8 of Australia’s best motorcycling roads

1. Oxley Highway, NSW
Ask 10 Aussie riders what their favourite motorcycling road is and there’s a good chance at least half of them will say “the Oxley!” And for good reason. It’s a 165km stretching from Wauchope near the New South Wales North Coast and climbing over the great Divide to Walcha on the New England plateau. There are over 300 corners from start to finish, 70km of non-stop twisties and a beaut roadhouse half-way along to refuel.

2. Strahan to Derwent Bridge, Tas
Any road in Tasmania has the ability to woo riders of all genres, but the run from the picturesque Strahan on the west coast, up to Queenstown on the A10 and then across to Derwent Bridge is up there with one of the best rides in Oz. Of course the run through Hellyer Gorge deserves a mention, or Waratah to Savage River, in fact, if you’ve never ridden the Apple Isle, stop what you’re doing and book you and your bike a ticket on the Spirit of Tasmania.  

4. Bylong Valley Way, NSW
The Bylong Valley Way is a picturesque road which runs between the two small New South Wales towns of Sandy Hollow located on the Golden Highway and Ilford situated on the Castlereigh Highway. The beauty of this 141km stretch is that it has only been sealed in the last decade or so and so still remains relatively quiet. The fact it isn’t a thoroughfare between major towns helps, but keep an eye out for trucks which use it in a bid to avoid the weigh stations. The surface is great, though it’s narrow in parts.

5. Adelaide Hills, SA
Much like the Gold Coast Hinterland and Sydney’s Bell’s Line of Road, the ranges which climb inland from coastal capital cities generally offer some splendid riding and South Australia is no different. There are plenty of great sections of riding offered by the Adelaide Hills, not least the runs in and around Strathalbyn and Macclesfield. The Strathalbyn Road itself is a good one, if not crowded, as is Paris Creek Road which runs parallel to its east.

6. The Lions Road, Qld
An excellent stretch of road which straddles the New South Wales and Queensland border. A back road which joins the Summerland Way in New South Wales and the Mount Lindesay Highway in Queensland. It’s the result of the NSW Government refusing to build a shorter route connecting Kyogle with the northern state in the late 1960s which saw the local Lions Club rally together and build it themselves. The road was opened in 1970, was completely sealed by 199 and is described by anyone who has ridden as possibly Australia’s greatest motorcycling road.  

7. The Putty Road, NSW
Despite being heavily policed and busy these days, a small 16km stretch at the northern end of the Putty Road which links Windsor to Singleton, is probably still the best fun you’ll have within coulee of Sydney. Colloquially referred to as ‘the 10 mile’, it’s the point where the already fun Putty Road tightens up into a well-surfaced piece of motorcycling nirvana. That is, at least, until you meet a car or truck deciding it needs a few feet of your lane mid corner, and there are plenty of those. So stay alert.

8. Balingup to Nannup, WA
Short, but oh-so sweet. The Balingup-Nannup Road follows the Blackwood River north-west up to the South West Highway. Tight and twisty, the unforgiving drop-offs add to the adrenaline levels and though the surface isn’t the best in parts, the shorter length means your concentration levels can remain high. Our suggestion would be do it a few times before dropping down into Margaret River wine region for lunch.

What’s yours?
If you could ride just one road for the rest of your life, which one would you choose?