Caravan trip to Mallacoota

Hi Howard,

I would take the Snowy Mountain Highway via Tumut to Cooma, then south on the Monaro Highway through Bombala to Rockton then follow the Imlay road to Narrabarbra, turn onto Princes H/way south toGenoa then left to Mallacoota. Approximately 520 Km.

Cheers,

G'day Howard!

Depends a bit what you mean by the best way.

For an easy and uneventful trip, go up the Hume Highway to Yass and down to Canberra and Cooma.

The Mountain route, as suggested, is by far the most interesting drive and I always go that way in the good weather. Chains required in the snow season for a 2wd and I don't think you can tow a van through in the winter even with a 4x4. This time of year it a great drive providing you have the grunt for Talbingo and the stopping power on the way home.

It may be an easier drive, though further, to go through Bega and down the Princess Highway to Mallacoota, rather than through Bombala.

So many choices!

Depending on the tug and your van, the route over Talbingo Mountain is the shortest. I towed my 16 ft Jayco Poptop up the mountain with my NW Pajero (diesel), and it had not even a twinge of trouble. Most of the way it was in 3rd gear, occasionally back to 2nd (manual gearbox). Yet I have pulled a heavy trailer (about 2 tonnes) up there with my friend's 80 series Landbruiser and we had to go into low range to get up.

The road is narrow and winding up the mountain, but large articulated trucks use it every day, so there is no reason that a caravan would not make it safely. I have a scangauge and found that the cooling water temperature actually increased as revs went up (in 2nd gear) and the boost increased. Changing up to 3rd dropped both the boost and the temperature. (I expected it to be the other way).

If you intend to return via Talbingo Mountain, select low gear well before the steep bits at the top and just let the thing crawl its way down. It would be very easy to run out of brakes on that hill.

The shortest way after Cooma is to follow the Monaro Hwy thru Bombala, and about 30 km past, take the Imlay road (left at the foot of a long downhill) which brings you out onto the Princes Hwy about 20 km South from Eden. Sealed road all the way except for roadworks.

Driven sensibly, no problems at all with the choice of road.