Great Vic Bike Ride

Volunteers have been vital to the running of the Great Vic ever since its beginning 35 years ago – and the event simply could not go ahead without them! There are many benefits to volunteering with us, here are just a few:

• You will get to see some beautiful parts of Victoria and you will have some free time to explore the towns we visit
• All transportation, meals and accommodation on event are free of charge for volunteers
• We have a diverse range of volunteer roles to apply for – there is something for everyone!
• It will give you an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends
• There is plenty of entertainment for volunteers to take part in, including live music, an outdoor cinema, rest day activities, an on-event volunteer celebration and much more!
• You’ll feel good knowing that you played an important part in helping over 3000 riders enjoy an iconic event!

With 22 different volunteer teams to apply for – there really is a Great Vic volunteer role to suit everyone! You could be at the campsites – serving drinks in the Bar team; setting up tents in the Volunteer Operations team; or keeping the campsite clean and tidy in the Eco Team. Or you could be out on the route – supporting the riders in the Cheer Squad or directing riders in our Route Marshal team.

To learn more about the roles, check out our position descriptions above.

• Step 1: Choose your role – make sure you check out our position descriptions and use our handy flow chart to help you decide
• Step 2: Create a profile in our Volunteer Portal
• Step 3: Apply for your chosen role in our Volunteer Portal and await confirmation from us

If you have any problems or need help with this process, feel free to email volunteer@bicyclenetwork.com.au

There are several ways to get to and from the event. The first option  is to get dropped off by a friend or family member at our start location in Bright. Personal vehicles are not permitted on event, so we strongly recommend you come along with us on one of our bus services.

We will be running a free volunteer bus service on Friday 24^th November from Southern Cross station, which we strongly suggest you take if you are able to. It will give you an opportunity to meet the other volunteers and prepare yourselves for the event before the riders arrive the following day.

If you are unable to make it on the Friday you will be able to take the riders buses on Saturday 25^th, which will depart from several locations including Melbourne, Albury, Ballarat, Geelong, Bendigo, Shepparton, Traralgon and Wangaratta, as well as from our long-term car park in Benalla which volunteers are welcome to use.

Transport and use of our long-term car park are both provided at no cost to volunteers.

Absolutely – and to repay you for your volunteer time we will give you up to a 30% refund on your entry price. But be quick, there are a limited number of riding volunteer positions available. For more information check out the ‘riding volunteer’ position description above.

There are three main sources of support on event for our volunteers.

Firstly, there is your Team Leader. Every team has one, and they are fellow volunteers who have been helping with the Great Vic for a long time. They know all the ins and outs of the role and are there to guide and support you throughout the event.

There will also be a designated ‘Volunteer Support Team’ – a small group of volunteers whose job is to make your life as a volunteer easier and more enjoyable. They have all the amenities you need – phone charging, tea/coffee/milo facilities; they run fun activities for you to enjoy during your downtime; and they are always there if all you need is someone to talk to.

Finally, Bicycle Network’s Volunteer Coordinator will be there to help you out with anything you need – whether it’s for a chat, pointing you in the right direction, or something more serious.

Most volunteers will be working around 4-8 hours each day, depending on your role. The rest of your day can be spent doing whatever is most enjoyable for you. Whether its exploring the local towns, joining in the entertainment and activities, enjoying a drink in the Spokes bar or simply relaxing!

You will also have a rest day where you will have no volunteer hours – the perfect time to do some exploring and join in the fun activities that we have planned! For most volunteers this will be day 6 while we are at Rutherglen (the same day as the riders), but this will be confirmed by your Team Leader on event.

On the Great Vic, all 3000+ riders and volunteers stay at our own self-built campsites which we move from town to town on each day of the ride – this means we camp out in tents!

If you have your own tent that you would like to use – you are free to bring that along. Otherwise, you can opt to use one of Bicycle Network’s tents which you will share with another volunteer. And the best part of using one of ours? You won’t have to worry about putting it up and down each day, as the Volunteer Operations Team will do it all for you!

If you know someone that you would like to share your tent with, you can request this during your application. Otherwise you will be paired with another volunteer of the same gender and where possible, age and volunteer team. Don’t be nervous about sharing – it is a great way to get to know another volunteer on the event!

There’s really no campsite like a Great Vic campsite – it’s a pop-up town with everything you need. Learn more about life on event.