Best way from Pcific Highway to New England Highway from Ballina

ledavidson · Veteran Member

Best way from Pcific Highway to New England Highway from Ballina

madaboutled · Guru

The lesser of the evils IMHO would be Ballina - Lismore - Casino - Tenterfield not as hilly as the other options nice drive reasonably good road

Ballina - Grafton - Ebor - Armidale isn't a bad run either because it bypasses the range near Dorrigo.

A bit more hillier is Ballina - Grafton - Glen Ines nice drive though.

My favorite for scenery, but lots of steep hills is Ballina - Port Macquarie - Walcha - Tamworth. I've done this with both towing a caravan and with the motorhome.

I defineately wouldn't do with a caravan Ballina - Coffs Harbour - Belligen - Dorrigo - Ebor - Armidale as the road from Belligen to Dorrigo is near vertical!

The Belmont Bear · Guru

I don't know of any highway that will go from the coast to the New England with out you having to cross the Great Divide at some point which unfortunately will mean sections of winding road. I have used both the Waterfall Way from Bellingen and the Oxley from Port Macquarie and they both have sections that you said you would like to avoid. I have never used the main highways further north such as the Bruxner or the Gwydir so someone else will have to advise you on those.

LLD · Senior Member

Done all the roads from Pacific to New England from the Southern most right up to Warwick. Not really a good one. Met a local in who lived up near Tenterfield and her comment was the same. It's really what type of evil you want. There is no easy way. Late 2015 pulled the van up thru Bellingen, Dorrigo to Armidale. The road to Dorrigo is smooth but twisty & very steep (as noted). Take your time on that and enjoy the scenery. It's prettier going down. The road from Dorrigo to Armidale is bouncy & twisty.

Last year I bit the bullet and went thru Sydney to get from Melbourne to Coffs & back again. There is only 10km of non-freeway. Do it on a Saturday or Sunday, keep in the middle lane and follow a truck. Surprisingly easy.

Fringe Dweller · Senior Member

South to Sth Grafton , turn right off Pac Hwy at maccas , turn left at roundabout , left again then right on to Armidale Road.

I LOVE em all . All great scenic drives . But Armidale Rd to Ebor - Armidale is My pick . You have one five minute climb out of

Nymboida and the rest of the way is undulated , so the climbing Is spread out over a longer distance . Whereas all the others

have one big climb , it is as winding as the others though , up Black Hill from Hortons Ck , Clouds Ck & Billys Ck .

Ebor Falls is a Must & Wollomombi Gorge too is also accessable with van on . There are many picnic areas & several free camps

as well . Fill up at Sth Grafton as that is last cheaper fuel until you get to Newcastle.

PeterD · Guru

I'm not sure what your worry is all about. The roads ate all full two lane roads (except for a few bridges and very short lengths of road.) All rigs that are an good order and not overloaded are quite capable of negotiating these roads. You man be down in 2nd gear on some of the inclines but this does not mean the vehicle is struggling, it just means it is doing some heavy work. Doing a bit of hard work does more good than harm, it blows the cobwebs out of the system.

Do some armchair driving with these time lapse journeys.

Bruxner Hwy

Tenterfield to Lismore in 7 minutes - Bruxner Highway from East of Tenterfield to east of Lismore.

Gwydir Hwy

Gwydir Highway - Gibraltar Range - Entering Gibraltar Ranges from Grafton - time lapse - Gwydir Highway (Australia) Google Street View timelapse

ledavidson · Veteran Member

Thanks everyone for the feedback.....any and all info appreciated, like to take onboard all from experienced vanners