ADV Fest 2026 – Across the Ditch and Into Another World

Dorrigo, NSW | 21–23 August 2026

There are some places where adventure riders naturally gravitate to, and Dorrigo, NSW, is certainly one of them.

From 21–23 August 2026, the third edition of ADV Fest brought adventure riders together at Dorrigo Mountain for a weekend of riding, motorcycles, gear, stories and plenty of time around the campfire. With approximately 800 visitors attending across Friday and Saturday, the event has firmly established itself as one of the major gatherings on the Australian adventure riding calendar.

For Rumbling Adventures New Zealand, being part of ADV Fest was about more than simply putting up a stand and talking about motorcycle tours. It was about showing Australian riders what will be waiting for them on the other side of the Tasman, and reminding New Zealand riders that an entirely different adventure is only a short flight away.

Just cross the ditch

New Zealand and Australia might be neighbours, but when it comes to adventure riding, the two countries offer remarkably different experiences.

At Rumbling Adventures, we spend our riding season exploring some of New Zealand's most remote and spectacular backcountry. Gravel roads, high-country stations, mountain passes, river crossings, native forests and landscapes that can change dramatically within a few kilometres are all part of what we do.

New Zealand isn't about riding from one tourist attraction to another. Some of the best experiences happen when the bitumen disappears and the road turns into gravel, mud, rock or, sometimes, a river. It's about getting away from the main highways and into the backcountry, riding through places where you can go for hours without seeing another vehicle.

At ADV Fest, we wanted to show riders that they don't need to travel to the other side of the world to experience something completely different. For Australian riders, New Zealand is right next door.

Fly in. Gear up. Ride.

One of the biggest advantages of joining a Rumbling Adventures tour is that riders don't need to bring a motorcycle with them. We provide the bikes, accommodation, planned routes, guides, insurance and fuel, bring your riding gear, jump on a rally bike, and within hours you can be riding through landscapes that feel like they belong on another planet.

For the 2026/27 season, our fleet has moved firmly into rally territory with the addition of the Kove 450 Rally and Kove 800X Rally. These aren't ordinary road-oriented adventure bikes, they're rally-inspired machines built to get off the beaten track and into the places where the real adventure begins.

The Kove 450 Rally in particular feels right at home on the kind of riding we do: long gravel roads, rough backcountry tracks, river crossings and remote mountain routes. The 800X Rally brings another level of performance and capability for riders wanting more power while still keeping the off-road focus that makes it such a great fit for our tours.

For an overseas rider, the concept is simple: fly into New Zealand, get on a rally bike, ride. We take care of the rest.

Scenes from another world

One of the comments we heard repeatedly at ADV Fest was about the scenery. For riders who haven't experienced the South Island of New Zealand, it's difficult to explain just how quickly the landscape can change.

One minute you're following a gravel road through high-country farmland. Then you're climbing towards a mountain pass, crossing a river, or winding through a remote valley with mountains rising around you. There are places where you stop, take your helmet off and simply look around thinking: "This can't actually be real."

That's the experience we wanted to bring to ADV Fest. Not just "come and ride New Zealand", but come and see somewhere that feels like another world, from the seat of a rally bike.

The adventure is waiting

Our time at ADV Fest has left us even more excited about the coming New Zealand riding season. We've made a lot of new connections, had some great conversations and, hopefully, convinced a few riders that New Zealand should be moved higher up their adventure-riding bucket list.

For Australian riders, the message is simple: you don't need to travel to Europe, South America or Africa to find spectacular adventure riding. New Zealand is right across the ditch. With a rally bike waiting for you, fuel in the tank, accommodation organised and the route already planned, all you really need to do is get yourself here.

The bikes are waiting. The tracks are waiting. And there are a few scenes out there that genuinely look like they belong on another planet.

We'll see you across the ditch.