Top five Australian roads for drivers who love to drive
Grab the keys, sunnies and some tunes and head out on a driving adventure this weekend.Whether you own a sports car, an old classic, or even a shiny new SUV, there's nothing better than spending a weekend exploring great roads which offer some nice scenery, and seem built simply for the drive itself. Here are five of our faves.
Forrest-Apollo Bay Road, Victoria
Everyone knows the Great Ocean Road is a challenging drive, not just for all its twists and turns, but also because it can get clogged with traffic. And being stuck behind a caravan for 20km isn’t much fun.
To reach the beaches, try a different route, coming over the Otway Ranges from the little town of Forrest (stop for a long lunch at the charming Bespoke Harvest restaurant). The road winds its way over the hills, though tree fern-laden gullies, past vertiginous cow paddocks and finally hits the sea at Skenes Creek about 30km later. Turn left to get back to Melbourne, or right for an even longer and more thrilling driving adventure.
Oxley Highway, NSW
You could do the entire 653km of the Oxley, which stretches westwards across central NSW, and see interesting stuff, but for keen drivers, stick with the eastern end. Starting from Port Macquarie on the coast, the Oxley heads up into the Great Dividing Range at Wauchope … and seemingly never stops climbing, twisting and turning.
The 182-odd kilometres before things finally level out at Walcha are surprisingly free of civilization, unless you count towns like Long Flat and farmhouses dotted about some beautiful countryside.
Gorge Road, South Australia
The Adelaide Hills borders Adelaide, which means you don’t have to go too far before hitting a network of great roads winding through bushland, farms, wineries and small villages. Take Gorge Road out of Athelstone and it’s a challenge for any car and driver: along the Kangaroo Creek Reservoir there are crests and cambered corners, and the fun continues for about 20km to Chain of Ponds.
Return to Adelaide via North East Road, or head south and deeper into the Adelaide Hills area to discover more of its charms.
Mount Nebo and Mount Glorious Roads, Queensland
Queensland is a big state, but you don’t have to travel far out of Brisbane to find this excellent drive with plenty of corners, and lots of semi-tropical scenery. It’s only a 20 minute drive from the city to The Gap, and from there follow the road to Mount Nebo with its forests, cafes and a panoramic lookout.
Keep going to Mount Glorious – the road climbs to almost 700 metres above sea level – for more views and challenging road surfaces. Don’t miss the Elm Haus Cafe, a rustically decorated place to stop for a pie, burger or sandwich right in the middle of the rainforest.
Zig Zag Scenic Drive, Western Australia
Okay, so this stretch of road in Gooseberry Hill, just 30 minutes outside Perth may be just three kilometres long, but what keen driver could resist a name like that? The series of tight switchbacks is reminiscent of Italy’s Stelvio Pass and was once a railway line used to transport timber up the Darling Scarp.
It has since been paved, and at the top you’ll be rewarded with views back towards Perth and the coast.
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