Directions

Thankyou KenI forgot to mention it is a heavy campervan that is why it is so slow. Is the ringroad easy to navigate, not too fast and is there a particular time of the day thats best.
Many thanks
Annette

I just went with the flow of traffic and listened to the directions given by the Tot Tom, it could not of been easier. I too towed a camper trailer that was loaded for a 2 week excursion. I think the Queensland number plates help when driving in Sydney or Melbourne. (The consensus seems to be bloody tourist, and you get a wide berth.) It was a little daunting for my bride when I said we would need to stop in Western Sydney to get fuel. Honestly you would of thought that I said we were stopping in gansta territory. All was good though.

Thanks Rockape

The Newell, ofcourse, is Australia's main trucking route. So if you like holding up the B-double trucks...... go for it....LOL

Yes, but it is easy for those trucks to pass on that route

Looking at it from the prespective of driving an older, underpowered vehicle and towing as well, and depending on age of the driver, driving the Newell can be a harrowing experience.

I have driven the Newell a number of times in the distant past towing a large caravan and that wasn't fun. Especially when I could see the dead insects on the bullbars of the trucks following me...right up my clacker!

Improvements have been made to the road over the years but with traffic flow of trucks of 1600+ per day and 100kmh speed limit makes it a busy place. I have driven sections of the Newell in the past 18 months with a powerful car. Came in from the west at Gilgandra recently and got stuck between two B'doubles all sitting on the speed limit. Took me 22km to get past the front one as double lines and speed restrictions stop you from kicking the loud pedal in the guts to whizz past.

Now, driving an oldie with a heavy trailer and sitting on 70/80kmh makes for dangerous liaisons :-) But each to his own! My advice is not to put yourself in harms way. Those truckies take no prisoners!!!

The other alternative is along Highway 31 (Sesame Street) now you will have trucks.

I tow at 80kph because of my gearing and have no problems, if he has a uhf and pulls of to let others pass, he will have no troubles at all.

No matter what route he takes there will be trucks and lots of them

Ah the good old days - i remember dad driving on those, what would be considered now to be one lane rods on the eyre highway with no overtaking lanes and back then doing WELL above the speed limit was no garantee you wouldnt be holding truckies up. No how you goings by them then either - if they didnt like your speed they really tailgated.

turning into towns could also be interesting. it was 80kph past my home town with 2 access roads and no passing lanes where the turnoff roads were.

If a truckie was behind you you had 2 options
- take the corner at 80kph (not good) or flatten it to the next turnoff .
indicaters well in advance would just get the truckie right up your clacker to let you know he wasnt stopping or slowing for anything

Thanks so much Val. Did you see any caravans on the ring road? Would you also suggest the Newell or is it too isolated?
Many thanks
Annette

Hi Annette. If you follow John and Val's first paragraph instructions you can't go wrong. The ring road is called the M7 and is a toll road. Our NSW E Tags work in Qld so your's should recipricate I would hope. If not you will have to pay it by phone or internet. As said, try to avoid peak hour as the Sydney north end gets very conjested. There are all manner of vehicles use the M7(well,maybe not horses) The M7 continues right through to the Hume Highway and on to Canberra. It is an easy drive,I promise.Enjoy your trip. Bob.

As John and Val said go via The Bylong valley way(all sealed now) this is one of the great scenic drives in Australia. This will completely bypass Sydney andis a much more relaxing Drive. The road from Oberon to Goulbourn is also completely sealed and also has some nice scenery. From Goulbourn take the federal highway. Easy and no stress.
Cheers Pete

Using the New England Hway and the route south from Tamworth as Wilko suggests would probably be the best route in terms of there being less traffic while staying on sealed roads. There are a few hilly sections that are a bit slow, but if time is not an issue then its fine. Its also quite a scenic run. Did that route on one of our Grafton trips earlier this year - camped at the Goulburn River NP - nice spot but a bit of a detour to go in on a winding gravel road.

Val.