Melbourne to Sydney: the long road round

We ride the Princes Highway from Melbourne to Sydney, taking the long road round on a 2014 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited in a bid to stop time

Tennessee Williams, the American writer, once said that “time is the longest distance between two places”. Taking stock of these famous words, I decided that, for once, I was going to forget my obsession with speed – and the fixation of getting from point A to Point B as quickly as possible - and slow things down. This time it was going to be Melbourne to Sydney, the long road round.

Thinking about it now, I don’t know why that wasn’t always the plan. There was no real reason as to why I was previously set on the quickest route, via the impenetrably boring Hume Highway until a last-minute epiphany helped me realise there was nothing I was rushing back to Sydney for. So, decidedly against the monotonous eight or nine hour 900km slog, I was instead aiming the front fender of a 2014 Harley-Davidson FLHTK Ultra Limited out of Melbourne, heading south-east along the M420. Romantic visions of the coastal road and a wrist watch being forever stowed in my backpack were fuelling an idea that longer just has to be better. Funnily enough, my girlfriend said she agreed, just before asking what, exactly, it was that we were talking about…

The plan was just to ride, diverting where I chose and stopping whenever I wanted, however long the journey would take. Due to a hangover and the next day’s consequent leisurely breakfast (and therefore late start), I had a vague hope to reach Wilson’s Promontory, one of Australia’s most visited National Park’s, by the afternoon. I figured that the mere 240 km would set a laidback, timeless-kind of tone.

As it turned out, the roads out of Melbourne left a lot to be desired and the weekend’s congestion suggested that if the going was any more laidback, it would have been lying down. Nonetheless, within four hours, I was at the peninsular.

Most of the National Park, including South East Point (which is the most southerly landmark of mainland Australia) can be explored on foot, including the Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse. The spectacular location overlooks the notorious Bass Strait and whilst relatively close to the civilisation of Melbourne, the whole area feels rugged and untamed.

The Ultra, which probably has more space in its panniers than I have in my ‘half’ of the wardrobe, had starting to reveal itself for what it was – an incredibly competent Tourer which is far from the 400kg+ lump it seems at stationary. Sophisticated but easy to ride, the Ultra can only be appreciated once you’ve had a chance to eat some miles away from the urban roads it is definitely not made for. It was the first time I’d ridden Harley’s biggest Big Bagger but sweeping along the Victorian coast was the perfect way to test out its capabilities.

Retracing the road out of the Wilsons Promontory and back towards the A440 the next day, it was becoming more and more apparent that the Ultra offers a hugely rewarding ride. The recenty redesigned ‘batwing’ fairing (which reduces buffeting) and near-flawless infotainment system (including whopping 5.25inch Boom! Audio speakers and a 6.5inch Touch Screen, with additional handlebar controls) ensured that the Ultra was fast announcing itself as one of the most comfortable and well-equipped touring bikes I have ever experienced.

Probably the best testament to this is that I found myself chewing through 610km to Mallacoota, the route extended after intentional diversions to the Strzelecki State Forest and Tarra-Bulga National Park where I doffed my helmet to the glorious Woorarra and Tarra Valley Roads respectively. Nothing short of breathtaking, with a mix of fast bends, stunning scenery and neat townships, the Tarra Valley Road particularly is simply a dream stretch of bitumen which horse-shoes north before edging towards Holey Plains State Park and re-joining the A440 at Sale.

The C106 from Sale offers a more interesting, though slower, road to Bairnsdale before picking up the Princes Highway again. From here I was able to take the scenic route through the Lakes Entrance region and its adjoining towns including Johnsonville, Swan Reach and Kalimna. A short coffee break later and I was again looping north, tracing the perimeter of Lake Tyers State Park along Princes Highway before diverting eastwards at Nowa Nowa.

Safe in the knowledge that the tarmac from here on in was set to present two hours of snaking glory it was time to let the Ultra ‘have it’ and really test the bike. The region includes the Lind National Park and Alfred National Park and presents kilometre after kilometre of apexes all the way to the uber quaint Mallacoota. Now I know I’d previously said that I was trying to slow things down but the road here twists your arm – or wrist - so to speak, and practically opens the throttle for you.

Well-rested, fed and with the beauty of Mallacoota behind me, the next morning it was time for a short ride through the Nadgee and Yambulla National Parks to Eden – which is as stunning as its name suggests. The dramatic cliffs which fall to the ocean below the town (which is steeped in a notorious whaling history) was well worth the breakfast stop, gawking from the view point in the process.

Onwards from here, the A1 nudges through Pambula and on to Bega. Diversions from both of these towns lead to roads which cut through the Yurammie State Forest and the Mimosa Rocks National Park – otherwise the A1 continues north towards Narooma.

With time not being of the essence, Narooma (just 215km up the road from the previous night’s bed) was going to be my next port of call for one very good reason: Australian Fur Seals. Open Water SCUBA license holders can dive with up to 50 of these majestic creatures at Montague Island, lying just east of Narooma’s sandy beach front. Up early, thanks to the early morning wake-up call from Chris at Island Charters Narooma (which offers two tank boat dives, including equipment, for $165), a group of 8 of us were in the water as the seals danced around us, coming in close for the occasional better look as curiosity got the better of them. The experience is a must for any diver.

Back on the mainland by midday and back on the bike not much later, I was ready to move on towards Batemans Bay as the A1 delighted again by cutting through a number of adjoining forests. Look at a map of this part of the route and you’ll see almost the entire area is green and can be explored by bike as much as time permits.

Close by is Jervis Bay – holiday hot spot for Sydneysiders, Canberrians and others thanks to the region’s multiple activities which range from diving and whale / dolphin watching to golf, sailing and surfing. Hyams Beach, which the Guinness Book of Records claims has the whitest sand in the world, also helps, as does the region’s various surrounding areas of brilliant natural beauty.

With the tent pitched at close-by Huskisson for a few days’ fishing and camping, my rear end was getting saddle withdrawal symptoms. Back on the Ultra, the last leg of a magical, timeless journey was looming via the Grand Pacific Drive. The unofficial start of the road makes for a slow diversion through the urban outskirts of Wollongong and its surrounding towns before coming into its own towards the coast. Heading north, Seacliff Bridge and the Royal National Park greet the route to offering some of the best roads experienced throughout this whole journey – with views and beach stop options to match.

Wishing time could stop foever, it was all too soon that Sydney’s south greeted me with the city’s stereotypical traffic. The six day trip to this point had an absolute wonder, offering up more than its fair share of Australia’s finest bitumen which cut through some of this country’s most beautiful coastal and forest regions. It is not very often that you can claim the perfect ride but Melbourne to Sydney, the long road round, had provided just that. This route, put simply, is spectacular.

Arriving back into the city, I contemplated turning around and doing it all again. I wonder what my boss would say if I turned up to work a week late, claiming that my watch had stopped…

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Melbourne to Sydney: the long road round

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