Opera, Outback and Ocean Self-Guided Motorcycle Tour

Opera, Outback and Ocean is a 10-day, 9-night self-guided motorcycle tour of about 3,241 km from Sydney to Melbourne, with the bike and hotels arranged by BikeRoundOz. It is a mixed-surface route: about 60 per cent sealed and 40 per cent unsealed, including dirt and gravel near Broken Hill, so the operator says it suits riders with some experience on such surfaces.

Day one climbs west from Sydney to the Blue Mountains, then runs through Lithgow to Bathurst and Mount Panorama, home of the Bathurst 1000, and on to Parkes and its radio telescope. Day two is shorter, through bushranger country to Hillston on the Kidman Way. Day three brings the first proper unsealed riding, about 205 km of dirt and gravel with dust, corrugations and patches of sand, ending at Broken Hill, with Silverton and its Mad Max 2 Museum an option.

From Broken Hill the Barrier Highway crosses into South Australia and reaches the Flinders Ranges, where two nights leave time for dirt roads, a cultural tour or a scenic flight. The Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills and Coorong follow, then the Twelve Apostles and the Great Ocean Road into Melbourne.

BikeRoundOz provides the motorcycle of your choice, accommodation for one or two riders, usually in 3.5 or 4 star hotels, resorts or bed and breakfasts with a pillion staying at no extra cost, a detailed itinerary document and digital maps customised to the tour, plus advice before you go. Not included are breakfast and other meals, parking charges and GPS or sat nav units, which can be supplied if required. The operator rates August to May as the best time to ride. Prices start at AUD 5,698 per rider on the first bike tier, about £2,973, and rise with the bike chosen. Riders bringing their own motorcycle pay less, from AUD 3,798.