Scenic drives and motorcycle rides from Brisbane

South East Queensland has good scenic roads within an hour or so of Brisbane, for drivers and riders alike: the D'Aguilar Range to the north-west, the Sunshine Coast hinterland to the north and the Gold Coast ranges to the south. Each road below has its own guide, and you can plan a loop through several of them in MotoRidez.

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Brisbane ranges: Mount Glorious and Mount Nebo

The closest good roads, less than an hour from the city. Mount Glorious Road and Mount Nebo Road climb the D'Aguilar Range from Samford. Mount Mee Road to the north is the quieter option.

North-west: Esk, Kilcoy and Beerwah

Esk to Kilcoy and Kilcoy to Beerwah are the connecting roads for a longer day, linking the Brisbane Valley side to the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Sunshine Coast hinterland

Palmwoods to Montville is a little under an hour from Brisbane. Around it sit Maleny to Kenilworth, Nambour to Mapleton, Cooroy to Belli Creek and Pomona to Kin Kin, enough roads for a full day without repeating one.

Gold Coast hinterland

Beechmont Road is about 45 minutes from Brisbane. Lamington National Park Road and Tamborine to Oxenford Road round out a day in the ranges behind the Gold Coast.

By car, 4WD or motorcycle

These are public roads, chosen for their bends and views, so they make scenic drives as much as rides. Pick motorcycle, car or 4WD in your garage and routing follows it, with a setting for how much gravel a route may include. For longer trips, see the 4WD trip planner and the camping checklist below.

Planning a day from Brisbane

Start early. Heat, weekend traffic and afternoon storms all make late starts worse.
Choose curvy routing, add the roads you want as waypoints, and let the app join them up.
Download the offline map for the route before you leave. Mobile signal can drop out in the ranges.
The app remembers the roads you have ridden, so the next planned route can send you down ones you have not.

Questions

What is the best motorcycle road near Brisbane?

Mount Glorious Road, climbing the D'Aguilar Range from Samford, is the usual answer, less than an hour from the city. Mount Mee Road is the quieter alternative.

Are these roads good for cars and 4WDs?

Yes, they are public roads. They are chosen for their bends and views, and some of the plateau roads are narrow and steep, so take them at a pace that suits your vehicle.

Can I plan a loop through several of these roads?

Yes. Add each road as a waypoint, choose curvy routing and MotoRidez joins them into one route you can navigate offline.

Is MotoRidez free in Queensland?

Planning, turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps for a planned route are free on iOS and Android.