Before VDI Australia became a trusted name in the bus and coach industry, we were a small, family-owned business trying to transport guests safely and efficiently through North Queensland’s rainforests.
What started with a couple buses and a whole lot of determination has grown into one of Australia’s leading bus and coach dealers. Despite our continuous growth over recent years, at the heart of VDI Australia still remains a family who are driven by a lasting passion for people, transport, and moving Australia forward.
Driven By a Passion to Move Australia Forward
VDI is a business that was built on a passion for solving challenges within Australia’s transport industry. When VDI Managing Director, Peter Woodward’s family business needed a way to transport guests round far north Queensland’s tropical rainforests, they sought out a way to solve this challenge. Taking things into their own hands, they began acquiring buses, founding their own transport business which lay the foundation for VDI Australia. From these early days in far north Queensland to where VDI stands today, our commitment to providing reliable, purpose-built buses built for Australia has remained the same. This passion for solving challenges is more than just VDI’s origin story, it is a core part of our identity that is embedded into all aspects of our operations.
At VDI, we know that being a leading bus and coach dealer in Australia is about more than just buses, it is about being able to understand and deliver solutions for the unique challenges that Australian operators face. Whether it’s tailoring buses for regional school transport, developing buses to withstand harsh mining environments, or introducing zero-emission transport that drives Australia towards a greener future, we’re committed to providing transport solutions that are built for the future of Australia.
Our Journey to Electrification
After taking the first steps in meeting the transportation demands of far north Queensland’s tourism industry, it wasn’t long before an opportunity arose to expand our reach and begin distributing Yutong buses nationwide. As our relationship with Yutong grew, so did our shared vision for innovative transport that would drive a cleaner, more efficient future for Australia’s roads.
This vision was then realised when we introduced an electric bus to Tropic Wings Cairns Tours’ fleet to test this innovative technology in the region’s unique conditions. The success of this early trial marked a major step forward, reinforcing our belief in electric transport as the future and setting the wheels in motion for a broader transition to zero-emission solutions across Australia.
Our Latest Chapter: Innovation, Recognition, and Growth
VDI’s journey might not have begun with a dream of selling buses, but it remains a strong testament to our resilience, passion for innovation, and commitment to providing Australia with sustainable and reliable transport solutions. Today, we stand as leaders in Australia’s bus and coach industry, driven by the same passion that sparked our journey decades ago. Growing from a regional tourism operator to a trusted partner for transport operators across the country, we are proud to now offer a class-leading range of both diesel and electric transport solutions that help drive Australia forward.
Our commitment to Australia is stronger than ever, now locally assembling electric low-floor buses at our state-of-the-art Brisbane facility. This investment in local industry and sustainable technology is just a small reflection of the future we are striving for and being named BusNSW’s 2024 Supplier of the Year and QBIC’s 2025 Supplier of the Year truly reinforces this vision.
