Lights, camera, action! Bike Fest Oz! hits the ground running!
Organisers of the international motorcycle festival, Bike Fest Oz!, say they are hitting the ground running as the
countdown continues to the inaugural June 7-11, 2023 event. And it includes an appearance in a motorcycle movie
currently being filmed on the Gold Coast and other areas, with Bike Fest Oz!’s own ambassador and actor, Daniel
Reader (pictured in a recent appearance at the Gold Coast Motor Museum) in a starring role!

“Can’t say too much about the movie appearance at this stage,” said Bike Fest Oz! promotor Chris Beattie, but it
involves big-name actors, including our own Daniel Reader, and moviegoers might also recognise other faces and logos
in the background from time to time, is all I can say for now!”
Organisers decided to switch their event entirely to north of the Qld/NSW border just before Christmas after being
cconsistently exasperated and frustrated by repeated delays and the eventual denial of Council and other support in
northern NSW, promotor Chris Beattie claiming that radical and militant Greens elements in the Tweed Shire Council,
in particular, were determined not to support the Festival and do everything they could to scupper the event.
“In fact, we maintain that they were actually incredibly hostile to the whole idea of motorcyclists of all persuasions
visiting the Tweed and other NSW coastal regions and spending their money at various hard-hit businesses during
their stays,” he said. “Our feedback is that many, many rate-paying local hospitality and tourism businesses are
furious at the loss of Bike Fest Oz!, but are not surprised given the ccurrent council’s hostility to anything they deem
as ‘unsustainable’ from a supposedly environmental ground.
“The irony is, of course, that motorcycles are the most environmentally friendly and least impactful form of transport
on the planet, but that is obviously lost on the ‘experts’ at the Tweed Shire Council,” he commented. “Their hypocrisy
is astounding! They would much rather fund, support and promote so-called ‘triathlons’ that disrupt local
communities, bring in zero revenue and encourage hordes of large 4WDs to take up all available parking spots at
small coastal spots like Kingscliff.”
Chris says that that hostility has actually proved to be a positive as it has exposed the totally different attitudes on
show on either side of the border.
“By contrast, one of the first contacts we received after our announcement was from a major Queensland tourism
body to invite a grants application to support the Festival and also to offer to do as much as possible in order to
ensure that the inaugural Bike Fest Oz! delivers all it can to its many supporters, participants and visitors,” said
Chris.
At present organisers are speaking with as many stakeholders as possible on the Qld side of the border to start
locking in and fine-tuning various Bike Fest Oz!-dedicated events, including the Poker Run, Rolling Thunder Ride
(which is the only event scheduled to now run across the border from Coolangatta down to Brunswick Heads in
northern NSW) and various other organised rides, exhibitions, an official raffle and other prize giveaways, shows
and other fun activities.
Chris said that the fact that such a great event as Coolangatta’s Cooly Rocks On is being run on the same five days
as Bike Fest Oz!, and basically in the same area, offers a great opportunity for Festival visitors to be able to ‘double
their fun’ while they’re on the Gold Coast in June.
“Obviously our date and location change was done with awareness of Cooly Rocks On and all the great events and
activities it offers visitors. I’ve experienced Cooly on many occasions and I have to say that anyone who is attracted
to Bike Fest Oz! and what we have planned is likely to find a lot of events that will be of interest to them,” he said.
“In making the change in dates and venues, we’re actually guaranteeing that our supporters and participants are
going to have a much, much wider choice of events, entertainment and fun activities to keep them fully engaged
for the full five days,” said Chris.
Chris pointed out that a couple of other benefits arise from the changes, including that the new dates are also right,
smack in the middle of a tourism low season, so apart from the popular centres of Coolangatta and nearby Tweed,
tourist numbers are generally down and accommodation rates are, for the most part, very reasonable in the
surrounding areas. Plus he pointed out that the Gold Coast and Hinterland are packed with riding opportunities for
riders of all bikes, from sports and touring riders to adventure and off-road machinery.
“One thing’s for sure,” he said. “Visitors are not going to run out of choices when they visit the Gold Coast next
June!”
Look for big news on other Bike Fest Oz! 2023 developments in coming weeks and, in the meantime, rush to
www.bikefestoz.com.au for all the latest news and to register to be kept up to date on plans for Australasia’s
inaugural national motorcycle festival!
For more information, go to: www.bikefestoz.com.au.

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