Thread: Pacific Highway

When I go to sidinee I use the summerland way. 2 hours newcastle expressway, 4 hours to grafton then turn inland and 4 hours to brisbane give or take.

The summerland brings you in via beudesert so if your heading to the eastern suburbs it might not be optimal but it has several big advantages.

1. No cops.

2. No traffic.

3. Most of it is easy cruising at 100 with a few more interesting stretches of nice corners, specifically the run between Kyogle and Rathdowny (125 kms).

There is roadworks sometimes so 100 yards at a time of dirt/gravel but I've never encountered a stop/go man.

DO NOT take the lions road. Yes it's a shorter distance, no it's not quicker, yes you will regret it.

I find the country through there really pretty and the towns more interesting. YMMV.

We go that way to Dorrigo every christmas, the boss's parents live there.

The trouble with the pacific is caravans, idiot tourists who can't drive on a highway and cops. the trouble with the New England is cops, caravans, and idiot tourists who can't drive. And cops, did I mention cops ? especially that one with the red hair between Tamworth and Tenterfield, The one that booked a friends aunt on the way to her sister's funeral, the one that booked me for 130 when I was doing 80 ...Anyone here from Armidale will know who I'm talking about...

Not that I'm bitter...

One more thing. If you drive fast you might find the summerland a bit of a challenge. I do the speed limit and stop for breaks and such, if your in a big hurry you might not like it as much as I do.

Originally Posted by damian

Anyone here from Armidale will know who I'm talking about...

Nup, never met the guy and never been booked speeding down here ... he must just book those idiot tourists.

Chuckles.

The Auntie I mentioned was a local. Everyone i've ever met from around there, Guyra, Armidale, Deepwater, Bolivia knew who I meant.

My sin was riding a rattly old guzzi, but the charge was speeding....

I'll second the Summerland Way. Take the turn off at Grafton near Maccas. I'm heading up there soon, but I think this time I'll do the Pacific all the way. (as I'll be towing a trailer piled up)

I like the Summerland and Lions Road as it brings me out not too far down the road where I need to go.

Originally Posted by smidsy

could I expect to do the trip in one day?
Cheers
Paul

Easy. A long drive, but if you like long drives then

I'm doing Melb to Newcastle this Sunday, then Taree to Brisbane on Wednesday.

I take my time stick to the limit and take breaks whenever I feel tired or at least every 3 hours. Usually hourly. Takes me 14 hours give or take a half. Getting out of sydney is a big variable and getting stuck behind 50 miles of caravans at christmas just north of the freeway all basically stopped is another. Like you say roadworks.

If you don't have a big trailer on then 4 hours is reliable from Grafton, the freeway is usually 2 hours from Hornsby. I am often leaving from teh south side of sidinee as that seems to be where most of my friends live, and the west of course. This adds to the time.

It's 1000 kms give or take so if your doing 100 most of the way that's 10, but as you know towns, traffic, etc plus allowing for rests, toilet, fuel, food.

I used to do it a bit quicker because I took fewer stops and with 2 driving 12 hours isn't too hard, but I often do it alone or drive right through and I make a point of not rushing it.

The lions is too twisty for me especially in the dark. The summerland is just relaxing. Grafton to Casino is an hour of dead flat dead straight boring as but it's easy driving. Casino to Kyogle is 30 kms. Out of Kyogle you have to concentrate a bit and slow for some corners, then up over the range about 15 kms of hairpins through the very pretty Mt Lindsay and your into Rathdowney (130 kms). Then it's sweepers to Beudesert. North of Beudesert it's traffic and cops again plus the aggravation of Brisbane traffic (just like sydney traffic only with 9/10ths of the brains removed). Your on your own from there.

Get an early start and it's easy done in a long day.

2c.

Waldo, I came back from Dorrigo christmas before last with my 14' flat bed on the back of the superroo in driving rain all the way. About a ton all up, no worries. Only trouble was trying to get parking near eateries.

Originally Posted by damian

Waldo, I came back from Dorrigo christmas before last with my 14' flat bed on the back of the superroo in driving rain all the way. About a ton all up, no worries. Only trouble was trying to get parking near eateries.

A trailer, it was no drama at all - it is no determining factor really. Taking some of the bends in the wet is fun across the cattle grids. It all depends on my mood - I like both ways for the scenery. My only gripe as you commented, is the dead boring bit from Grafton to Casino.

There are still roadworks, but the good bits are getting longer. It's nearly all motorway from Sydney to Telegraph Point with more good bits being added from TP north. On the last couple of runs I noted the trip computer says I averaged a bit less than 80kph for the trip. That probably means at least a 1/4 of the travel is less than 50kph through towns and roadworks.

If you are thinking of doing the return run soon, you DO NOT WANT to do the trip on May 8, Mother's Day. Every ball and chain is on the road for a PSA drive. (How do I know this?)

But yes with an early start you can realistically do it in a day especially if you have a co driver to swap with.

It'll be a one way trip guys.
Up to Brisbane for about 3 days and then another 900k to a new teaching job near Mackay.

Where in brissy are you headed for ?

The 3 day break is a good idea because the run to Mackay is a hard days drive. Although the distance is shorter you will be travelling on the goat track we laughingly call the bruce HIGHWAY, attacked from every direction by the utterly incompetant Queensland drivers (many of whom origionated in Melbourne). Seriously, if you haven't driven much up here before you don't know what your in for. Consider breaking this leg into 2 days.

When your looking at housing in mackay consider the beach side suburbs just outside town. I believe they are dearer than they were 10 years back (relatively) but some of the coast there is spectacular, it is literally like living in paradise every day. I spent some time at Imeo ? sp.. beach, miles of sand no one in sight, islands a short swim off shore, creek running into the ocean. Just spectacular.

I haven't done the Brisbane to Mackay trip for many years, but it is a very long slog.
I don't know if the Rockhampton to Mackay leg has changed much, but when we did it, there was very little in between - looonng stretches of uninhabited cattle country. Certainly not the place to run out of fuel.
Agree that it would be an easier two day trip.
Cheers
SG

Originally Posted by Scribbly Gum

I haven't done the Brisbane to Mackay trip for many years, but it is a very long slog.
I don't know if the Rockhampton to Mackay leg has changed much, but when we did it, there was very little in between - looonng stretches of uninhabited cattle country. Certainly not the place to run out of fuel.
Agree that it would be an easier two day trip.
Cheers
SG

Brisbane to Maryborough - about 3-4 hours depending on time of day [avoid the so called peak times of the day as the 4 lane out of Brisbane resembles a mobile carpark - especially when they stick in some camera vans as an added hazzard], traffic, roadworks, potholes, trucks, B double trucks, idiots etc. Also there is now a fixed 90km/h for approx 50km from Cooroy through to Bell's bridge just north of Gympie - there is an 80km/h section around Matilda servo just south of Gympie. Watch out as Qld now has covert cameras [have seen vans, 4WD utes with canopy on back, Landy Discovery].

Maryborough to Rockhampton approx 4 hours - once you get past Gin Gin [no need to go into Bundaberg] there are more short passing lanes than in the Maryborough to Bundy part - Rocky to Mackay also approx 4 hours - good road by Qld standards watch for the boys/girls in blue - especially in unmarked cars.

All of the above is of course in fine weather - there are heaps of places on the Bruce so called highway where in wet weather you get to throw in a line and camp with water views - it does however take more than a shower to do this.