I am meeting Dennise at Tamworth on Thursday morning and we are planning a trip to Greens, no idea which way or how long it will take. But for now I have booked in to the Grafton Showgrounds, $20 per night whether you plug into power or not. Don't really need power but have plugged in and have given the house batteries a charge up, they had been running the fridge whilst the bus was getting fixed without the benefit of sunlight.
The plan for tomorrow is to drive to Bendemeer some 40kms from Tamworth so the question is do I drive the more direct way straight to Armidale or take the longer route via Glen Innes, bearing in mind that the bus doesn't like hills. I have to cross the mountains one way or an other and I will access this post before setting off tomorrow for feedback.
Have caught up with Paul and he seems to have gotten over his down period and is busy, he had an appointment at the hospital and drove his scooter into town and was also meeting up with friends from Grafton. This site is ok with flushing toilets, drinking water and hot showers also walking distance to Harvey Norman and Aldi so I suppose $20 per night is acceptable. John
Nothing visually interesting so didn't take the camera for a walk.
SnowT said
02:58 PM Oct 14, 2014
Hey John..
Grafton to Coffs Harbour then to Armidale via Billingen
Want to go this way and give us a report unless some else has gone this way... - I'm in your boat The bus hates the Hill's and so do I... even thou I do like the snow...
Actually I take it Back, I did not know there was a shorter route right down the middle...
- 265km compared to 325 and 340km So there is a difference..
juergen
-- Edited by SnowT on Tuesday 14th of October 2014 03:04:08 PM
yeoeleven said
03:14 PM Oct 14, 2014
SnowT wrote:
Hey John..
Grafton to Coffs Harbour then to Armidale via Billingen
Want to go this way and give us a report unless some else has gone this way... - I'm in your boat The bus hates the Hill's and so do I... even thou I do like the snow...
Actually I take it Back, I did not know there was a shorter route right down the middle...
- 265km compared to 325 and 340km So there is a difference..
juergen
-- Edited by SnowT on Tuesday 14th of October 2014 03:04:08 PM
Juergen I drove up the range from Bellingen in the trusty old Hi Ace, it is called the Waterfall Way and not too steep but way too far from Grafton. There is a direct route to Armidale saving 60kms from Grafton against the trip via Glen Innes. Drove from Glen Innes to Grafton with Billeee and Jules 2 years ago and it wasn't too bad but then it was downhill.
-- Edited by yeoeleven on Tuesday 14th of October 2014 03:18:26 PM
shekon said
03:56 PM Oct 14, 2014
Hi John,
Grafton to Glen Innes is really steep and winding. It is a beautiful drive, the worse bit would be going out of Grafton, until you get up to the top of the range.
Hey duffer, I know you have an aversion to CP's but for an extra $2 pn you could have been at the park there, bus stops right outside the gate and you would only have to pay $2.50 per day to ride on it all day. 5 star resort style living. I know, I know, you don't like CP's just saying that is all. LOL.
Miss Daisy handled the hills, but I was going down through the gears going up and coming down. Took her out of auto. There are a few places to pull over to let the traffic pass, not many though.
I do have to say though it is the most stunning of drives.
Dougwe said
03:59 PM Oct 14, 2014
How did the Coaster come up after getting fixed John? Gee that week went quick.
Yuglamron said
04:40 PM Oct 14, 2014
I drove the route from Grafton to Armidale earlier this year. There is no doubt it has some magic views but never again. Too windy and some very slow bends and many steep sections .Up and down up and down, I can honestly say I was glad I never met anything coming the other way.
Some of the bends were signed 15 K's and needed dropping to that speed.
If you do go that way it took us four hours to get from Grafton to Armidale so be prepared for a slow trip.
Cheers
Trevor
yeoeleven said
05:35 PM Oct 14, 2014
Dougwe wrote:
How did the Coaster come up after getting fixed John? Gee that week went quick.
Looks good Doug, glad to be on the road again.
Trevor, your experience has put me off making that trip, if you took 4 hours it would take me longer.
Sharon, Paul is staying at this camp and I am spending time with him he has had some reverses lately. Your experience driving to Glen Innes sounds a bit like Trevor's to Armidale but I have to decide!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and direct to Armidale is 60kms shorter.
I have looked at the map in Camps and the direct to Armidale route joins the Bellingen Armidale Road that I have previously driven.
John
Bluey1 said
06:10 PM Oct 14, 2014
Hi john
I travel from TAMWORTH to Grafton monthly. All three routes are painful in some way.
The direct route from Grafton to Armidale via namboidia has the least traffic and a very pretty drive. Some slow corners and steepish hills but not to bad and as I said least amount of traffic of the three routes. This is the way I always go is shortest route
Then you have via bellingen with one very longish steep climb lots of traffic and lots of small ups and downs
Via glen Innes nice drive fairly long winding road lots traffic.
Good free camp at bendemer behind the caravan park on the TAMWORTH side
Regards Darren
Ps freezing cold here at the moment so break out your winter woollies
-- Edited by Bluey1 on Tuesday 14th of October 2014 06:12:14 PM
yeoeleven said
07:59 PM Oct 15, 2014
Had another problem with the bus when I was setting off, the gauges wouldn't work and the charging light stayed on. This happened at Warooma Dam and caused me lots of grief so this time I found an auto elec in Grafton and enlisted his help. If things had gone really wrong I would have been stuck there waiting for parts and if he had pulled it down in his garage I wouldn't have been able to sleep in it.
So Brian told me what he wanted access to and I had to remove a protecting plate from under the engine and ring him when he had access. Anyway I was able to remove the plate and Brian came to the Showgrounds to inspect the alternator and the regulator, fortunately the alternator works fine but the regulator was stuffed. It had been put on whilst in Monto and it was just a makeshift second hand fix to get me on the road.
Now I have a new regulator from an old series of Landcruiser and I was able to set off at around 2pm. I had decided to take the shortest route direct to Armidale and by the time I was 12kms from there I called it a day at Gara River Rest Area Camps7 #295. Arriving late I didn't do the walk to the river but settled in ready for a quick set off tomorrow. The rest area is right on the Waterfall Way and can only be recommended as an overnight stop. It has a covered table bench set up and a drop toilet. John
yeoeleven said
09:49 AM Oct 16, 2014
I have been told that Armidale is a cold place and this morning I believed all that I had heard, set off early and tried the heater for the first time but no way was there any warm air coming out. Anyway I have arrived at Tamworth early for my meet up with Dennise so here I am at Hungry Jack's and will see what happens next. I do have the most interesting life always with things to look forward to and the unexpected often cropping up.
Thanks for the comments and suggestions about the trip, it took me 2 hours to go 100kms from Grafton to the Waterfall Way but after that it was easier travelling. John
Hang on a minute John I arrived at Grafton Showground 16th and departed this morning 17th for Kyogle showground ($10, power $15). Bugger that's a shame we didn't cross paths. I was parked up the back near the shower block. My solar panel was in for an overnight repair, picked it up on the way out of town about 10.30, have found it still doesn't work this afternoon so be back in Grafton Monday morning, probably stay at Laurence (free camp by the river) after attempting the loop of Kyogle, Urbanville, Alice, Copmanhurst then across to Laurence then on to Armidale, Uralla, Walcha, down Thunderbolts Way to Gloucester eventually arriving at Broke free camp on Friday for the Hot air Balloons at Pokolbin on the weekend then home.
My friends motorhome really doesn't like hills but you should have see my xtrail and caravan skidding and kicking up stones on the slopes after taking a wrong turn, ending up on a winding dirt road traversing through Sherwood forest to Glenreagh showground, great camp spot by the way. Was scary stuff thinking I would loose the caravan on a bend till I remembered the 4x4 gear, that made a big difference, ha happy days...
Hope to meet one day
Helen
yeoeleven said
01:22 AM Oct 18, 2014
Hi Helen,
Missed you by a day, next time hopefully will make contact.
Paul (my van) was still there after I left, camped to the right of the oval neat the toilet blocks,
He has the pop up caravan and the mobility scooter.
Pic earlier in this thread,
John
jules47 said
09:10 AM Oct 18, 2014
How easily we can miss each other - I often take a wander around a camp, and see if I can spot a sticker, have done a couple of times, once in a supermarket carpark in Ceduna - and another time at a camp.
eureka said
02:41 PM Oct 18, 2014
You're right Jules, should take your advice on board.....and coincidently, as John said, he had a person named Brian do his repair job. My Battery/Solar man's name was Brian Felton from Pound Street Grafton....funny thing if that was the same repair man Helen
yeoeleven said
03:54 PM Oct 18, 2014
eureka wrote:
You're right Jules, should take your advice on board.....and coincidently, as John said, he had a person named Brian do his repair job. My Battery/Solar man's name was Brian Felton from Pound Street Grafton....funny thing if that was the same repair man Helen
Yes Helen the very same Brian. B F Industries Pty. Ltd.
I am meeting Dennise at Tamworth on Thursday morning and we are planning a trip to Greens, no idea which way or how long it will take. But for now I have booked in to the Grafton Showgrounds, $20 per night whether you plug into power or not. Don't really need power but have plugged in and have given the house batteries a charge up, they had been running the fridge whilst the bus was getting fixed without the benefit of sunlight.
The plan for tomorrow is to drive to Bendemeer some 40kms from Tamworth so the question is do I drive the more direct way straight to Armidale or take the longer route via Glen Innes, bearing in mind that the bus doesn't like hills. I have to cross the mountains one way or an other and I will access this post before setting off tomorrow for feedback.
Have caught up with Paul and he seems to have gotten over his down period and is busy, he had an appointment at the hospital and drove his scooter into town and was also meeting up with friends from Grafton. This site is ok with flushing toilets, drinking water and hot showers also walking distance to Harvey Norman and Aldi so I suppose $20 per night is acceptable. John
Nothing visually interesting so didn't take the camera for a walk.
Hey John..
Grafton to Coffs Harbour then to Armidale via Billingen
Want to go this way and give us a report unless some else has gone this way...
- I'm in your boat The bus hates the Hill's and so do I... even thou I do like the snow...
Actually I take it Back, I did not know there was a shorter route right down the middle...
- 265km compared to 325 and 340km So there is a difference..
juergen
-- Edited by SnowT on Tuesday 14th of October 2014 03:04:08 PM
Juergen I drove up the range from Bellingen in the trusty old Hi Ace, it is called the Waterfall Way and not too steep but way too far from Grafton. There is a direct route to Armidale saving 60kms from Grafton against the trip via Glen Innes. Drove from Glen Innes to Grafton with Billeee and Jules 2 years ago and it wasn't too bad but then it was downhill.
John
Edited to insert a link to the previous Waterfall Way post http://yeoeleven.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/waterfall-way-armidale-to-biggenden.html
-- Edited by yeoeleven on Tuesday 14th of October 2014 03:18:26 PM
Grafton to Glen Innes is really steep and winding. It is a beautiful drive, the worse bit would be going out of Grafton, until you get up to the top of the range.
Hey duffer, I know you have an aversion to CP's but for an extra $2 pn you could have been at the park there, bus stops right outside the gate and you would only have to pay $2.50 per day to ride on it all day. 5 star resort style living. I know, I know, you don't like CP's just saying that is all. LOL.
Miss Daisy handled the hills, but I was going down through the gears going up and coming down. Took her out of auto. There are a few places to pull over to let the traffic pass, not many though.
I do have to say though it is the most stunning of drives.
I drove the route from Grafton to Armidale earlier this year. There is no doubt it has some magic views but never again. Too windy and some very slow bends and many steep sections .Up and down up and down, I can honestly say I was glad I never met anything coming the other way.
Some of the bends were signed 15 K's and needed dropping to that speed.
If you do go that way it took us four hours to get from Grafton to Armidale so be prepared for a slow trip.
Cheers
Trevor
Looks good Doug, glad to be on the road again.
Trevor, your experience has put me off making that trip, if you took 4 hours it would take me longer.
Sharon, Paul is staying at this camp and I am spending time with him he has had some reverses lately. Your experience driving to Glen Innes sounds a bit like Trevor's to Armidale but I have to decide!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and direct to Armidale is 60kms shorter.
I have looked at the map in Camps and the direct to Armidale route joins the Bellingen Armidale Road that I have previously driven.
John
Hi john
I travel from TAMWORTH to Grafton monthly. All three routes are painful in some way.
The direct route from Grafton to Armidale via namboidia has the least traffic and a very pretty drive. Some slow corners and steepish hills but not to bad and as I said least amount of traffic of the three routes. This is the way I always go is shortest route
Then you have via bellingen with one very longish steep climb lots of traffic and lots of small ups and downs
Via glen Innes nice drive fairly long winding road lots traffic.
Good free camp at bendemer behind the caravan park on the TAMWORTH side
Regards Darren
Ps freezing cold here at the moment so break out your winter woollies
-- Edited by Bluey1 on Tuesday 14th of October 2014 06:12:14 PM
Had another problem with the bus when I was setting off, the gauges wouldn't work and the charging light stayed on. This happened at Warooma Dam and caused me lots of grief so this time I found an auto elec in Grafton and enlisted his help. If things had gone really wrong I would have been stuck there waiting for parts and if he had pulled it down in his garage I wouldn't have been able to sleep in it.
So Brian told me what he wanted access to and I had to remove a protecting plate from under the engine and ring him when he had access. Anyway I was able to remove the plate and Brian came to the Showgrounds to inspect the alternator and the regulator, fortunately the alternator works fine but the regulator was stuffed. It had been put on whilst in Monto and it was just a makeshift second hand fix to get me on the road.
Now I have a new regulator from an old series of Landcruiser and I was able to set off at around 2pm. I had decided to take the shortest route direct to Armidale and by the time I was 12kms from there I called it a day at Gara River Rest Area Camps7 #295. Arriving late I didn't do the walk to the river but settled in ready for a quick set off tomorrow. The rest area is right on the Waterfall Way and can only be recommended as an overnight stop. It has a covered table bench set up and a drop toilet. John
I have been told that Armidale is a cold place and this morning I believed all that I had heard, set off early and tried the heater for the first time but no way was there any warm air coming out. Anyway I have arrived at Tamworth early for my meet up with Dennise so here I am at Hungry Jack's and will see what happens next. I do have the most interesting life always with things to look forward to and the unexpected often cropping up.
Thanks for the comments and suggestions about the trip, it took me 2 hours to go 100kms from Grafton to the Waterfall Way but after that it was easier travelling. John
U old fox ,,U..
Hang on a minute John
I arrived at Grafton Showground 16th and departed this morning 17th for Kyogle showground ($10, power $15). Bugger that's a shame we didn't cross paths. I was parked up the back near the shower block. My solar panel was in for an overnight repair, picked it up on the way out of town about 10.30, have found it still doesn't work this afternoon so be back in Grafton Monday morning, probably stay at Laurence (free camp by the river) after attempting the loop of Kyogle, Urbanville, Alice, Copmanhurst then across to Laurence then on to Armidale, Uralla, Walcha, down Thunderbolts Way to Gloucester eventually arriving at Broke free camp on Friday for the Hot air Balloons at Pokolbin on the weekend then home.
My friends motorhome really doesn't like hills but you should have see my xtrail and caravan skidding and kicking up stones on the slopes after taking a wrong turn, ending up on a winding dirt road traversing through Sherwood forest to Glenreagh showground, great camp spot by the way. Was scary stuff thinking I would loose the caravan on a bend till I remembered the 4x4 gear, that made a big difference, ha happy days...
Hope to meet one day
Helen
Hi Helen,
Missed you by a day, next time hopefully will make contact.
Paul (my van) was still there after I left, camped to the right of the oval neat the toilet blocks,
He has the pop up caravan and the mobility scooter.
Pic earlier in this thread,
John
You're right Jules, should take your advice on board.....and coincidently, as John said, he had a person named Brian do his repair job. My Battery/Solar man's name was Brian Felton from Pound Street Grafton....funny thing if that was the same repair man
Helen
Yes Helen the very same Brian. B F Industries Pty. Ltd.
Looking at his card it should be Bryan.
John