Self-guided dirt bike tours launch on Sunshine and Fraser coasts

A new Sunshine Coast-based business offering tourists a new way to explore popular destinations across the Fraser Coast and Sunshine Coast has officially launched. Come take a tour.

A Sunshine Coast-based tour operator with a passion for dirt bikes has officially launched a new venture on the Sunshine Coast and Fraser Coast.

Steve Emery, who grew up in far western Queensland and quickly discovered a love for riding dirt bikes in enduros and gymkhanas, has now brought his passion to the east coast.

Tour operator Steve Emery. Picture: Contributed

Sunshine and Fraser Coasts Coastal Gateway Dirt Bike Tours offers single and multi-day self-guided dirt bike tours through the regions’ forests, national parks and beaches.

Guests can jump on a registered Suzuki DRZ-400E or SHERCO 500 bike, both with GPS loaded with local maps and tracks, including fire trails and riding tracks.

Destinations include the Glass House Mountains, which features more than 120km of thick forests and scenic views, Double Island Point, which is accessible via Rainbow Beach or the Noosa North Shore Ferry, and the Beerburrum and Beerwah State Forests, which boast a variety of tracks.

Sunshine and Fraser Coasts Coastal Gateway Dirt Bike Tours launched this week. Picture: Contributed

Mr Emery said the only requirement was a bike licence.

“The bikes are fully registered, so if you have a bike licence, you can ride wherever you like within a 250km radius of the hire base,” he said.

The company handles all transportation of the bikes, dropping them off and picking them up from riders’ locations.

Mr Emery said he hoped to get as many people exploring the national parks and state forests as possible.

“There’s such good riding up around Double Island and plenty of fire trails that you don’t need to be an expert to enjoy,” he said.

“The self-guided tours are something that’s not really here yet and people will be able to ride at their own pace and choose their own destinations.”

Desert Gateway Dirt Bike Tours has expanded its offerings to the Sunshine and Fraser coasts. Picture: Contributed

The Suzuki DRZ-400E bikes cost $350 per day, or $600 for two days, and the SHERCO 500 bikes cost $425 per day, or $800 for two days. Kilometres are capped at 400 per day, with $50 for every 100km extra.

Complete riding gear, including helmets, goggles, gloves, boots, pants and a jersey, are $50 per day.

Mr Emery runs three annual enduro tours through Thargomindah’s channel country in western Queensland outside of his bike hire business. These tours will run in June, August and September 2024.