bogong, and once the base for the Kiewa Hydro-Electric Scheme, one of the largest of its type in Australia. We will finish our day on a “bright” note, in the motorcycle friendly town of Bright in Victoria.
•Hotel Included
•DAY 3: Bright to Port Melbourne
Distance: 545 km
Today will see us make our way from Bright to Port Melbourne, via Omeo and Lilydale. At Port Melbourne we will get spirited and load our precious two wheeled cargo and ourselves on board the Spirit of Tasmania, our overnight ferry and transport to Tasmania. The trip across the Bass Strait is an adventure in itself. Great food and accommodation, as well as a relatively calm crossing (we hope) to the Isle of Tasmania.
•Room accommodation on Spirit of Tasmania Included
•DAY 4: Devonport to Strahan
Distance: 220 km
We will disembark the Spirit of Tasmania and begin our journey from Devonport, one of Tasmania’s busiest coastal cities, where the Mersey River meets the Bass Strait. You might need to practice a bit of the Gerry and The Pacemaker’s hit- “Ferry Cross the Mersey”, just to get you in the right mood for our start! Today we will not only ride some beautifully winding roads from Devonport to Strahan, but we will also get to visit the famous Cradle Mountain on Lake St Clair. Cradle Mountain is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage areas. The park is one of the state's most special places, where ancient pines fringe glacial lakes and icy streams cascade down rugged mountains. We simply can’t miss seeing this iconic place. Our overnight destination is Strahan – a small coastal town located on the west coast of Tasmania, where you will feel like you are on the edge of the world. Strahan is an historical town, where the first colonial settlement in Tasmania was located. There was a penal colony on Sarah island, which housed the worst offenders in Tasmania and was known for its harsh conditions.
•Hotel Included
DAY 5: Strahan to Hobart
•Distance: 340 km
Today sees us riding some sweeping roads from Strahan to Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, which sits on the Derwent River. Today many of Tasmania’s landscapes will truly come alive for you. From the mining moonscapes near Strahan, you will get to experience 99 bends (you can count them if you like), which should satisfy anyone’s need for Twisties. Along the way it doesn’t get more geographically central than the Derwent Bridge, right in the middle of Tasmania. Hobart, our final destination for today, is unpredictable, quirky and cool, and a great place to rest our heads overnight.
•Hotel Included
•DAY 6: Hobart to Port Arthur
Distance: 94 km
We will ride from Hobart to the famous world heritage listed town of Port Arthur, the best preserved convict site in Australia, and among the most significant convict era sites in the world. It was once a 19th century penal settlement and more recently became infamous for Australia’s worst massacre. Port Arthur is such a big place to explore, with some brilliant things to see. You can take a boat ride to the Isle of the Dead or just wander around exploring the history.
•Hotel Included
•DAY 7: - Port Arthur to St Helens–
Distance 183km
Today is is another small day of riding. We will head north along the coast finally arriving at St Helens.
St Helens is the gate way to the famous "Bay of Fires"
The Bay of Fires is known all over the world for its extraordinary clear blue seas, brilliant white beaches and striking orange lichen-cloaked boulders. It inspires a string of superlatives from every person lucky enough to go there, and it’s one of the most idyllic holiday destinations imaginable.
Today you can hang at the motel or go and explore. You have a free afternoon to do what you want.
•DAY 8: St Helens to Devonport
Distance: 405 km
Today we will start making our way from St helens, back to Devonport and our ferry crossing back to the mainland on the Spirit of Tasmania. We will take some great coastal roads, riding through towns rich in agricultural and forestry history, with many diverse areas, comprising steep ridges and low-lying wetlands. We will ride through areas that produce orchards, dairy and beef cattle, fruit produce and sheep. Once in Devonport we will once again board the Spirit of Tasmania for our return journey to Port Melbourne.
•Room accommodation on Spirit of Tasmania Included
•DAY 9: Port Melbourne to Warrnambool
Distance: 260 km
Today sees us disembark in Port Melbourne, jump back onto our motorcycles and head west towards the infamous Great Ocean Road in Victoria. This is a “must ride” coastal road and would be on anyone’s motorcycling bucket list. The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed 243-kilometre stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. It winds through varying terrain along the coast and provides access to several prominent landmarks, including the Twelve Apostles, a group of limestone stack formations, and a photo opportunity not to be missed. Today we will finish up at the town of Warrnambool, which has a seafaring history. From the vantage point at Logan’s Beach, from June to October, you can often see whales from the shoreline, where they come to give birth to their kids.
•Hotel Included
•DAY 10: Warrnambool to Bonnie Doon
Distance: 562 km
How’s the Serenity? Today you will get to enjoy the Great Ocean Road just one more time, before we take some scenic motorcycling routes from Warrnambool to the lakeside town of Bonnie Doon, made famous in the classic Australian movie “The Castle”. Before we get too serene in Bonnie Doon though, we will ride the fabulous “Black Spur”. What a great day of motorcycle riding!
•Hotel Included
•DAY 11: Bonnie Doon to Cooma
Distance: 416 km
Today is our final day together. Such is Life. We will return to Cooma via some sweeping roads and highways, travelling by way of some twisties to the town of Mollyullah, and then on further through the Glenrowan, the site of the final siege and capture of Ned Kelly and his gang in 1880.
•Ned Kelly was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, police murderer and gang leader of the Kelly Gang. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing his suit of bulletproof armour during his final shootout with police. His last words, prior to his hanging, were reported as being “Such is Life”.
•No Hotel Included- it’s home time unfortunately!
Tour Inclusions
•10 Nights in tourist class Hotel, Motels, Pubs
•Welcome Dinner on Night 1
•Aussie Bike or Hike T-shirt
•Spirit of Tasmania Crossing fees and accommodation
•Guide on a motorcycle
•Entry to Port Arthur Tour
•Entry to Australian Superbike Championship
•Back Up Vehicle with Trailer.
•First Aid Support
Tour Exclusions
•Motorcycle
•All not mentioned entrance-fees for museums, parks, etc.
•All not mentioned meals
•Travel Insurance
•Motorcycle gear
•Fuel
•Personal expenses (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner-Soft drinks- Alcohol etc)
•Tolls
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need a motorcycle license for riding in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania?
A:Yes you do. To be legally riding in Australia you are required to carry your local driving licence, which must cover the size of bike you will be riding
Q: What about Insurance?
A: YES! Domestic travel insurance is cover designed for any trip taken around Australia and we can advise you on Travel Insurance that covers you for cancellations due to Covid 19. You might think you don't need insurance because you have Medicare, but travel insurance for Australia can cover you for things that your medical healthcare doesn't. Even if you're not going too far, things can still go wrong on trips close to home. Remember to get travel insurance that covers motorcycle riding. This is important.
Q: How do I carry my main luggage?
A: We will have a backup vehicle and trailer following the entire tour.
This allows your luggage to go in the vehicle and not on the back of your bike!
Q: How big is the group?
A: We range groups from 10 to 20 people. That keeps it controllable and more personal on each tour.
Q: Will we be guided?
A: Yes Alex Cudlin and Shane Cudlin (licenced riding instructor and coach) will take care of you, via guiding and pointing you in the right direction when you want to have a fang. Both Alex and Shane are highly experienced motorcycle riders, trainers and tour guides.
Q: Will a mechanic be riding or driving with us?
A: We will have a qualified mechanic on this tour, but we do not have many spares. Remember you are bringing your own bike on this tour, so, it's important you have it checked before departing. We can help tighten a bolt and plug a tyre, but crash damage or major mechanical problems will be something that you will need to deal with. You can pack some spare parts in our back-up vehicle during the tour. Make sure your bike is all ready to go before tour departure, and that you have a full tank of fuel when you arrive at our tour start.
Q: Is there any medical support?
A: Yes. Both Shane and Alex are First Aid qualified. The backup vehicle will carry a first aid kit to help with cuts or bruises. If major incidents occur we will call for ambulance.
Q: What riding kit should I wear?
A: We are crossing 3 states, plenty of mountains and some countryside.
You'll want gear that is comfortable to wear for long periods of time, gear that is warm if it gets cold in the mountainous areas, and gear that can be vented on the hot days. We all know how changeable the weather can be in Australia. Wet Weather Gear is a MUST!
Q: How much spending money will I need to bring with me?
A: This is completely up to you. We supply the route, hotels, guides, backup vehicle and entry into the attractions listed, but you'll be up for your own food, drinks, fuel and souvenirs. It’s always good to have some cash in your pocket in case card machines don’t work.
Q: What is the accommodation like?
A: We have arranged a variety of clean and comfortable accommodation that is motorcycle friendly.
Q: Can you cater for vegetarians / food allergies?
A: We will stop at restaurants and cafes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This allows you to choose what you want and eat what suits your diet. Remember food and drinks is at your own cost, so choose what you please in this regard.
Q: Who operates this tour?
A: This tour is operated by Aussie Bike or Hike
Q: How do I book?
A: Click the BOOK NOW tab and you'll be directed to our email. From there send us a email to tell us you're interested in joining and we will be in contact.
What the customers are saying:
ROOF OF THE WORLD - INDIA 2019
I have had an unbelievably great time in India. Never in a million years would I have attempted to do this trip on my own, let alone attempt the highest motorable pass in THE WORLD!!!!!
Alex and Shane Cudlin have been an absolute wealth of knowledge and experience and managed to get this road rider, through some of the toughest roads and trickiest conditions in India.
Many, many thanks for the insane, magical and crazy experience, Ill never forget. Highly, highly recommend!!
Ashley Debakker (First female customer)
Who is your Guide
Alex Cudlin, the owner and head guide of "Aussie Bike or Hike".
Alex Cudlin’s love for the great outdoors was built from a very young age, having grown up on a small farm in Australia with his parents and an older brother and sister. After completing his apprenticeship as a motorcycle mechanic in his parent’s country motorcycle dealership, at just 17 years of age, Alex moved to Europe to follow his dream and become a professional motorcycle racer.
Alex competed in the World Endurance Championships all over Europe, Asia and Middle East, becoming World Champion in 2010 and 2013.
Alex lived and raced in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, for a total of 12 years winning a total of 2 World championships, top 3 finish in the World championship 5 times, 7 national championships and a lot of race wins.
Throughout this journey of traveling the world racing motorcycles, Alex’s love for mountain biking and hiking grew.
Using it as part of his training regime for his motorcycle racing career, Alex cycled roads in Qatar (Middle east), pedaled the hills of the French Alps, Mountain biked in England and Scotland, trekked the mountain region of Lebanon, hiked the hills of Switzerland, walked the roads of India, and visited monuments in Indonesia and many other countries throughout his travels.
Alex then returned to Australia and decided to start an adventure company that brought together those 3 loves - Motorcycles, Mountain Biking and Hiking.
Alex has a wealth of experience and expertise and wants to share his love of these 3 pur-suits.
