Sydney Surrounds Self-Guided Motorcycle Tour

Three days to get properly out of Sydney. This self-guided loop covers 670 kilometres and two nights, climbing into the Blue Mountains, crossing the Hawkesbury and finishing in the Hunter Valley.

The Blue Mountains come first, an hour west of the city, where the sandstone plateau drops away into forested valleys and the roads along the escarpment have viewpoints every few kilometres. The haze that gives the range its name comes off the eucalypts, and in the right light it is genuinely blue.

The Hawkesbury River country north of the city is the part Sydneysiders keep to themselves. It is a landscape of drowned valleys, ferry crossings and quiet roads through national park, and it feels a long way from the harbour an hour behind. From there the route runs north to the Hunter Valley, the oldest wine region in Australia, which makes a reasonable place to finish a day’s riding before the run back to Sydney.

BikeRoundOz provides the bike of your choice, two nights in three and a half to four star hotels, a detailed itinerary document, digital maps and pre-tour route advice. A pillion stays free on the accommodation, so a couple travels for not much more than one rider. Fuel, meals, tolls and insurance are separate, and the season runs September to May. For anyone with a long weekend in Sydney, or a few spare days on either side of a longer trip, this is the easiest way onto a bike and out of the city traffic.