Member - Tonester (VIC) replied:

Hi Fozzy. IMO, I don't think the double lanes on the coast would make much of a difference. Has been a while now, but I remember travelling along the Newell etc and there was ample overtaking room if needed.

stevesub replied:

Done this trip quite a few times over the last 3 years by various routes and the Newell is by far the quickest even though it is single lane either way so long as you are prepared to overtake. There is not a lot of traffic when compared with other roads eg the Hume.

For the majority of the road, it is easy to average 100kph and not break the 110kph speed limit. We usually are in our Troopy and cruise at 100 to 110kph and we cannot afford the diesel (at todays prices) to go much faster, not that it is very nice in a Troopy going much faster anyway.

Most of the Newell is straight and flat, unlike other roads.

Mind you I have seen mindless souls stuck behind a caravan at 70- 80kph for hours becaase they are too scared to overtake, even with an empty straight road to the horizon ahead of them for both lanes. This would make it a slow trip

Stevesub

Member - Steve (ACT) replied:

Ran both through travelmate, costal and Newell Hwy, not sure how much it takes in to consideration speed limits/traffic etc

Coastal 1793.68kms & 22.84 hours
Newell 1646.23kms & 22.09 hours

We travel to Townsville almost yearly and have found that the route with less towns to drive through is a lot quicker.

Steve

travel mate

Wizard1 replied:

Travelled the Newell a couple of times to both Sydney and Albury when the Hume/Pacific Hwy route was a pain in the !@#$, especially past Byron Bay. But you are slowed down by having to pass through mouse @#$ towns, plus the extra distance from Brisbane to Goondiwindi (excuse me if it is mispelt) made up little more than some hassle free driving as there is less traffic, unless you get caught behind a Cotton Harvester doing 60 kph near Narrabri, or behind a road train.

I'm taking the Pacific/Hume later this month to Melbourne as I haven't been on the East coast for several years and want to see if it is any better now. The M1 from Brisbane keeps going way past Tweed Heads so travelling time has been reduced. There are more dual lane sections bi-passing those annoying little towns and slow (80kph) sections, so you now cruise along at a reasonable speed.

I'll let you know when I get back if it was quicker and safer.

Wizard
PradoTD
Gold Coast

stevesub replied:

Did the Pacific from Brisbane to Sydney earlier this year - it was a real pain in the butt compared with the Newell. If you have to go Brisbane to Sydney, use the New England.

The traffic everywhere on the Pacific is bad, not to mention hundreds of small towns with the associated slow local traffic and lower speed limits.

We normally take 18 to 20 hrs drving time to do Melbourne/Brisbane via the Newell in the Troopy.

Stevesub

Member - MrBitchi (QLD) replied:

Newell is quicker and a lot less stressful. Why go through Sydney if you can avoid it???
Another option is use the Newell to Gunedah(?) and then cut across to the New England at Tamworth. This is the best route if in a car as cuts down on the extra K's of the Brisbane/Goondawindi stretch. The truckies tend to stay on the Newell as it's flatter.

Cheers....

Bob of KAOS replied:

Newell

Brisbane to Melbourne 14.5 hours (1975, TR3A, two drivers, no radar etc)

Member - Roachie (SA) replied:

Another option which could be considered.........
Given that the Hume is great on the Victorian side, why not go from melbourne to Albury (no towns to slow down for, then you can go from Albury/Lavington to Narrandera via a couple of small towns, then you're onto the Newell (which is the best option for getting through NSW).

adamj1300 replied:

i did the trip from forest glen (on the sunny coast) to the SE of melb via the newl in 14 & a half hrs in a VN 5sp man commodore :-) driving throught the nite that was before i wrote it off.
last trip i did it in was a GU patrol 2.8 td in abour 19 hrs straight,

Member - Norm C (QLD) replied:

I did the Newell trip Melbourne to Gold Coast in June. Great trip. 110 speed limit a lot of the way. Although single lane, the surface is very good. No problem with overtaking (not that you need to; not a lot of traffic and all doing 110). In fact hard to stay down to 110 with setting the cruise.

Went down the coast road for the scenery and to visit some rellies on the way. Don't go that way unless you have a reason. Scenery is better, but roads are worse, packed with traffic and lower speed limits.

Just my experience.

Tim replied:

From Brissy to Newcastle go the NE until you get to Uralla (just south of Armidale) turn off there and go down through Walcha and Gloucester on the thunderbolts way then hook up with the F3 at Hexam/Bero.
The thunderbolts way shaves a good hour off the trip and its great scenic country too. Good road most of the way and you won't see many cars.
South of Sydney your on your own.
Tim

Steve replied:

Go the Newell. They harvest cotton in March. Not a problem. Best route esp if towing. New England isn't a good run. the Pac Hwy is s-l-o-w-l-y improving. Some great sections with freeway conditions but from say, MacLean to the new Freeway just N of Byron Bay, for instance, is still the dark ages. Crawling with speed cops, too.

Member - AVA 191 (QLD) replied:

While Thunderbolts way is a nice drive like Tim said, I would only use it from Sydney to Brisbane.As for Melb to Bris, I go the same way as Roachie. You can just about do a straight line from the Hume just north of Albury, across to the Newel - using what appears to be minor roads - but they are really quite good roads.

Take the navman times with a grain of salt. No way will you go through Sydney in a quicker time than Roachies route. (I love my Navman to death and swear by it - but its route times are just way, way out).

Enjoy your trip Fozzy

fozzy replied:

thanks everyone for all advice
heading off in morning
cheers
fozzy

Tellem Bugrem replied:

G'day all,

Thunderbolts Way is certainly a great drive but it doesn't come without a few hastles.
1. The section between Booral and Gloucester is narrow and starting to break up under traffic loads.
2. Likewise the section between Nowendoc and Walcha.
3. The Bretti Hill is steep (14%) and long. If towing a caravan, it'll be 1st gear for for about 15 minutes going up, and when you are coming down (from the lookout) there are signs saying trucks must use low gear. That goes for vehicles towing caravans too, as the tightest bends are at the bottom. If you don't use 1st gear ALL the way down, you will almost certainly cook your brakes to the extent that you probably won't make it around the last few bends.

On the plus side the are a couple of beaut free camps, one beside the Manning river where they are at last building a new bridge, and one at Bretti Reserve, a few km south of the bottom of the big hill.

Cheers.............Rob