Cars & Transfers

The Dragon Trail MTB race is held in North East Tasmania. The closest airport is Launceston. The race starts in Derby and finishes in St Helens.

Flying in Bringing your own vehicle International Visitors

Flying in?

We want to make your trip as easy as possible and have regular transfers between Launceston Airport and the race. Yes – we can collect you, your bike, and your luggage from the airport and transfer you to the race. There are daily direct flights to Launceston from Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Virgin, Jetstar, and Qantas all fly this route. Then at the end, we can take you and your gear back to the airport – how’s that for ease?

Transfers for participants will be on buses, and mountain bikes will be transported in trucks (packed in your bike box or bike bag). If you already have an entry and would like to add transfers Click Here.

Most transfers are from Launceston airport ($77 each way) which is a 1:30hr drive to Branxholm/ Derby. There is one transfer departing and returning from/to Hobart Airport ($99 each way) and is designed to meet the direct NZ flight times.

For transfer timings see the Schedule.

If the race transfers aren’t going to work for you or you want to stay longer, there are some great local operators who you can book directly with. Take a look at Tailored Trails or Premium Transfers.

Bringing your own vehicle?

If you have family or friends with you who are looking after your car that’s great. They can get you to and from your accommodation, as well as drop you off and pick you up each day. There is car/ motorhome camping available at the race campsites and many much more information on the accommodation page.

If it is just you and your vehicle, we can assist you to move it through the race. Day 1 starts and finishes at the same location so no moving is needed. On Day 2 you will need to drive to the start at Weldborough (approx 30mins). At the end of Day 2, you can book a shuttle from St Helens back to Weldborough ($44 and approx 40mins) so you can collect your vehicle (for transfer timings see the Schedule). Then Day 3 starts and finishes in St Helens. (Note: we will no longer have a shuttle at the end of the Day 3 going back to Branxholm).

International Visitors

Welcome to a special part of the world. We promise that you will leave the race with a smile on your face. It’s always daunting traveling overseas for a race. Please reach out with any questions, no matter how small, to [email protected]

You will likely arrive in Australia at one of the bigger airports on the mainland (the big island) such as Sydney or Melbourne. In these larger airports, you will need to clear your luggage with customs prior to boarding a domestic flight to Launceston.

If you are flying from NZ on the direct Hobart flight, there is one transfer available directly from Hobart. For transfer timings see the Schedule.

For ease and to potentially avoid additional excess luggage charges for your bike, we recommend you book your return ticket inclusive of the domestic leg. Alternately, Australian domestic flights can be booked through the following. Links have been included to their traveling with bikes section

Jetstar – Flying with a Bike

Virgin Australia – Flying with a Bike

Qantas – Flying with a Bike

Dragon Trail is managed by Geocentric Pty Ltd. This project received grant funding from the Australian Government under the Recovery for Regional Tourism program, an initiative of the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund