RAPID Northeast / East coast Tour

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This is our RAPID supported group tour through the green North-east and along the breathtaking East coast.

The North east with its temperate rainforest is a "hidden treasure" with only few tourists but many places to discover. The East coast is the 'classic' tourist route with more or less flat roads and endless empty white beaches in a mild climate with stunning coastal views.
Please note: To enjoy this tour to the fullest you should either be very fit or be prepared to use our support vehicle more often.

Prices, Terms & Itinerary

Departure- / Endpoint Launceston / Hobart Duration 7 days, 6 nights (without flight) Tour dates On demand only - any day of your choice bike hire (optional) $ 165 support vehicle, tour guide included Accommodation category Price per person Group size Hostel / Budget category $ 1,370 sharing Displayed prices Economy category $ 1,820 twin share are for a group Comfort category $ 2,070 twin share of 6 participants. Executive category $ 2,685 twin share Details below. single supplement (one person per room) $ 250* / 520 / 680 / 850 (Hostel / Economy / Comfort / Executive category) * = for places without a hostel ALL PRICES are displayed in AUSTRALIAN dollars (AUD) On booking you agree to our Terms & Conditions

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Accommodation categories - Details here

Hostel: You share your bedroom with others, usually dorm, shared facilities.
Economy: Nothing fancy, but good value for money, mostly with shower/toilet.
Comfort: Comfortable feel-well properties, all rooms with shower/toilet (few exceptions) and good breakfast.
Executive: Usually the best available accommodation in the given area, some with spa.
Please note: your chosen category will be substituted when not available!

Prices

Displayed prices are valid if the group, who booked the tour, has 6 participants. If there are more, the price per person will be lower, if there are lewer participants, the price per person will be higher. To increase the number of participants we can try to fill up with participants outside your group. The outside participants will never pay less than the displayed-6 person price.

What we include

> Road book containing all details of the tour
>10 nights in double/twin bed rooms with breakfast, comfort level depending on booked category. Note: Some breakfasts are to be prepared by the participants.
> picnic style lunches, unlimited snacks and drinks (incl. alcoholic beverages) from tour bus until arrival.
> person, luggage and bicycle transport during the tour
> national park entry fees and other admission mentioned in the itinerary
> knowledgeable tour guide (driver), fully insured minibus (with air-conditioning) and purpose-built trailer
> minimum 2, maximum 12 guests.
> Available for additional charge: well serviced rental bike with helmet

What we do NOT include

Flights, airport transfers, evening meals and drinks, additional excursions and coffe stops, personal spending, trips not mentioned in the itinerary

Tour itinerary

Day 1: Arrival - Scottsdale

We will pick you up from Launceston airport at a time of your choice between 9.30am and 10.30am and bring you to the outskirts of nearby Evandale where we will have a short briefing and adjusting of the rental bikes. Here you will start cycling. The first km are downhill and flat before the first “test hill”. Later you can cycle through the outskirts of Launceston. We will bring you up to the lonely and beautiful Tasman Highway later, which winds its way up through a picturesque, hilly countryside. Here you can ride again. After our lunch at the romantic Myrthle recreation ground there is a long but not too steep climb on a narrow windy road through dense rainforest. Only a few of our guests prefer to use our support vehicle. The reward for the climb is a breath-taking view from the “Sideling” lookout. After a steep descent and a last hilly section you finally arrive at the district town of Scottsdale. TOTAL 82 km (51 miles). On average our guests do cycle 46 km (35 miles) and use our support vehicle for the remaining 36 km (16 miles).

Day 2: Scottsdale - Pyengana

An adventure packed day: For the first 26 km you may choose to use the “North East trail", a disused railway trek converted to a rough bike trail. We will visit the Legerwood carvings, which were done by chainsaw, followed by a beautiful cycling through farmland. We may bypass Derby on a beautiful back road. After lunch at a reserve in Pioneer (+18 km) or in a pub in Winnaleah you will wind your way up on a narrow and winding road through dense forest to the settlement of Weldborough. It becomes steeper from there.
The highlight of the day is a spectacular 10 km downhill ride!! A beer-drinking pig await´s us at the basic accommodation; the heritage listed “Pub in the Paddock” in a spectacular location.TOTAL 84 km (51 miles). On average our guests do cycle 59 km (37 miles) and use our support vehicle for the remaining 25 km (16 miles).

Day 3: Pyengana - St. Helens

In the morning we will drive you to the famous St. Columba Falls (Tasmania´s second highest), which we will reach after a small, but spectacular rainforest walk. After our return you can taste the products of the local cheese factory and their coffee shop with their yummy homemade products. Back on the bike it´s more downhill than uphill to St Helens, the “capital of the east coast” (4,500 inhabitants). This "Jewel of Tasmania's North-East" won "Tassie's Top Tourism Town" competition in 2020. We will arrive on time for our lunch to give you the afternoon off to visit the nearby Bay of Fires by yourself (+ 22km). TOTAL 46 km (29 miles). On average our guests do cycle 29 km (18 miles) and use our support vehicle for the remaining 17 km (11 miles).

Day 4: St. Helens - Bicheno

Today you will cycle down the beautiful and mostly flat East coast, passing spectacular beaches along the way. At first, we will drive you out of town using our support vehicle as the road is very narrow and there is a small hill to climb. At Scamander we may be able to visit the Eureka Farm with its award-winning ice-cream. Shortly after that we will arrive at the coast road where you can enjoy the spectacular costal scenery. Later we will have our lunch at a reserve near the breath-taking "Lagoons beach". Just before our destination Bicheno you can visit the award-winning “Nature World Animal Park”, where you can at 3.30 pm watch the feeding of Tasmanian devils and maybe even pet one. The entrance fee is included in the tour price! TOTAL 77 km (48 miles). On average our guests do cycle 60 km (37 miles) and use our support vehicle for the remaining 17 km (11 miles).

Day 5: Bicheno - Swansea

In the morning you will cycle the 39 mostly flat km by yourself to the popular Freycinet National Park, where you can walk to the lookout to the world-famous Wineglass Bay, rated as one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world (approx. 1½ hours return). For many guests this is a highlight of the tour. The guide will have lunch prepared at a reserve inn Coles Bay (4 hilly km from the park) which you can enjoy after your return.
After lunch, we will drive you out of the peninsula and then continues on the highway over the Cherry Tree hill to the destination town. Along the route you can visit the “Pondering Frog” where they serve yummy homemade ice cream and / or you have taste some fine wines at the “Devils corner winery”. If you have energy left we can drop you off at the summit and you cycle the remaining 24 pleasant km to the destination hotel in Swansea. TOTAL 108 km (67 miles). On average our guests do cycle 60km (37 miles) and use our support vehicle for the remaining 48 km (30 miles).

Day 6: Swansea - Hobart

The ride on this coast road is an absolute pleasure. After about 30 km the road turns away from the coast. We may do a short detour to Triabunna to see the cute harbour. Just after Orford we are having our lunch at the lovely Spring beach, where you can have a walk afterwards. Then we will pack up for a 1.5 hours bus transfer to Tasmania´s capital Hobart. After checking you in at your hotel the guide will drive home.TOTAL 146 km (91 miles). On average our guests do cycle 62km (39 miles) and use our support vehicle for the remaining 84 km (52 miles).

Day 7: Departure

We are happy to book additional night(s) for you in the same hotel. For those who are leaving us today we can on request book a taxi to the airport for you.
If you stay on you can enjoy the open-to-the-world atmosphere of Tasmania's capital and it´s people or visit the oldest brewery in Australia, do the mini-cruise to Peppermint Bay, enjoy the view from the top of Mount Wellington or visit MONA (museum for old and new art), which quickly became a tourist magnet.

All distances are approximate and may vary.

Please note: the displayed cycling distances are the average of all previous tours and do vary a lot from tour to tour, depending on your personal fitness level, wind direction and other weather conditions, chosen options on that day, and other variables.