The Oxley for me remains the top ride in Australia.
Some roads have lots of corners all squashed together, you spend all your time on change of direction rather than enjoying a radius and hang time. Other roads are spaced out affairs or photogenic passes but not a great ride. The Oxley however is a true riders delight. Not only does it have a huge number of corners but they come at you in every sort of radius, each well defined.
The road is maintained to near perfect condition is low traffic not a popular route for cars, campers or trucks. The only down side is recently they reduced the speed limit on one section. No reason except to facilitate revenue raising like everywhere in Australia.
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Gingers Creek general store is the only shop between Walcha and Long Flat. I am told repeatedly they have fuel all the time now but makes sense to fill up before riding anywhere a bit remote like this. The very young me below nearly ran dry when they did not have fuel on my first visit, but like I always say in this blog – I have done all the dumb things.
You can locate this road using the map by opening it full screen then using list
These ‘good road’ posts were published 2006-2008. At some point the original images and descriptions became out of date and I moved overseas. I archived them here to update when I ride Australia again. This collection is just my own personal riding records, not a definitive list.
Hi Chef – I have recently completed the Brisbane to Oxley H’way trip based on your recommendation…it was an absolutely 1st class ride! I took my time and did it over 4 days (400 Kms p/day)which was really pleasant.
Brisbane -> Lions Rd -> Kyogle -> Grafton -> Dorrigo -> Oxley H’way to Port Mac and return via Murwillumbah -> Numinbah Valley. Absolutely loved the Grafton to Dorrigo section too.
Met up with 7 other chaps (6 x BMWs & a Guzzi) at Dorrigo on way home and rode with them to Kyogle, had a wonderful ride through Tyringham and onto Grafton on the Armidale Road. Overall a sensational trip!
Have you ridden the Armidale to Kempsey Road? Looks excellent on Google Maps. Thought I might try Dorrigo -> Wollomombi -> Kempsey -> Wauchope -> Oxley H’way next time.
Great site, accurate information and observations…much appreciated.
Jumi
Hi Jumi,
Good to hear you had a nice ride and that this site has been of some assist.
That Lions Rd is a good option and quicker then Mt Lindsey – I just love the Mt Lindsey section of road so much, one of my favorite rides.
Armidale to Ebor via Woolomombi is excellent. Then to Dorrigo is the Waterfall Way, a superb ride as you discovered. Woolomombi to Kempsey is not all sealed unfortunately.
I mostly ride that road (Grafton to Armidale) then to Walcha then start on the Oxley hway from there and ride over it to Port. On the recent trip I rode the Oxley only east to west starting at Wauchope as I did Thunderbolts in both directions instead – so many nice roads in that area.
A great review of this stellar piece of bitumen. I have only been fortunate enough to ride it once (west to east), majority of which we were accompanied by thundering rain – still a great ride even in those conditions!
Beaker that reminds me to mention that anyone heading off on a ride this far away should always have some sort of wet weather gear with them.
9 out of 10 times the forecast will be right but we all know sometimes they get it wrong. I rode down once on a fine and hot Saturday and I woke to a cold rainy Sunday.
I just did the oxley today and happened to find this blog 🙂
I left this morning from my house near newcastle, rode up to long flat and did 200kms worth of oxley goodness between long flat and gingers creek (the most popular section of this road if you like ur twistys)
Then I decided I wasnt sore enough yet, and rode straight back home. 750clicks all up on a sportsbike with only a few 20minute breaks, I really am having trouble sitting down now!
Oh and I was told by staff at gingers creek today that premium unleaded petrol is *currently* available (17th november07) but as has been said, I wouldnt rely on it as I have also been up there when they have been dry on a couple of occasions.
Thats a long day in the saddle. I could not do it on a sports bike myself. I rode from Byron Bay to Tenterfield and back to Brisbane in a day on a Kawasaki ZXR once and I literally could not walk up the stairs inside the house I was living in afterwards.
On a naked upright bike with comfy seating I find I can do that sort of distance and even a bit more for a day or two max but only if I can get on back roads and up the pace a bit to allow some good breaks.
However the wind blast kills some of that gain, I guess this sort of thing is the realm of the big sports tourer bikes.
Hi Chef – took your advice and rode the Mt Lindsey from Rathdowney to Kyogle on Saturday, have to agree it is an excellent ride. A little bit of mud and water running across the road in several corners, must have had rain the night before. Should have filled up at Rathdowney, started to get nervous as I headed down the range on the Summerland Way but fortunately came across a country store that sold unleaded (91) bike ran lumpy into Kyogle but better than pushing it in to town 🙂
Cheers Jumi
Hi Chef..the Oxley is my local so I’m a pretty lucky progressing Ducati rider,Gingers is reliable for fuel these days, but Seaview resort always have fuel too and are very happy to fuel up bikes..premium of course.I haven’t ridden the vic roads (yet)but have done alot of nth NSW and sth QLD.. we have unbelievably FANTASTIC riding here..gonna go back to the Tweed soon as I can, & do a bit more exploring..rode the Putty & the Old Pacific h’way last month, they’re alright..I s’pose..guess I’m spoilt..thanks for the pics great job..
Hi Jumi, glad you enjoyed the ride. If you fuel up at Beaudesert then will make Kyogle with plenty in reserve.
After Beaudesert there is premium fuel at Tamrookum (usually cheaper there too) Rathdowney isnt always open, then Woodenbong, which is short ride past Summerland turn off and then 91 octane only at Grevillia – where I think you may have stopped.
Hello Ducati girl, you are indeed lucky to have the Oxley at your feet. Between your place and mine without any exaggeration lies some of the best riding that exists in the country. A rider I met recently on holiday from Italy stated the riding here was as good as much of Europe as the roads were not jammed up with cars and ridable all year round.
Im heading up from Sydney with a mate in a week to ride the Oxley and some of the other roads in the area. We’ll head up the Putty Rd to Cessnock; up Thunderbolts to Armidale; over to Byron Bay via Gwyder; then returning after a day’s break via Armidale Road and down the Dorrigo Mtn to Coffs Hbr; then west across the Waterfall Way and back east via the Oxley to Port Macquarie; finally, we’ll head back to Sydney via Bulladelah, Booral, Wollombi, Bucketty and the Old Road. Hope it all goes well and will fill you in on my return.
Cheers for the great info on the site.
Sounds like a great route, good selection of roads, hope you had a good ride.
Hi,
I used to live at the Mt Seaview Resort which may be the horse place down from gingers that you speak of.
While I lived there I was not of riding age however I can always remember the bikers coming through!
Its what led me to get my riders license 12 months ago, im planning a road trip back that way soon in fact.
Great bit of road and I used to love it in the car, the stuff of dreams I tell you.
Gday Ironchef
I did the Oxley both ways last month with a group of 20 VTR1000’s and it is simply the best. The roar of all those loud V twins up and down the hills was truly magical.
There was fuel at Gingers Creek, cars were minimal,the weather was excellent and the road in perfect condition.
This is the road to ride before all others.
Fozzy
Hi Jay, Hi Fozzy,
Very friendly folk at Mt Seaview resort, I was most grateful that day.
20 VTR’s – I bet they heard them long before you arrived at Gingers!
Hi there,
thanks for all those great ride reports. I'll be taking my bike to Australia for a few months and start in Sydney in two weeks. want to go to Byron Bay, stay there for a few weeks and do day trips from there and then further to Cairns, Cape York, Darwin and Broome, Back to Sydney via Ayers Rock. thats the plan. Am on a 990 KTM adventure and would be greatful for any top ride tips. sealed and dirt. what road would you choose from Sydney to Byron Bay?
thanks, might see you on the road, Helmut
Hi Helmut,
Byron bay is a great place to do some riding from. Many of the roads I have listed near Brisbane you can do in day rides from Byron Bay. I ride the area near there often. A suggested route from Sydney is as follows: http://www.motowhere.com/maps/route/Sydney-to-Byron-Bay Some nice rides from Byron bay are included in this route: http://www.motowhere.com/maps/route/Loop-from-Byron-Bay Otherwise just look at the many I have listed and the many ride reports for that area I write.
Cannot advise much on the rest of your trip, be aware most of the riding north to Cairns, Darwin, back to Sydney will be totally straight lonely roads. Make sure you plan your fuel and don't ride at night outside of the cities of you may hit a wild animal.
Drove down the Oxley from Armidale in the Winnebago Yesterday and was totally blown away by this glorious road (I was mentally riding my 1198 Ducati). I found a B&B property for sale at the bottom of the straight aways just outside of Wauchope and am now thinking of buying it as a base for bikers visiting the area. River, good food, cheap accommodation ($80 – $120 per night) and premium fuel top-ups. Anyone think this sounds like a good idea?
Like any business you need to do some homework and prepare a business case to ensure the viability. I would love to leave the city and do something like that myself but not sure about the maths.
My wife and I just did Tunderbolts and the Oxley in an E-type Jag. An awsom loop. I'd recomend, up the Pacific Hwy to join the Oxley at Wauchope, Then Oxley to Walcha, Thunderbolts to Gloucester, and Thunderbolts or Buckets way back to the high way. Oxley is in great shape. Thunderbolts is a bit rougher and tighter.
If the Oxley has more curves than the Tail of the Dragon in the US then it has to have more than 318 curves in a 18 km section. But it doesn't. Aussie bike roads are pretty average.
There isn't any distance limitation. The Oxley is a 160km ride and certainly has far more corners than the dragon. So do countless other roads. Even old Mt Glorious west of Brisbane was counted at over 350 corners.
My mates rode the dragon and besides saying it was heavily policed and full of sports cars the road is so short the ride lasted no time at all.
Riding in Australia has suffered a bit. Some roads have had limits reduced seemingly out of spite against motorcycles, some roads not so well maintained. Yet now that I have left the country I can appreciate things I did not notice when there. The such low volume of cars compared to the rest of the world (NZ excepted) the weather being so kind to riding both in low rain and not having a proper winter compared to northern hemisphere where my bike gets parked 4 months for snow and 2 months for monsoon and 1 month for typhoons. And the riding can still as enjoyable as anything I have ridden around the world if you know where and appreciate the Australian side of things rather than look down on them.
Having lived and ridden in NZ for 10 years I have seen my share of excellent bike roads, the Oxley shapes up really well in comparison. I have just ridden it for the first time yesterday and was impressed, especially the first climb from the east, brilliant surface and easy to read for a first timer. And being a Monday I saw 5 other bikes and less cars in the twisty section, a must do ride.
Thanks for the feedback, you have been spoilt in NZ it is one of the best riding destinations for me.