As mentioned in another topic, we choose to use the New England highway to get to Bris from Canberra. Its actually longer, although I havent worked out how much. But we choose to stop along the way for cuppa's, lunches, and overnight stops too, and have found the Rest stops on the Pacific are all very busy, as is the road itself, and overnight places all booked out. Does the Princes Highway work for anybody else?
jimbo said
01:54 PM Dec 14, 2010
Since they (The Councils) have saturated the rest spots with threats of Doom and Gloom if you decide to sleep the night (They like to call it Camping) and in my opinion have contributed to many deaths because people didn't rest up..I seen that in August Sept and Oct this year along the Bruce h/Way and New England H/way on my way Home.....
brickies said
04:30 PM Dec 14, 2010
Welcome that a big statement
jimricho said
05:22 PM Dec 14, 2010
I too avoid the Pacific Highway if possible. A few years ago I regularly travelled from Newcastle to Brisbane and preferred "Thunderbolts Way" from Newcastle to Uralla (via Gloucester) and then NE Hwy to Brisbane.
Click on this Google Maps Link to check out another way, via Moree, Dubbo and Cowra. Its only about 40 kms longer than Pacific Hwy avoids Sydney, also slightly shorter than NE Hwy. You can edit the start and destination points add intermediate destinations and generally "play around" with it to suit your personal travel plans.
Note that I have not travelled the section from Dubbo to Canberra, apart from Cowra to near Yass, so I have no knowledge of the road conditions on that stretch.
-- Edited by jimricho on Tuesday 14th of December 2010 05:26:22 PM
Gerty Dancer said
06:13 PM Dec 14, 2010
Thanks Jim, will consider that route on the Newell, had always thought it a lot further, but as you say.....
We know the Canberra-Dubbo road pretty well, usually start in that direction then turn East at Wellington thru Gulgong, Merriwa to Scone/NE H'way, thus avoiding Sydney.
jimbo said
06:22 PM Dec 14, 2010
Sorry about the truth.....It's mentioned in the Local Camilla QLD paper...Also Serina paper.....In the "Who's to Blame?)
jimricho said
06:42 AM Dec 15, 2010
Not immediately relevant to G D's question but is relevant to anyone considering using Thunderbolts Way as mentioned earlier in this thread. There are some parts of this route that are bit windy (rhymes with wine, and sometimes with win too) and some steep sections that would require extra care if towing a larger rig. I have no problems with my small rig on this route.
jimricho said
06:53 AM Dec 15, 2010
Gerty Dancer wrote:
Thanks Jim, will consider that route on the Newell, had always thought it a lot further, but as you say..... We know the Canberra-Dubbo road pretty well, usually start in that direction then turn East at Wellington thru Gulgong, Merriwa to Scone/NE H'way, thus avoiding Sydney.
Just checked out of curiosity and according to Google the Newell Hwy is about 50 km shorter. Like you I would have assumed it was further too. Google Maps is an excellent trip planning tool.
brickies said
08:11 AM Dec 15, 2010
I use the Newell all the time not far between stop and like inland travel over coastal , the road from Forbes to cowra to Canberra is a scenic trip , People are responsibly for their own actions not the highway plan your trip don,t take on more than you can handle stop before you get tried, there are plenty of servo along the way if you can,t find a rest stop ,coastal highway seem to have less rest area but these are provided by main road not councils has they control nt council
Allara said
07:57 PM Dec 15, 2010
If I remember right from when I was studying law....If you are a 'bona fide' traveller...you can stop overnight anywhere...even in George street..in the City.!!
Also, horses have right of way over motor vehicles. Although I wouldn't want to put that one to the test....
PeterD said
08:50 PM Dec 16, 2010
Well I don't know how the distances are calculated in these planners. I have just used Google and WhereIs. I typed Brisbane and Canberra for the end points. I pulled the routes across to get the alternate results. In both planners the favoured route was vis the Pacific:
Route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WhereIs . . . . . . . . . Google
Pacific Hwy . . . . . . . . . . . .1205 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1205
New England Hwy . . . . . . . .1281 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1267
New England + Thunderbolts .1242 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1219
New England + Putty Rd . . . .1253 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1243
Newell via Molong . . . . . . . . 1233 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1254
Newell via Forbes . . . . . . . . .1294 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1285
Gerty Dancer said
09:31 PM Dec 16, 2010
Wow! Thank you Peter! Even though Google and WhereIs differ a bit, they are consistent in showing which is the longer/shorter route.
We'll be heading north on the Newell via Molong, but the homeward bound trip is a bit complicated, as we have to stop at a couple of places in the Northern of NSW, but will then return via the NE H'way.
Well be travelling in an Mazda2 for fuel economy, so we will feel all the bumps in the road and will be in a position to comment on road conditions!
jimricho said
07:21 AM Dec 17, 2010
Gerty Dancer wrote:
Wow! Thank you Peter! Even though Google and WhereIs differ a bit, they are consistent in showing which is the longer/shorter route.
We'll be heading north on the Newell via Molong, but the homeward bound trip is a bit complicated, as we have to stop at a couple of places in the Northern of NSW, but will then return via the NE H'way.
Well be travelling in an Mazda2 for fuel economy, so we will feel all the bumps in the road and will be in a position to comment on road conditions!
OK let's now complicate things! Which way Brissy to Goondi? Via Toowoomba/Gore Hwy? ..... via Warwick/Cunningham Hwy?
Over to you!
(edit...bloody typo again!)
-- Edited by jimricho on Friday 17th of December 2010 07:22:31 AM
brickies said
08:34 AM Dec 17, 2010
Jim via Toowoomba every time for me , most of the trucks go that way now ,did a Racq Trip Planner check Brisbane to Goondiwindi Via Toowoomba 341 ks taking 3 hrs. 54 mins. , Brisbane to Goondiwindi Via Warwick 353 ks. 4 hrs. 15 mins
lyn-n-ken said
02:16 PM Dec 17, 2010
hi allara do you know if this law still stands because if thats the case we could stop anywhere and just sleep in the car. be interesting to know.
brickies said
04:17 PM Dec 17, 2010
I was told by inspector of police that local government laws can stop you from sleeping in areas prohibitive to do so , but if you tell the police officer or council officer that you had to rest has you felt you were tried to drive and was unsafe to do so, it would be irresponsible for anyone to more you on , and could be fort in court
Gerty Dancer said
05:28 PM Dec 17, 2010
A motorhoming nomad told me he keeps 2 empty beer-cans handy, so he can claim to be over the limit if asked to move on. He's never had to test this so far.
ChiChi1 said
10:40 PM Dec 17, 2010
I had wondered about that. Being a prospective MH buyer. If you have a drink after a long days drive, could the police consider that you are in control of a vehicle under the influence?
brickies said
07:43 AM Dec 18, 2010
ChiChi you could be right I have heard of that happing on a house boat
jimricho said
07:53 AM Dec 18, 2010
I would be very wary of some of the (so-called) "legal" advice being offered in this thread!
-- Edited by jimricho on Saturday 18th of December 2010 07:54:19 AM
Popeye said
08:01 PM Dec 18, 2010
I think one of the Motorhome forums have a form you can print out.I think it has words to the effect of time his/her name number and there title & why they have asked you to move on. After you have tolled them you are to tired. Plus it is an Offence.
Zoomtopz said
06:53 AM Dec 20, 2010
Thank you for the stats Peter -
What they don't tell you - is how hilly , corners - etc
I have previously mentioned that I prefer to travel the New England than Pacific .
It is 15k longer but 40minutes longer as well . I live near Grafton , I travel up the
Armidale Rd - the 1st 20k are flat , the next 75 are climbing & winding . As you climb
from 20ft above sea level to 3000ft at Ebor & all those slow corners from Nymboida
to Dundurrabin . I have sometimes mentioned , my trucking experiences . In early
70s (when trucks were still slow) I worked for Mayne Nlckolas - During summer
months we had to go Hume - New England from Melb-Bris Instead of Newell . They
reckoned we saved 60% on tyre wear - that was before tubeless truck tyres .
I suppose it is entirely up to each person & the mission .
Richo
Allara said
07:57 PM Dec 20, 2010
lyn-n-ken wrote:
hi allara do you know if this law still stands because if thats the case we could stop anywhere and just sleep in the car. be interesting to know.
Don't know if it still stands as it has been a while since I was in practice. But it was definately the law then.
gillyb said
07:41 AM Dec 21, 2010
Zoomtopz can you tell me if there are many steep and windy spots on the Newell, I was thinking of taking it when going from Melbourne to Gold Coast, I was wondering about the sections Goondwindi--Toowoomba--Gold Coast or is there a better option. Thanks
-- Edited by gillyb on Tuesday 21st of December 2010 07:42:33 AM
Happywanderer said
05:40 PM Dec 21, 2010
I've done the Newell many times but not to the Gold Coast, usually going to Bundy or thereabouts.
I think you would be going too far north if you went through Toowoomba which I have never been to.
Going to Brisbane I have used the Cunningham gap which is VERY steep, I don't like it. But you can head east after Warick and turn off at Aratula which takes you to Beaudesert. Very pretty valley through there, not steep or hilly.
jimricho said
07:00 PM Dec 21, 2010
According to Google Maps... Goondi to South Brisbane via Gore Highway/Toowoomba ... 347 kms, via Cunningham Hwy/Warwick... 356 km.
H.W. you may be referring to going via Warwick and Toowoomba in which case, yes, you would be going out the way.
The Gore Highway is a direct route from Goondi to Toowoomba. To get onto it you have to travel a short distance (about 20 ks I think from memory) along the Leichhardt Highway from Goondi. Turn left at Boundary Road, a short distance past the big BP as you head north out of Goondi to get onto the Leichhardt/Gore Hwy.
Check these suggested (by Google Maps, not me) routes from Goondi to Bundy
-- Edited by jimricho on Tuesday 21st of December 2010 07:05:22 PM
Happywanderer said
08:31 PM Dec 21, 2010
If going to Brisbane I have gone Warrick / Cunningham gap or Arutula / Beautdesert.
If going to Bundy I go Goondi - Moonie / Dalby, so either way I miss Toowoomba.
Have never needed to go there which is really in between the two different trips.
Mind you, once I get my campervan will definitely go there as supposed to be lovely at certain times of the year.
Does the Princes Highway work for anybody else?
Click on this Google Maps Link to check out another way, via Moree, Dubbo and Cowra. Its only about 40 kms longer than Pacific Hwy avoids Sydney, also slightly shorter than NE Hwy. You can edit the start and destination points add intermediate destinations and generally "play around" with it to suit your personal travel plans.
Note that I have not travelled the section from Dubbo to Canberra, apart from Cowra to near Yass, so I have no knowledge of the road conditions on that stretch.
-- Edited by jimricho on Tuesday 14th of December 2010 05:26:22 PM
Over to you!
(edit...bloody typo again!)
-- Edited by jimricho on Friday 17th of December 2010 07:22:31 AM
do you know if this law still stands because if thats the case we could stop anywhere and just sleep in the car.
be interesting to know.
ignorantia iuris neminem excusat!
-- Edited by jimricho on Saturday 18th of December 2010 07:54:19 AM
Zoomtopz can you tell me if there are many steep and windy spots on the Newell, I was thinking of taking it when going from Melbourne to Gold Coast, I was wondering about the sections Goondwindi--Toowoomba--Gold Coast or is there a better option.
Thanks
-- Edited by gillyb on Tuesday 21st of December 2010 07:42:33 AM
H.W. you may be referring to going via Warwick and Toowoomba in which case, yes, you would be going out the way.
The Gore Highway is a direct route from Goondi to Toowoomba. To get onto it you have to travel a short distance (about 20 ks I think from memory) along the Leichhardt Highway from Goondi. Turn left at Boundary Road, a short distance past the big BP as you head north out of Goondi to get onto the Leichhardt/Gore Hwy.
Check these suggested (by Google Maps, not me) routes from Goondi to Bundy
-- Edited by jimricho on Tuesday 21st of December 2010 07:05:22 PM