The 'Summer Hits' tour - Melbourne - East Coast - Melbourne

This tour is designed for bikers who are tired of the winter months, when the northern hemisphere is buried under snow and is plagued by bad weather. At this very time Australia is in the midst of summer. Superhuman capabilities are not required for the tour, but there are a few days rides of around 500 km and several gravel roads to master although these have a solid subsoil and are thus not difficult to drive on. The 6000 km tour takes us through mountains on the edge of the Outback and along the seemingly never ending beaches of the Pacific. The whole route is a biker’s paradise. Also included on the tour are short hikes, diving on the Great Barrier Reef, surfing and of course swimming.

We leave Melbourne heading in a north-easterly direction and drive through Victoria, New South Wales and through the beautiful mountain ranges of Queensland. Traveling through the alpine plateau of the Bogong National Park we come to Mount Kosciusko, which at 2228 m is the highest mountain in Australia. Here we visit the underground stalactite world of the Yarrongobilly Caves.

On our journey northwards there are several unusual sights of natural beauty to be seen. The next overnight stop is in the Warrumbungle National Park where we have half a days break to visit an observatory belonging to Sydney University. On reaching Warwick we find ourselves in the state of Queensland which has summer for twelve months a year, enabling all kinds of tropical fruits, such as bananas and papajas, as well as tea etc. to grow there.

In Gladstone, a small port some 300 km north of Brisbane, we finally reach the sea. Here we hire a boat and travel to one of the most beautiful islands in the Pacific for diving on the coral reef. Heron island is about 80 km from the mainland and is situated right in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef in the world. The days program includes a walk on the island as well as several snorkeling sessions in a unique underwater world. For those who are not keen on diving, the beauty of the coral reef with its countless coloured fish can be seen through the windows of a glass bottomed boat. The skipper treats us to an exotic first-class midday meal on his boat.

After a two day stop in Gladstone we gradually make our way back along the 3000 km return route down the coast. Our first stop is the Cooloola National Park. This park can only be reached by driving some 70 km along the beach. It’s a strenuous drive but the park is exceptionally beautiful. To the south of Ballina we have the opportunity of taking windsurfing lessons on a picturesque lake. This is great fun for beginners too. The next stage of the journey is along the Banana Coast via Coffs Harbour to Sydney. Here we have a whole day to get to know this pulsating city which has more to offer than the Opera House.

We then take a ferry across the natural harbour to Manley, Sydney’s bathing resort. Two days later we arrive at the Corajingalong National Park, one of the most beautiful and yet relatively unknown National Parks in Victoria, where we climb a 100m high sand-dune. The view from here out to sea and onto the surrounding bushland is magnificent.

The last part of our journey takes us to the most southerly point of mainland Australia, Wilson’s Promontory National Park. At the end of a huge massif are numerous small sandy bays which provide a fitting end to the tour. From here there are another 300 km to Melbourne.