best economical route from Orange to coff harbour with a Petrol Patrol+18'van
Submitted: Wednesday, Feb 09, 2011 at 22:10
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chris han
Hi guys,
I have tried all of the "route planners' but they all suggest the best route from
Orange to
Coffs Harbour is via
sydney, and straight up the pacific highway....
I will be towing an 18' van (not 4WD capable !) with a Petrol Nissan Patrol.. so it will be guzzling some fuel..
I was wondering about two other possible routes..
1. via
wellington,
gulgong, merriwa, willow-tree,
tamworth, armidate and down to
urunga to coffs. I know the road conditions form
orange to merriwa, and from
tamworth to Coffs... burt the merriwa to
tamworth.. I am unsure if it is tar all the way.. also ,
2. the other choice is via
bathurst,
portland,
wolgan valley way, to musselbrook, then up the
new england to armidale, then down to coffs...
my problem is none of the route planners take into account the climbs involved, as
well as the traffic ..especially up the pacific highway, which could end up being the worst route for time..
I am also planning on doing this haul in a single day.. say about 8 hours to cover the 650kms.. I can average 90kmh easily enough if the gradients are not too steep
anyone done either of these routes with a van, and if so, which route would you recommend.
Reply By: Madfisher - Wednesday, Feb 09, 2011 at 22:16
Wednesday, Feb 09, 2011 at 22:16
Their are a few very steep climbs going thru
Bylong. Very scenic though. The Golden highway has good grades as does up thru Coolah.
Cheers Pete
AnswerID:
444848
Reply By: Member - Duncs - Wednesday, Feb 09, 2011 at 22:46
Wednesday, Feb 09, 2011 at 22:46
My immediate thought is to go north to Dubbo then follow the Oxley to Pt Macquarie then up the coast to Coffs.
I haven't checked it out on a map but it is all pretty flat or downhill so should be reasonably economical.
I would definately not come through
Sydney unless I had a genuine need to do so.
Duncs
AnswerID:
444858
Reply By: Wilko - Wednesday, Feb 09, 2011 at 23:05
Wednesday, Feb 09, 2011 at 23:05
Hi Chris Han,
I think the route via
wellington,
gulgong, merriwa, willow-tree,
tamworth, armidate and down to
urunga to coffs could be more economical if you took it easy and didnt push on. Take it steady and it should be too bad.
Cheers Wilko
AnswerID:
444864
Reply By: cycadcenter - Thursday, Feb 10, 2011 at 01:42
Thursday, Feb 10, 2011 at 01:42
8 hours to travel 650 km towing a van is pretty optomistic, you would be pushing to do that in a car and it certainly wouldn't be economical in a petrol patrol with an 18' van.
As I used to live in
Orange we would leave at about 7 am and roll into Coffs about 5 pm. and that was in a car with minimal stops.
The best way is the route across the top.
Bruce
AnswerID:
444873
Reply By: Member - Mark (Tamworth NSW) - Thursday, Feb 10, 2011 at 07:48
Thursday, Feb 10, 2011 at 07:48
Don't think of going from Merriwa to
Tamworth with a caravan unless you are looking for a challenge. I don't bother doing it unless I want a change.
From
Orange, up to
Wellington, across to
Dunedoo (turn right 2km past
Gulgong turn off on Dubbo Rd). Just past Caroona take the Werris Ck-
Tamworth turn off and follow the signs. All flat running from for the 310km
Wellington to
Tamworth.
From
Tamworth the slog up to Armidale, (probably no worse than the slog up the
hill from
Lithgow, but without the traffic) then undulating east to
Dorrigo then down the
hill. We have a heavy Kimberly CT, and we do
Tamworth-Coffs in 4 hours easily,
Tamworth-
Wellington in 3.5 hours sitting on a 100.
AnswerID:
444882
Follow Up By: chris han - Thursday, Feb 10, 2011 at 08:10
Thursday, Feb 10, 2011 at 08:10
thanks a lot guys...
Up the middle road using mark's route does sound the best way .. maybe I can come back using the lower route as
well..
Yes, I am going to need a few more hours.. so I might have to break the trip with a stopover somewhere.. I dont' really have to hurry, as I am on a holiday !!!
thanks again everyone, !!
FollowupID:
717029
Follow Up By: BuggerBoggedAgain - Thursday, Feb 10, 2011 at 23:03
Thursday, Feb 10, 2011 at 23:03
Gee's Mark, from
Wellington you got me lost, why go to
Dunedoo? When you say across to
Dunedoo, don't you mean
Gulgong, then up to the
bridge to the
sign saying Coolah then follow rd to Premer, Yanergee, Spring Ridge, Caroona.
Its a big gap from
Dunedoo? to Caroona it seems strange to go to
Dunedoo just to turn around and come back down the road to turn off to Coolah
FollowupID:
717195
Reply By: member - mazcan - Thursday, Feb 10, 2011 at 14:06
Thursday, Feb 10, 2011 at 14:06
hi chris han
i think you will find that route planners -afaik - dont differenciate between towing and not towing but are calculated for a vehicle only and no consideration is taken into account that you may be towing a trailer or c/van
cheers
AnswerID:
444942