About The Route | brightsmilesride

The 2026 Bright Smiles Charity Ride takes you on a journey through NSW’s stunning countryside—from Dungog to Bellingen, Evans Head, and Walcha—while raising vital funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service Dental Program.

Designed for all riding styles, the route offers flexible sections, scenic stops, and evening catch-ups that make this adventure as rewarding as it is memorable.

Please view the information pack HERE

Thursday 30th April 2026

Dungog, NSW

TONIGHT - SETTLERS ARMS HOTEL
Kick off the Bright Smiles Charity Ride with a relaxed evening in Dungog. Riders and volunteers will gather at Settlers Arms Hotel for ride briefing at 5:00pm, followed by a group dinner at 6:30 pm. It’s the perfect chance to meet your fellow riders, share stories, and get ready for the adventure ahead!

Day 1 Friday 1st May 2026

Dungog, Gloucester, Walcha, Armidale, Ebor to Bellingen.

TONIGHT - THE DIGGERS TAVERN/MOTEL

Map Link (copy into phone): https://maps.app.goo.gl/q9Lftw1vgqVC3ygQ9

We are straight into the riding today, with a great run up the Bucketts Way through Gloucester and Nowendoc to Walcha, where we will arrive just in time for an early lunch.

The afternoon will not disappoint, as we head north from Walcha via Uralla to Armidale, where we will then head west on the glorious Waterfall Way to Bellingen. The Waterfall Way consists of more than 150 kilometres of absolute Bucket List riding to Bellingen, where the Diggers Tavern & Motel right in the heart of town will welcome us with open arms for our own personal Happy Hour.

Riding Distance (Approx.) 430 kms
Hours in Saddle 5

Accommodation tonight (and our Happy Hour) is right in the heart of Bellingen, at the Diggers Tavern & Motel

Day 2 Saturday 2nd May 2026

Bellingen, Ebor, Guyra, Tenterfield, Casino, Evans Head

TONIGHT - THE PACIFIC MOTEL EVANS HEAD

Map Link (copy into phone): https://maps.app.goo.gl/4bPS1NVdpj66ceh98

Today is a ride of several assorted styles. We start the day with the winding uphill challenges of Waterfall way from Bellingen to Guyra, and we then wend ourselves across the top of the Great Dividing Range to the historic town of Tenterfield for lunch.

From Tenterfield we ride 128 kilometres of twisties to Casino and then enjoy a relaxing last section down to the Pacific Ocean at Evans Head, our resting place (and Happy Hour location) for the night.

Riding Distance (Approx.) 492 kms
Hours in Saddle 5 ½

Accommodation tonight is at the Pacific Hotel, just a short stroll from Beechies Sunset Bar at the Bowling Club

Day 3 Sunday May 3rd, 2026

Evans Head, Whiporie, Grafton, Nymboida, Armidale, Walcha

TONIGHT – THE WALCHA MOTEL

Map Link (copy into phone): https://maps.app.goo.gl/nWLSZxks7wHFVrtG6

Yet another diverse range of countryside has been chosen today, enabling us to ride through many diverse types of topography as we turn towards home.

This part on NSW is known as Big River country, and we ride alongside the majestic Richmond River for the first part of our journey. We leave the river behind and head across the Bungawalbin Scrub and through Jackywalbin State Conservation Area to the tiny hamlet of Whiporie which is located on the Summerland Way between Casino and Grafton.

We head south through Grafton and continue through Nymboida then rejoin the Waterfall Way on the stretch into Armidale, and then on through Uralla to Walcha. Our Happy Hour tonight will be in the carpark of the Walcha Motel in the main street.

Riding Distance (Approx.) 380 kms
Hours in Saddle 4 ½

Accommodation tonight is at the Walcha Motel

Day 4 Monday May 4th, 2026

Walcha, Nowendoc, Gloucester, Dungog, East Gresford, Vacy, Largs for Lunch, and then HOME!

Map link (copy into phone): https://maps.app.goo.gl/ehAEKsSPdtMKfzZy7

We head for home today, and for most of us home is either Sydney or Newcastle. Do not despair - we will still have plenty of good motorcycling roads before we get to the Bushrangers Bar in Largs, a beautiful little village that will soon be swallowed up as a suburb of Maitland.

Riding Distance (Approx.) 271 kms
Hours in Saddle 3 ¼

After lunch we will split up and head off in different directions, and perhaps the Sydney-based riders will head home via the Putty Road for that last exhilarating fix!