The best motorcycle roads on the Sunshine Coast hinterland

Behind the Sunshine Coast the land rises into the Blackall Range, and the roads that climb it are some of the tightest in South East Queensland. The top of the range has small towns with cafes, which is why it is a favourite for a weekend morning.

Up the range

Palmwoods–Montville Road climbs the face of the range from Palmwoods to Montville in a dense run of bends. It is short and steep, so it rewards a steady pace.

Nambour–Mapleton Road is a longer, steadier climb onto the range with views toward the coast. Mapleton has food and a lookout at the top.

Both are busy at weekends, with riders, cars and tourists, so go early or midweek.

Along the top and beyond

Maleny–Kenilworth Road is the relaxed one, a flowing road through farmland and patches of rainforest. It is the road to take when you want to look around as much as ride.

Further out, Pomona–Kin Kin Road and Cooroy–Belli Creek Road are quiet back roads through the Noosa hinterland. They are narrow and lightly trafficked, but surface and edges vary, so keep a margin on blind corners.

Kilcoy–Beerwah Road links the area to the Brisbane Valley, so you can turn the day into a loop with the Mount Mee and Esk–Kilcoy roads.

What to know before you go

• Weekends. The top towns fill up. Early or midweek is a different ride.
• Storms. Summer afternoons bring storms and gravel washed onto corners.
• Wildlife. Dawn and dusk are risky on the back roads.
• Fuel. Fill up on the coast before heading inland.

Plan it

Drop pins in the app, choose curvy routing, and it builds a loop along the twistiest roads it can find. Download the offline map pack before you leave, because signal drops out in the hinterland.