Don River Dash 2023

Motorcycling and off-road vehicle enthusiasts will converge at Bowen at the tip of The Whitsundays for the fifth-annual Don River Dash festival race event.

Inspired by the best courses in the world, the Don River Dash is the only two-day off-road race that sees bikes, buggies and trophy trucks race a reverse grid format through a multi-terrain natural course.

Open to professionals and hobby-riders, the Don River Dash is a family-friendly event and entry will be FREE for spectators.

From live music, roving entertainers, on-site competitions and food stalls, to the opportunity to get up-close to special vehicles and meet-and-greets with top riders and drivers in their class, the 2023 Don River Dash will include dedicated spectator points (on Telegraph Road and Gladstone Park Road) along the special course.

Crowds of more than 5000 are expected this year for what is now renowned as the pinnacle off-road racing event of The Whitsundays, with growing national and international interest.

The Don River Dash is the brainchild of motorsport royalty Talbot Cox and Michael Marson. It attracts some of the biggest off-road racing names and is especially unique because professionals and hobby-riders race alongside each other.

Competitors will travel 25 kilometres upstream along the southern bed of Bowen’s Don River. Navigating their way through a mixture of sand, rocks and jumps, competitors will then return along the northern side of the river bed to complete the 50-kilometre loop. In total, competitors test their skills over two days and across 300 kilometres to answer the ultimate question: Who will be the 2023 King or Queen of the River?

Bowen is easily accessible via the Whitsunday Coast Airport with daily flights from capital cities.