A trio of sunny trips in three different Mazda models.

Want to create some driving memories this holiday season? Here are three road trips you can enjoy in three different Mazda models during the long summer days ahead.

Mazda CX-60 – Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff (VIC)

Less than two hours’ drive from the city of Melbourne is Queenscliff, located at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay.

From the Melbourne CBD, head over the West Gate Bridge and down the Princes Freeway towards Geelong. Turn left at McKillop Street and follow the Bellarine Highway to Queenscliff.

Stop at Point Lonsdale for a bite. Its main strip of eateries is situated across from the local Back Beach, which offers a great place to relax by the water. Cool off in the gentle waters and its famous rock pools. They reveal themselves every time tide goes out and they’re a great way to explore the magic of marine life.

Caffeinate at Pasquinis Deli and Café, which offers great food, coffee and water views. Be sure to check out the boutique stores along the main strip.

Surfers will enjoy the long waves at Point Londsale’s Front Beach, which is just around the headland where the lighthouse can be found, which is one of Victoria’s best ocean lookouts.

Five minutes’ drive west of Point Lonsdale is the historic town of Queenscliff, situated in the borough of Queenscliffe (which explains why you’ll see the name on road signs with and without an ‘e’). Located near Swan Bay, this pretty town retains many elements of its Victorian-era heritage.

History lovers should check out the Historical Museum and the Maritime Museum. Train buffs will enjoy Queenscliff’s beautifully preserved railway station and the Bellarine Railway’s heritage rail experiences. Kids will enjoy the Polar Express train rides during December.

Complete your CX-60 day trip with your favourite flavour at The Scandinavian Ice Cream Company (located on the main strip) and take a trip across Port Phillip Bay on the Queenscliff-Sorrento car ferry before hitting the road back to Melbourne via the Mornington Peninsula. 

Mazda BT-50 – Toolangi State Forest (VIC)

Located just 1.5 hours north-east from the Melbourne CBD is Toolangi State Forest.

Leave the city on the Eastern Freeway and head towards Ringwood and then out to Yering. Stop at Yarra Glen for one of its lovely breakfast and brunch options, such as the Harper and Ivy Café and the Yarra Glen Café.

Then head north up the Melba Highway and turn right at Healesville-Kinglake Road. Toolangi Forest spans a large area from Toolangi up to Yea and offers a variety of off-road trails ranging from easy to very challenging.

Blowhard Road is regarded as a good starter for beginner off-road drivers and those looking for a simple and scenic drive. Experienced off-roaders who want to give it heaps can point their Mazda BT-50 towards more challenging paths such as Rocky Track, Cockpit Track and Aeroplane Track, each of them a great way to use the BT-50’s full armoury of off-road drive technologies.

As well as enjoying the thrill of Toolangi’s various off-road trails, be sure to stop and inhale the forest’s lush green surrounds, which include vast Mountain Ash trees and endless stretches of tree ferns and shrubs. Look for the Kalatha Giant Tree Walk if you’re keen to see a giant of the forest and keep an eye out for Swamp Wallabies and Lyrebirds.

Never been four-wheel driving before? Be sure to check out our ‘Tech Drive’ series on the Beyond the Drive to get some tips from four-wheel driving experts.

Mazda MX-5 – Adelaide Hills (SA)

Some of Australia’s best driving roads for sports cars can be found 40 minutes from the centre of Adelaide.

This network of bends and corners straddle green hills and overlook picturesque valleys, making them ideal for top-down driving in the Mazda MX-5.

Grab breakfast at one of Adelaide’s many cafés (try Pony & Cole in Hindmarsh or Yolk Café in Walkerville) and fill up before heading roof-down towards the Adelaide Hills.

Take the Princes Highway to Crafers and then turn left to Mount Lofty Summit for the first picturesque views. Head along Greenhill Road and towards Uraidla for the start of Basket Range Road, which takes you to the Range of the same name and its snaking switchbacks and corners, many of which have starred in various tarmac rally events. This is true MX-5 territory.

When you get to Ashton, you can choose between heading right towards Montacute along Marble Hill Road or left towards Norton Summit and its curve-rich stretches.

Choose Montacute and it will take you to the famous Corkscrew Road. Its name is self-explanatory. Reaching its end brings you to arguably Adelaide’s most famous driver’s stretch, Gorge Road. Turn right and enjoy the sports car purity of the Mazda MX-5. Take the Gorge Road all the way to Gumeracha and enjoy a coffee at the Gumeracha Hotel.

Take the route in reverse for the return drive.

Enjoy the drive.