We are towing our van to Shoalhaven, NSW from Albury. We are looking for the least Mountainest way to get there. Someone suggested we leave the Hume Highway at Goulburn and travel through Nerriga on to Nowra and then Shoalhaven. Has anyone done this? We want to avoid the Clyde Mountain and would appreciate any suggestions on which way to go.
-- Edited by VJ on Wednesday 16th of September 2020 08:04:28 PM
We had friends leave our place in Cooma and go to Nowra en route to their home near Dapto today. They went on the 'Turpentine Road'. The best route if you wanted to take this road would be to go to Goulburn on the Hume Hwy, then head towards Braidwood, but turn left at Taralga. This road is fully sealed now. Friends said they had a bit if delay with roadworks today, but they got on to the Turpentine Road from Braidwood. The road has no steep winding sections apart from one very short piece near Nerriga, in the middle of the run from Braidwood to Nowra section. Our friends said there was virtually no traffic at all on this section of the road. They also said (and I agree) that there wasn't much to see on that road either. The rest of the run to Nowra is a very gentle downgrade all the way. Depending on where you want to go once you get to Nowra, eg Kangaroo Valley, you will have some steep winding sections of road to manage, but trucks and buses do it all the time.
The quickest route to Nowra would be to go to Mittagong and then down through Fitzroy Falls, but this involves a steep, narrow road to get down into Kangaroo Valley and then another short steep climb and descent to get from there to Nowra. All of the steep sections are no problem - simply engage a low gear and let the engine control the rig on your descents, and keep well to your own side of the road and you will have no problems at all. I agree with the concept of not going down the Clyde Mountain because the winding road never ends, and then once down onto the Princes Highway you have a mongrel of a road to contend with until you get to where you want to go.
Thanks for your advice. Someone told my husband that he could drive via Nerriga and that it wasnt a hard trip. They said there wasnt any unsealed roads except to Braidwood. Its worth a try I reckon.
-- Edited by VJ on Thursday 17th of September 2020 06:56:58 AM
Agree with Dougwe - drive up the Hume Highway, stop at the Pheasants Nest servo for a coffee and top up the fuel (try not to use the toilets there though!) then a bit further up take the Picton/Wollongong exit. Turn right then at the end of that road right onto the Mount Ousley road. The Mt Ousley road, while steep, is six lanes wide and almost straight. Coal trucks towing dog trailers use it so taking a caravan down is easy - remember to use lower gears and just coast down.
Except for a few kilometres through Albion Park Rail it is freeway to Berry just north of Nowra. Easy drive through Nowra to connect with the Shoalhaven places.
Going via Goulburn using the Goulburn/Bungendore/Queanbeayan road is undulating, fairly narrow and has rough patches. Turning left at TARAGO it is mostly flat country with the road wandering all over the place. Although intersections are sign posted at times you will begin to think that you are lost.
Haven't been down the Turpentine Road - missed seeing the sign the three times I have been that way. My daughter has used it a number of times, but she hasn't towed a van up or down so don't know how it would go.
Past Nerriga apart from a short steep climb it is a straight, gentle descent down. Passing the Navy aerodrome turn right at the 'T' then almost immediately left. It is 5kms to the Princes Highway. Where you join it is multi-lane, sometime requiring a bit of care to cross onto the southbound side.
(Actually, coming from the south you take the Illawara Highway exit and go through Moss Vale for the Kangaroo Valley way, not Mittagong. I towed a camper trailer both ways once - ie, down, up and down, then the reverse coming back. Never did it again. Towing a large van is do-able - after all there is a caravan park in Kangaroo Valley!)
We had friends leave our place in Cooma and go to Nowra en route to their home near Dapto today. They went on the 'Turpentine Road'. The best route if you wanted to take this road would be to go to Goulburn on the Hume Hwy, then head towards Braidwood, but turn left at Taralga. This road is fully sealed now. Friends said they had a bit if delay with roadworks today, but they got on to the Turpentine Road from Braidwood. The road has no steep winding sections apart from one very short piece near Nerriga, in the middle of the run from Braidwood to Nowra section. Our friends said there was virtually no traffic at all on this section of the road. They also said (and I agree) that there wasn't much to see on that road either. The rest of the run to Nowra is a very gentle downgrade all the way. Depending on where you want to go once you get to Nowra, eg Kangaroo Valley, you will have some steep winding sections of road to manage, but trucks and buses do it all the time.
The quickest route to Nowra would be to go to Mittagong and then down through Fitzroy Falls, but this involves a steep, narrow road to get down into Kangaroo Valley and then another short steep climb and descent to get from there to Nowra. All of the steep sections are no problem - simply engage a low gear and let the engine control the rig on your descents, and keep well to your own side of the road and you will have no problems at all. I agree with the concept of not going down the Clyde Mountain because the winding road never ends, and then once down onto the Princes Highway you have a mongrel of a road to contend with until you get to where you want to go.
G`day Erad ,
You turn left at TARAGO not TARALGA .
Cheers,
Jontee .
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