New South Wales

BUCKETTS/THUNDERBOLTS/WATERFALL WAY

WE AGONISED over this one. Our first thought was the Putty Road, but that felt too obvious, so our minds drifted to our favourite overnight route from Sydney to Bathurst, via the Jenolan Caves Road and Tarana. But then it hit us like a thunderbolt: head north, to the beautiful mid-north coast, and take in three brilliant stretches along the way. The loop that links the Bucketts Way, Thunderbolts Way and Waterfall Way involves two solid days of driving, though the pay-off is a diverse tapestry of roads, terrain and landscapes. Leave Sydney and strike towards Newcastle, then splinter inland towards the picturesque town of Gloucester. The Thunderbolts Way follows (named after the infamous bushranger Captain Thunderbolt) though beware – while its mix of corners are bewitching, its surface can resemble that of the moon. Swooping through the 155km towards the coast via the Waterfall Way offers some respite, and at its end you’re faced with two options: bolt straight down the coast for the 500km to home, or shoot back inland onto the Oxley Highway for a final, and brilliant, blat on some of Australia’s best bitumen. The choice is yours.