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Australia..."Tasmanian Devil" Tour
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This tour combines Australia's little marvel, the island of Tasmania, with the best the province of Victoria has to offer. We will ride over sealed and unsealed roads to explore snowy mountains, Wilson's Promontory National Park, the Great Ocean Road, and Grampians National Park on a BMW, Suzuki, or Yamaha dualsport motorcycle.
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This tour is suitable both for single riders and pillion riders. There is also a place in the support vehicle, and you can join our tour on your own bike or with one of our rental 4WD cars. Although we recommend group riding on some days, group riding is not required, as there will be a daily route briefing each morning.
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TOUR DETAILS
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Host:
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Bike Tours Australia Pty. Ltd. MELBI3
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Tour Character:
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Adventure tour with camping accommodations
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Start/End:
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Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Duration:
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21 days
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Riding days:
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20 days
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Mileage:
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Approximately 3,400 km (2,100 miles) - extra mileage available
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Motorcycles:
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Suzuki DR650SE, BMW F650GS Dakar, BMW R1150GS, YamahaXT660R
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Group riding:
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Not required
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Accommodation:
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Camping accommodations
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Highlights:
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Victorian Highland, Wilson's Promontory National Park, Tasmania Wilderness, Great Ocean Road
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TOUR DIFFICULTY
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 All-weather motorcycling experience required
Ability to ride for long periods required
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PRICING & DATES
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TOUR PRICES
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TOUR DATES
February 1 - 21, 2009
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AUD 3.490
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Riding a Suzuki DR650SE
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AUD 4.490
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Riding a BMW F650GS Dakar
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AUD 1.080
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Pillion passenger
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AUD 1.980
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Passenger in support vehicle
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ADDITIONAL INSURANCE (compulsory)*
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AUD 75/wk
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Suzuki with AUD 1.000 excess
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AUD 100/wk
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Suzuki without excess
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AUD 100/wk
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Dakar with AUD 1.000 excess
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AUD 140/wk
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Dakar without excess
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*per week per vehicle, payable to the tour guide before the tour begins
- Reservation deposit is AUD 300 per person, due with booking confirmation.
Tour balance is due six weeks before the tour starts.
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 DAY BY DAY
Days 1 through 4:
The first day of the tour sees us in the heart of Melbourne for a little bit of sightseeing. After all, city life in a great city like Melbourne can be exciting. Before we board the ferry to Tasmania, we have three warm-up days at the edge of the Snowy Mountains and at the most southernly point of the Australian mainland, Wilson’s Promontory National Park. We ride along scenic Lake Eildon, experience our first dirt roads, and enjoy spectacular mountain views. We take the night ferry from Melbourne to Devonport, and at 7am we arrive in motorcycle heaven.
Day 5:
Arrival in Devonport, Tasmania. We will visit of the Tiagarra Aboriginal Culture Centre and the Maritime Museum. Camp in Narawntapu National Park.
Day 6:
We ride along the Tamar River, via Launceston and Scottsdale, to one of the most beautiful coastlines in the country - the famous Bay of Fires.
Day 7:
We have a look at one of the highest waterfalls in Tasmania, the spectacular St Columba Falls. We have lunch at a very special pub called the Pub in the Paddock. We cross St. Mary’s Pass and Elephant Pass and camp at Coles Bay on the Freycinet Peninsula. We enjoy a walk to postcard-perfect Wineglass Bay.
Day 8 & 9:
We will ride to Fortescue Bay. We will hike to Cape Hauy and enjoy an excursion to Port Arthur, the most famous convict settlement in Australia.
Day 10 & 11:
We have a look at the old part of Hobart and the Antarctic Museum. Camp is at Russell Falls. We ride out to Lakes Gordon and Pedder, in the heart of Tasmania ’s untamed Southwest Wilderness. This is truly wild country!
Day 12:
Derwent Bridge and picturesque Lake St Clair, which is the southern end of the famous Overland Track, a one-week hike across the highlands of central Tasmania. Enjoy a stroll along the lake a bit to take in the beautiful surroundings, or enjoy the comfort of a boat tour.
Day 13:
Via the copper-mine moonscape of Queenstown, we reach Strahan. The boat cruise across the fjord and along the Gordon River to Heritage Landing is one of the highlights of the tour.
Day 14:
The 180 km (112 mi) long track known as the Western Explorer takes us through another wild part of Tasmania. The weather here can be quite rough at times, just like the road, but its part of the great experience that this area has to offer. The area does not see many tourists, but those who venture out here, simply love it and feel rewarded.
Day 15:
After a brief visit to Stanley, an old historic town on the north coast with a distinctively shaped volcanic plateau called The Nut, we ride inland again to view the queen of Tasmania’s mountains, Cradle Mountain. This is the northern end of the Overland Track. We are happy with an easy, relaxing walk around Lake Dove.
Day 16 through 21:
We take the ferry from Devonport back to Melbourne. Back on the mainland we enjoy even more fantastic motorcycling kilometres, and the Great Ocean Road seems to have been built for exactly that purpose. We camp at Cape Otway National Park and swap the bikes for horses (optional extra) to see koalas still living in the wild in this area. At the end of this great three-week tour, a little treat – the Grampians - Gariwerd - National Park. Overlooked by mass tourism so far, this is one of Victoria ’s true gems.
Note: We reserve the right to make changes.
 Ready to ride? Book here
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