MotoGP
Great Ocean Road wins Best Coastal Road
The Great Ocean Road. This 243-kilometer (150-mile) stretch along Australia’s southeastern coast takes you between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. Built by returned soldiers and dedicated to soldiers killed during the Great War, the road is the world’s largest war memorial. Winding left and right along a breathtaking Pacific Ocean coastline, riders get a one-of-a-kind experience as they pass the towering 12 Apostles, native wildlife, world-famous surf breaks, rich rainforests and misty waterfalls along the way. There’s so much to do on this two-lane coastal odyssey, that entire websites are dedicated to helping visitors explore the region. It’s considered one of the world’s most scenic coastal roads, and it’s an important tourist attraction in the region.
And now it is the winning entry in the Coastal Road category of the DHL’s World’s Best Road contest.
The smooth sweeping lefts and rights besides the Pacific Ocean make it for a mesmerizing motorcycle riding feel.
Rujul Satpute from India
For those who entered the Great Ocean Road for their chance to win, the promise of experiencing the road they love with Mark Webber – or the dream of riding it with him for the first time – is still alive.
“The Great Ocean Road has been my dream place to ride. I hope to achieve this dream one day,” writes Allan Peter from Kenya. And Rujul Sapute from India knows why: “The smooth sweeping lefts and rights besides the Pacific ocean make it for a mesmerizing motorcycle riding feel,” he writes in his entry. “Truly an experience to look forward to.”
Byron Gallagher from Australia goes even further to say: “A road that allows you the freedom to truly experience what traveling is meant to be.”
But the contest is far from over. The Best Coastal Road will go up against two other categories, the Best Mountain Road and the Best Plains/Desert Road before the ultimate winner is chosen.
Enter and win at www.dhl.com/WorldsBestRoad
A difficult choice
With over 200 entries, many of which are world-renowned coastal rides, selecting the Best Coastal Road wasn’t easy. California’s epic Pacific Coast Highway was a highly popular entry. The 1,555-km (655-mile) north-south route runs along most of the Pacific coastline of the U.S. state of California. It’s a storied ribbon of road that presents an exhilarating riding experience and is among America’s most scenic drives. “Breathtaking views, dangerous cliffs, winding roads and massive elevation changes,” writes one entrant. “No two sections of the route are the same.”
Italy’s Amalfi Coast was another top pick. This stretch of breathtaking coastline on the southern coast of the Salerno Gulf on the Tyrrhenian Sea is a popular tourist destination and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a place where blue skies and iridescent seas meet whitewashed houses and brilliant blossoms at dramatic cliffs that plunge into the sea. The ride is famous for its hairpin turns, endless seascapes and narrow bridges. “[It] is a mind-bending road with sheer rock face one side and the contrasting beauty of the Amalfi coastline on the other,” writes one entrant. “Tight corners and passing vehicles always keeps the adrenaline rushing whilst enjoying such a beautiful ride.”
Norway’s short-but-no-less-sensational Atlantic Ocean Road would be a dream come true for many motor biking enthusiasts. The 8.3-kilometer (5.2-mile) section of the country’s County Road 64 connects an archipelago of islands in the Norwegian Sea with the mainland. Voted Norway’s “Engineering Feat of the Century” in 2005, this unique track takes you truly to the ocean’s edge and, depending on the weather, provides either a sun-soaked, tranquil summer day or a foam-sprayed, stormy journey. “It is a spectacular mix of the majestic Norwegian mountains, daring architecture and an unforgiving ocean,” write one entrant. “Cruising on this road truly sets your mind on the natural beauty of our beloved mother earth combined with the human creativity and determination!”
Next up: Mountain Roads
From the Rockies to the Himalayas and the Andes to the Alps, mountain roads present some of the most adrenaline-pumping rides in the world. The question is: what’s your favorite? What’s your Best Mountain Road? Maybe you’re like Mark Webber and you think of the Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Highway, or perhaps you prefer Pakistan’s Karakoram Highway. Or is Austria’s Grossglockner High Alpine Road on your bucket list?
Best road for me was riding through the Rockies in Colorado.
Mark Webber
Whether you have ridden it before or yearn for the opportunity, you probably have a favorite – one that you believe is the world’s best road. Tell us what it is and why, and you could win the ride of a lifetime: a ride on DHL’s World’s Best Road on your motorbike alongside nine-time Formula One Grand Prix winner and bike enthusiast Mark Webber, delivered by DHL!
Enter and win at www.dhl.com/WorldsBestRoad
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