Hi. I have a nervous partner who gets very anxious on steep sideslopes and winding roads. Which route would be better to take from Sapphire Coast back to Hume Hwy and then south plz? Chčers Peter
From where exactly on the sapphire coast? The easiest roads are the Mt Darragh Road from Pambula through Wyndham to Bombala, and the Nerriga Road from near Nowra.
The most commonly used routes up the escarpment are the Brown Mtn road from Bega to Cooma and the Clyde Mtn road from Batemans Bay to Braidwood. These do have steep and winding sections, but they're both doable. Vans go up and down every day. Most people seem to prefer the Clyde, but I think that overall it's a poor quality and busy road, and prefer Brown Mtn, because apart from the 10km climb it's a better and less traffic-ed road.
The road from Cann River to Bombala is also reasonable. It is a little bit winding, but no sharp corners that I can recall and a moderate gradient.
Best way is go about 8km sth Nowra just nth bewong Roadhouse. take the turpentine road shortcut and join the nerriga rd to Goulburn, great road no big hills.
Only thing to watch out for is causeway dip in road at nerriga if towing slow to 5km for it
No doubt a bit late, but DO NOT use the Macquaire Pass from Albion Rail south of Wollongong to Moss Vale, then the few KMS from there north up to Bowral. If your partner is nervous about steep, narrow roads, then she will be white haired by the time you get to the top. There is one tight turn where large vehicles - buses in particular - have to back up to get around.
The Mount Darragh Road just south of Pambula is quite good - much shorter that the Brown, and it seemed to be not as steep. However, it is quite narrow. Passing through Bombala, Nimatibel and Cooma head north on the Monaro Highway and stay on that until you hit the Federal Highway. Follow that north and join the Hume Hwy until the exit to Bowral.
If you use the Brown Mountain, on arrival at Bungendore turn right at the roundabout, then about a 100 metres turn left at the next roundabout and head to the Federal Highway and follow that as per the Mt Darragh way. The road from Bungendore to the Federal is much better than the road north to Goulburn, once in that town you have to find your way out onto the Hume Highway anyway.
Haven't actually used the Turpentine Road, but have passed through Nerriga quite a few times to and from Nowra and Hutchinson. The dip mentioned by Stoney123 is a few hundred metres south of the Nerriga hotel - which unfortunately has restricted hours and has only been open for half of the times I have passed through.
A couple of kms from the dip turn right to Tarago - that road wanders all over the place and you have to keep an eye out for the signposts for the correct turns. At times you will think you are lost! From Tarago turn right to Gouldburn.
The Clyde Mountain from Batemans Bay is actually quite good - much wider than the Brown. While the steep climb is only 5kms long the approach to the bottom is some 10kms of winding, undulating roads, fortunately with a number of overtaking lanes.
If you take either the Clyde of Brown a tip is to check your odometer at the start of the climb and count off the distances - 5kms for the Clyde and 10kms for the Brown. Otherwise, it will seem that you are getting nowhere.
Murray
PS: I just remembered that you take the Mittagong exit off the Hume Hwy, Bowral is a few kms east of Mittagong.
-- Edited by Long Weekend on Saturday 15th of June 2024 11:44:20 PM
