Top five twisty roads in Australia

If you love cars and enjoy driving, what’s the point of sticking to the suburbs and straight bits?

Get out there and find a road with real corners and, while obeying the road laws and being careful in wet weather, give that steering wheel a tweak.

Here are five of our favourite country drives that combine scenery with a bit of a challenge.

Reefton Spur, Yarra Ranges, Victoria

Unlike Australia’s flatter parts, vast swathes of Victoria south of the Great Dividing Range have topography that in road terms means hills and corners.

In the Yarra Ranges you’ll find the surprisingly lonely Reefton Spur – officially the Woods Point Road - running between Warburton (75km north-east of Melbourne) and Cumberland Junction.

Tall-timber bushland, shady gullies and little else apart from myriad twists and turns abound and you can continue on towards Marysville or the even more remote Woods Point.

Elephant Pass, north-eastern Tasmania

The 20km stretch that skirts Mount Elephant near St Marys on Tasmania’s east coast may not be long, but it will keep you busy.

Elephant Pass Road is a staple Targa Tasmania stage and its steady climb and awkward corners should be treated with respect.

Starting on the coastal Tasman Highway, the Pass heads inland at Chain of Lagoons towards St Marys then, for more action, turn right at that town’s pub and head back to the coast along the equally challenging (and fun) Esk Highway.

Putty Road, Hunter Valley, NSW

This seemingly endless stretch of sinuous blacktop links Wilberforce in Sydney’s north-western suburbs with Singleton in the Hunter Valley, a full 170km away.

The Putty Road is a fave with motorcyclists (so be careful, especially on weekends) and tightens into lots of curves at its northern end. Along the way stop at the Grey Gum Café then enjoy a modest wine-tasting once you arrive at the Hunter.

Mount Nebo Road, near Brisbane

A short hop out of Brisbane brings 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 some fairly challenging road surfaces.

Don’t miss the Mount Glorious Cafe with its shady deck; an excellent stop for a coffee, steak sandwich, or egg-and-bacon roll.

Gorge Road, near Adelaide

The Adelaide Hills border South Australia’s capital on its eastern side and you’ve barely left the suburbs before hitting a network of great roads that wind 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 the North East Road, or head south and deeper into the Adelaide Hills area to discover more of its charms.

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