FANGS FOR THE MEMORIES!

We are a country girt by sea, blessed with a fabulous network of roads and tracks that zigzag through every state and territory, allowing access to some of the most magnificent scenery and locations Australia has to offer. While some of these routes can be labelled as iconic, bucket-list type rides, others are less-travelled pathways to adventures and seldom seen, gems that are likely to stay in the back of your mind for a lifetime.

For 70 years, AMCN has been riding motorcycles across this diverse and sometimes challenging landscape and we have compiled this selection of rides and locations that will hopefully bring back great memories for many of you, as well as inspire others to get out there and make some new ones.

Great roads and scenery certainly top the list when we are rating routes around the country but we constantly find that it is the small towns we visit along the way, and their interesting locals who generously share their knowledge and story, that provides the most compelling and indelible memories.

TASMANIA ELEPHANT PASS

MOST MEMORABLE

For many riders, Tassie is the real motorcycling nirvana state and it is hard to argue against. It seems that every road you take was designed with riders in mind. The ride up Elephant Pass to St Marys then back down the other side is an excellent detour if you are touring along the coast and just want to break up the scenery by getting off the highway for a while.

Around 10 minutes north of Bicheno, the Elephant Pass Road (A4) leaves the Tasman Highway and winds uphill past the Lower Marsh Creek Forest Reserve. The road snakes up the mountain in a series of tight and twisty corners on what is, for the most part, a well-sealed bitumen surface. The narrow road continues on uphill through the typical Tasmanian bush until you reach the Pancake Barn, which makes a great stop for refreshments – it’d be rude not to try at least one of their gourmet pancake options.

From here the road opens up a little as it meanders downhill for another 8km into the pleasant little town of St Marys. The St Marys Hotel is on the intersection of the Esk Hwy and is a great place for