Driving to Surfers (from Sydney)

[JamesL]

Hi. I am driving to Surfers tomorrow (well at least to Coffs then on Monday to Surfers).

Any pointers or words of advice.. Car is ok ....

thanks in advance.

[team illucid]

www.racq.com.au ... look for the travel planner by road - input details and get a detailed road trip.

[chillicatqld]

Yep - head north dude...
and bring the Barroca!!! :)

[Jimbo_AUS]

Watch out for the camera in Macksville.

[Hammer]

very easy mate follow the pacific motorway, and DO THE SPEED LIMIT as there a are HEAPS of fixed speed cameras and also a few of the car mounted ones... so be carful

[Beej]

very easy mate follow the pacific motorway, and DO THE SPEED LIMIT as there a are HEAPS of fixed speed cameras and also a few of the car mounted ones... so be carful

Well - the limit + 10 is usually a safe bet ;)

Beej

[chillicatqld]

lots of hungover drivers too arfter footy grand final - drive safely. And enjoy the sun when you get here....

[JA SV8]

Its a good drive, but speed limits vary on pacific highway, and like said b4 a fair few cameras and cops out and about, you should expect some traffic around coffs depending on what time of day, i usualy fill up there (sometimes further north is cheaper... depending on how game i feel) and get lunch.
Remember to take it easy and stop when you need to, the road is single lane for a fair bit, heaps up north and lots of BIG trucks.
You can do the trip in one day (ive done it 4 times now, driving there and back). Should take anywere from 8-10 hours depending on stops and what not, on the way back i can get from Surfers to Newcastle before thinking of filling up on petrol, i do take it easy with a few overtaking runs, thought that may help you with fuel stops :P and QLD driving aint like Sydney, they more laid back and relaxed.... nice change

Enjoy!
James

[ls1ozstyle]

RED BULL is your friend :eek: :eek: :eek:





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[Jimbo_AUS]

I love the run up the Pac Hwy.....I been doing it for years. Alot of it is dual carraigeway now which is good but in the old days it was a goat track and lots of ppl got killed on it.

[XR8Chic]

RED BULL is your friend :eek: :eek: :eek:



Ditto that!!!

When I drove from Sydney to my place in VIC last week I drank about 6 Sprite Recharge. (I drove down at night, after spending the entire day chasing up car bits instead of sleeping)

Only problem with that was that I needed to stop 5 times to use the bathroom.
(I normally only stop at tarcutta)

[IH8WRX]

Hi. I am driving to Surfers tomorrow (well at least to Coffs then on Monday to Surfers).

Any pointers or words of advice.. Car is ok ....

thanks in advance.


Hi

Did this trip both ways a few weeks ago now. Took me 10hrs from Runaway Bay to Hornsby (just where the F3 ends you go left onto the Pacific Highway). On the return trip I did it in 9.5hrs in pouring rain. That too was in a 3.2ltr V6 Rodeo with a fair amount of work gear in the tray.

My advice for what it's worth is if the speed limit is 100km/hr, sit on 105km/hr, 110km/hr sit on 115km/hr. That extra 5-10km/hr difference really adds up over a 9-10hr trip. A good majority of it now is 110km/hr too, especially from Buladela (spelling). Heaps of road works tho 30km south of Coffs all the way into Coffs, and that goes for fixed speed cameras too in that area.

You can do the trip easily tho in one day.

[IH8WRX]

Only problem with that was that I needed to stop 5 times to use the bathroom.
(I normally only stop at tarcutta)



Bloody females and their bladders :D . You ladies can't go for more than 100km without the need to pee. :p

[Stocky]

Hi

Did this trip both ways a few weeks ago now. Took me 10hrs from Runaway Bay to Hornsby (just where the F3 ends you go left onto the Pacific Highway). On the return trip I did it in 9.5hrs in pouring rain. That too was in a 3.2ltr V6 Rodeo with a fair amount of work gear in the tray.

My advice for what it's worth is if the speed limit is 100km/hr, sit on 105km/hr, 110km/hr sit on 115km/hr. That extra 5-10km/hr difference really adds up over a 9-10hr trip. A good majority of it now is 110km/hr too, especially from Buladela (spelling). Heaps of road works tho 30km south of Coffs all the way into Coffs, and that goes for fixed speed cameras too in that area.

You can do the trip easily tho in one day.

Sydney to Brisbane - what is best these days now that the Pacific has had a lot of work done - Pacific or New England ?

Also, driving to Tamworth Friday night over the long weekend. Any tips ?
Would like to avoid the traffic leaving Sydney at 5pm - even thought of using the Putty Road but a bit worried about the wildlife at night - at least if I go up the freeway to Cessnock I know there is not much on that section. Have hit a roo before & it is ugly. Don't want to repeat it again. I know it is approaching new moon time again & the roos are easily dazzled at night.

Thanks


Stocky

[JA SV8]

Would like to avoid the traffic leaving Sydney at 5pm -


Mate i would leave earlyier if on a Friday, i go to Cesnock frequently and the traffic leaves much to be desired on a Friday afternoon/evening!!

[racketsports]

Did the Newcastle to Surfers Holiday trip in the last 2 weeks taking the family. Makes for a looooong drive with many stops when you've got kids. There are two cameras within 1km of each other just north of Macksville and one south too as I remember. There is also roadworks south of Byron Bay which had delays of 30mins but may be finished by now. I was realy pissed with Byron Council after having driven for 7hrs and being held up for half an hour with screaming kids in the car I can tell you.

When you hit Qld you'll see a drastic improvment in the roads immediately. Enjoy your holiday and safe driving.

Cheers
Racketsports :cool:

[hogs]

G'day,

Drove from Ballarat to Surfers two years ago. I used "travelmate.com.au" and it was fantastic. Can do maps, info etc and also has a fuel price check for the trip.
Went up the Pacific and back the Newell. Pacific both ways next time. Much more interesting drive and cheaper petrol too.
I watched my speed but did probably go 5 - 10 over at times. Kept a lookout for the fixed cameras and never got a ticket.
Got one last month on a quiet well made highway in Vic for 5kmh over.
Only made one stuff up. Got off and visited Hornsby by mistake! Nice place however. That section around the Hawksbury River is stunning,

Have a safe trip>

Cheers,

Hogs, :)

HAS NOT POSTED 232 TIMES!

[stato]

Hi James L and fellow ls1 appreciators,

James, this is obviously not advice about your trip, because you will have completed it by now. However, I just got back from Sydney/Coffs and back (left Sydney Sunday morning) and thought I would set out a few thoughts.

I drive a V8 Statesman. It is a fabulous touring car, but seriously, it is in a way a frustrating car to drive on a highway. You cannot use the "performance". Or, if you do, it operates as a challenge to other road users...... Sure, you enjoy the general feel of the car all the way, and probably regard yourself as driving a superior car, but you cannot get beyond the reality that other el cheapo, "slow" cars are going by from time to time because you are obeying the speed limits and they are not. It costs emotionally.


Which brings me to the fact that there is a problem inherent in the way the speed laws are regarded, and enforced in NSW (and Australia). What happens is that you go to pass a slower vehicle and worry about being booked for speeding. Just for example, say you are in a 100k zone and you come up on someone doing (for the sake of the legalities) 99kph. So, you go by at 100kph...... but wait ......... but wait ....but ..............................................wait .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .

You get the general idea, it is agonising. Instead of being able to just get by, you have to play this stupid game of pretending to be nice and obedient of the speed laws, and often this means staying next to a long truck as you pass it, say it has petrol in a big tank, in circumstances where the truck driver wants you gone, and you want to be gone, but if you just pass as you should, you can be subject to being booked for speeding.

I think there is a lot of cruise control used in NSW, and it is not good. I hate using it, and the only reason I do so is to try to keep legal. Legal and safe are two different things.

In Italy, I would venture to suggest there is very little speed control used. Been there, been on the autostrada, now there is a place where driving is a challenge/pleasure/thrill/rewarding experience.....NOT like in NSW. You get the odd bloody idiot on the autostrada, but about a tenth of those you find on the freeways of NSW. Just this afternoon on the way home (around Gosford) I came upon a bloke in a pre WH Statesman, white car, the bloke had a beard, he was literally all over the road, but basically in the outside lane for k's, as I drew up and went past I saw that he was on the phone.... asked my wife to ring the number to report "traffic incidents" (because I thought the bloke should be locked up) and they had her pressing buttons for literally minutes and then it went to the point where why would you stay on the line. A joke.

I went on the road to Brisbane for the first time about fifty years ago, as a kid in a Morris Minor. I drove it about forty years ago in a Mini, surfing up the coast. The road is "better" now, but the drivers are not. The joke "law enforcement" continues.

[JamesL]

Hello. got back yesterday afternoon. I must say it is really a great trip !!

Went up via Pacific Hwy and stayed at a friends house at Bellingen (town near Coffs), had a good time at Surfers, Burleigh Heads. Came back via New England via Lismore, Casino and then stayed overnight at Tamworth.
Cat went very nicely as well (back of my mind I knew that if I broke down I would have to walk a long way becuse some of those country towns do not have any mobile coverage)...

Anyway now thinking of where else to drive with my car..

Best economy I got was 11.9lts /100 (even with a heavy foot).

If some guys organised a trip up north and back again I would seriously be interested...

Petrol prices ranged from $1.22 in the Gold Coast to something like $1.44 around Glenn Innes and $1.37 at Morisset.


:)

[C4B]

Cat went very nicely as well

I don't think you should be putting your "love" of felines on a public forum. Animal conservationists take that sort of thing pretty seriously nowadays! :lol: :lol: :lol: :eek: :eek:

[JamesL]

I don't think you should be putting your "love" of felines on a public forum. Animal conservationists take that sort of thing pretty seriously nowadays! :lol: :lol: :lol: :eek: :eek:


Hmm.. sorry, I think I meant to say Car

:)

[Venom XR]

Not long got back from Lara -> Surfers via the Newell, with the trip home on the New England/Hume so that we could pop in to see friends in Tenterfield, then visit my folks in Penrith.

I'm glad I got the 6 now, as I managed to get 7.9l/100ks on the leg from Tenterfield to Penrith, covering 730k's including Putty Rd with 4 people and a boot load of gear.

I've always preferred the New England to the Pacific for Sydney<->Brisvegas/GC runs, particularly the Windsor<->Singleton run. :)

[peber]

Went up via Pacific Hwy and stayed at a friends house at Bellingen (town near Coffs), had a good time at Surfers, Burleigh Heads. Came back via New England via Lismore, Casino and then stayed overnight at Tamworth.
Cat went very nicely as well (back of my mind I knew that if I broke down I would have to walk a long way becuse some of those country towns do not have any mobile coverage)...
Anyway now thinking of where else to drive with my car..
Best economy I got was 11.9lts /100 (even with a heavy foot).
If some guys organised a trip up north and back again I would seriously be interested...
Petrol prices ranged from $1.22 in the Gold Coast to something like $1.44 around Glenn Innes and $1.37 at Morisset.
:)
Now thats scary... 2 weeks ago when i went to QLD i spent 2 nights in Bellingen!!
Some notes from my trip:
Best fuel usage was 8.6L/100KM @ avg 98.6km/hr. That was between the start of the F3 and Frederickton.
Locations i stopped for fuel/topup and their prices: (Fuel was of the Ultimate/Optimax/8000 grade)
Epping - 136.9
Bulahdelah - 141.9
Grafton - 138.9
Manly West (Qld) - 133.9
Tingalpa (Qld) - 128.7
Kempsey - 144.9
West Ryde - 135.9

[JamesL]

Maybe you know the same people I know up there...
they say its a small world with only 6 degrees of seperation :)


I have to say though, some of those roads in that town are a bit to bumpy for my car.

[Dane VN V8]

[QUOTE=stato]

Just this afternoon on the way home (around Gosford) I came upon a bloke in a pre WH Statesman, white car, the bloke had a beard, he was literally all over the road, but basically in the outside lane for k's, as I drew up and went past I saw that he was on the phone.... asked my wife to ring the number to report "traffic incidents" (because I thought the bloke should be locked up) and they had her pressing buttons for literally minutes and then it went to the point where why would you stay on the line. A joke.

:eek: :eek: :eek: Jesus I will never want to drive past you then.
:lol: