Hi after some advice on which way to go, been told by various people to avoid the New England Highway as it is very steep (towing caravan) , at the moment looking at going Adelaide - Hay - Newell Highway then Pacific Highway.
We have allowed 4 days travel, any feedback would be very gratefully received.
G'day Nicky. Several ways you could go . Adel - Broken Hill - Cobar -Nevertire - Warren - Gill - Coona - Moree - Inverell - Glen Innes - Grafton -Tweed.
Adel - Mildura - Hay - West Wyalong - Moree - Inv Glen Grafton Tweed. From Glen Innes to Grafton you have Gibralter Range . My van is 17' & 1250kg.
I come down it Comfortable in 3rd gear , feathering the brakes a couple of time & moderate braking for a couple of elbows . I'd rate it close to Eagle
to Adel . I DON'T mind the New England . It is a Lot quieter now , most trucks use Pacific . Again , a couple of pulls to note . Liverpool Range , you are
up & over it in 3 to 4 minutes . The Moonbies , again comparable to climbing Eagle , a bit steeper in a couple of places , you are over it in 5 to 6 min.
There is some hills , similar to going from Crafers to Murray Bridge . Going the above way ? s . If you do 5 to 6 hrs a day you will do it comfortable in
Bugger going through Sydney and the road works up the Pacific. I would sooner drive the hills and take one of there routes. I don't think the gradients are much worse than the descent from the Eagle on the Hill. Just modify your driving habits, slow down a bit more on the hills and use a low enough gear to not require too much braking as you descend hills. It's better to increase your driving skills on the more open roads on trips like this one than to have a quick intensive learning session when you eventually get caught tackling something you did not intend to. If your tug seems to be struggling on ascents then try changing to a lower gear and run your motor speed above 3,000 RPM, it does not hurt your motor to run up near red line speeds on the occasional steep hill ascent.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.