Driving to Surfers Paradise

Submitted: Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 09:28
ThreadID: 92254 Views:2551 Replies:3 FollowUps:5
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Hi all,

I'm planning a family trip up to Surfers later this year and I'm wanting to know the best route to get there from southern Victoria(Geelong).

I'll be towing the camper trailer so will be looking to minimize the hilly stuff and keeping to the best quality roads as far as possible.

Any suggestions or opinions greatly appreciated

Thanks

Jackson
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Reply By: Rangiephil - Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 10:16

Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 10:16
Straight up the Hume, around the M7 (toll) onto the F3 and up the Pacific Highway. It is much better now wioth the only really slow bit around Coffs harbour.

Took my son and I only about 9 and a bit hours door to door from Sydney to Melbourne a couple of weeks ago, as it is all doubled except a little bit in NSW.

If you really like trucks you could go the Newell up through Jerilderie/Moree etc, but now the Newell is 100Kmhs and there are thousands of B doubles on it, and you better believe they do not like being behind someone at 100Kmh. It would be a bit longer also.
The New England is quite hilly a lot of the way with Moonbie Range , and the Granite Belt.
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Follow Up By: Member - Mark (Tamworth NSW) - Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 10:55

Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 10:55
PS the Newell is back to 110km/hr with the change in state Government
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Follow Up By: Jacko84 - Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 17:09

Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 17:09
Thanks rangiephil,

The M7 and F3 I assume are highways around Sydney, how hilly are they?

Appreciate the reply!
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Follow Up By: Ross M - Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 18:49

Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 18:49
To go up the Pacific Highway is madness and too dangerous, just look at the deaths on the road between Sydney and the GC.
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Follow Up By: Rangiephil - Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 21:41

Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 21:41
The M7 is very flat all the way. This is a toll ring road around the west of Sydney, and segues into the M2 , then Pennant Hills Road. On Pennant Hills road you will be quite alert as this is very heavily trafficed with trucks. Pennant Hills road then feeds into the F3 after about 15?Km.

The F3( freeway from Sydney to Newcastle) is quite hilly for the first 60Kmh particularly down to the Hawkesbury bridge and up the other side, and then Moonie Moonie bridge then becomes flatter , with still a few less major ups and downs.
Regards Philip A
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Reply By: Member - Mark (Tamworth NSW) - Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 10:38

Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 10:38
Unless you have a Mini towing a heavy camper trailer, up to Dubbo, across to Tamworth via Coolah (I've done Tamworth-Melb with just fuel and quick meal stops in about 12.5 hours at legal speeds), from there up the New England Highway.

Then you gave the three choices. The first one is one of the prettiest drives in NSW from Armidale east to Ebor (stopping at the waterfalls) then meet Pacific Highway at Grafton, the second is to continue up the NE to Tenterfield and across to Byron Bay, or thirdly continue north again on NE past Warwick and down the back to Gold Coast via Beaudesert region. We do Tamworth Gold Coast in 6 hours non stop.

The Newell all the way is better if you want to go to Brisbane and would be the better way to the Gold Coast if you were towing something heavy like a caravan.
I make it up the "dreaded" Moonbi ranges in our diesel Pajero towing our heavy Camper trailer mostly in 4th gear, I have to drop to 3rd gear for about 1km when the vehicle is loaded up.
Some people like driving mind numbing freeways though counting B doubles. If via Sydney was quicker, why would the Melb-Brisbane trucks be on the Newell then?
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Reply By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 11:34

Saturday, Mar 03, 2012 at 11:34
I like variety so sometimes it would be the Pacific Hwy and sometimes the New England route.

However, if you simply want to get from Geelong to Surfers by the most expeditious route then I would use the Hume and Pacific Highways. Despite much of it being motorway, which is good travelling anyway, it is an attractive route with no hills and leads you straight into Surfers without negotiating metropolitan Brisbane which I find a pain.

A word of caution though. The old perils of the Pacific Hwy have been tamed by the NSW police and you would be most unwise to exceed the speed limits on this road, both in the towns and on the highway. It is another reason I prefer this route.

Lots of nice places to stay along the way, my favourite being Yamba, 10 minutes off the highway. It is what Byron Bay was 20 years ago.

Cheers
Allan

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Follow Up By: Holden4th - Sunday, Mar 04, 2012 at 13:31

Sunday, Mar 04, 2012 at 13:31
I live on the GC and have done this a number of times. From Geelong get onto the Hume and travel up to where you cross the border at Tocumwal and head on up the Newell all the way to Goondiwindi. From there you go onto the Cunningham highway via Inglewood and take the right turn off just past Warwick heading towards the Gold Coast.

You can do the trip comfortably in 2 days with a stopover at Dubbo, the halfway point. I've always stopped around Coonabarabran then had another stop over at Seymour. As I've been going to Tassie this gives me an extra nights rest but you can easily do the extra 100ks+

The beauty of this route is it's relatively straight but quite interesting and most of the Newell is 110kph if you want to do that speed. the distance between the Pacific/New England/Newell are virtually the same but the Newell will be quicker. It also appears to have less traffic and plenty of room to pass.
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