Spirited driving routes (Day trips, etc.)

[beaver_roadkill]

Hey Guys,

You just haven't driven your car unless you've been along the Great Ocean Road, where you can actually drive your car rather than drive in a straight line for hours on end :confused: (although the missus gets a bit car sick so 4 hours driving it was getting close to :spew:)

I was hoping you guys/girls had some more interesting roads to travel on.

I've been just north of Wittlesea, through the hills and back along the hume, and I'm looking for some more interesting drives to go on, preferrably around the Victoria area, but if we can get heaps more then everyone can find some decent roads to go on.

[SiLENCE]

yup the GOR has to be at teh top of the list..

also look at the Black Spur, Reefton spur and for a quick blat, the Mt Dandenong Tourist Road..

also, a lot of the roads around Flinders and the back of Arthur's seat in dromana are quite good, with a lot of open sweepers.

The Esplanade that runs between mornington and Safety beach is also a good fun (if a little short) road with a lot of sweepers/medium corners with the odd switchback thrown in for good measure.

[HSV_CRUZN]

Yup Ill back that up. Head down Maroondah hwy through blackspur, turn right toward marysville, at the round about in Marysville turn right toward lake mountain, go up to lake mountain and come down, turn left toward the damn and head trhough reefton spur, you will end up coming back down Warby hwy(a quick belt up and down Mt Donna Buang never goes astray)

:)

[SPJ]

King lake/St Andrews is a good run, very short compared to GOR though...

[vxssgurl]

Yep, make that a third vote for the Spur.

I took Red over the Spur her first weekend home... a "very" spirited drive to the top. Pulled in to the visitor centre at the top for a loo break, and when I got out, there were two others waiting for me... we had a hoot doing the backside and into Alex to the pub! (And to this day I have no idea who they were; just strangers enjoying their LS1's like me!)

If you're not araid of a little single-laning, there is also the Eildon back road into Narby... it comes accross the other side of the lake - VERY hairy if you do it on a long weekend day... and if your Missus gets car sick, better not have passengers!

Or, for a weekend away, there is Mt Buller (the road in is submlime for a driving nut) and also the drive up to Buffalo, just outside of Bright, which is even more beautiful than normal at this time of year... and not so full either, the paragliders have gone north, and the skiiers aren't in residence yet... And then when you get to the top carpark, you can get out and climb to the peak (abouts 20mins each way)... it's a pretty amazing view!

[Carrots]

The Putty Road from Windsor up to Singleton, NSW. That was greeeeeeeeat fun! Except coming round a corner, turning the highbeams back on and just seeing a massive wombat cross the white line to the other side of the road!

Also Bells Line of Roads (I think thats the name?) prior to getting to the Putty was also a nice little road to go for a squirt along. Was really nice in spots driving along there, look left or right and you could see nothing but rolling valleys of tree tops. Had never been through that area of the world - was a little bit WOW.

Some fuuuuuuuun roads through the Adelaide hills also, great for chewing lots of petrol, 3rd and 4th gear the whole time. Makes for some fun audible listening - also great for fuel economy! LOL Plus at the moment seeing how everything has just turned green again, you can see some nice scenery too.

Not the greatest of drives, but when you are heading towards Melbs from Kilmore, you go up one of the taller hills on that section of road, look to the east and its an impressive view! Feels like you're on top of the world looking out.

[beaver_roadkill]

Keep em comin, I'm trying to compile a map of where all these places are :)

But where is this "Black Spur" that you are talking about? As I search for it on my Garmin mapping software, and it's in the middle of WA, is this right?

EDIT: Ah, HSV_CRUZN, I traced back your directions, and it sounds like ur starting ur drive from Healesville, is that right? then on the maroonda highway halfway towards marysville is the black spur right?

[vxssgurl]

Beaver, the Black Spur is the mountain located between Healesville and Narbethong... the road is Maroondah Highway, which may explain why your GPS can't find it! As the road traversers the mountain, those in the know, or in the least bit familiar with the territory, simply refer to the area as "heading over the spur".

For something a litte closer to home, the back road between Warrandyte and Eltham is a classic... and also the Yarra Glen - Kinglake road... or the top of Chum Creek road, or over into Toolangi and take a burl through the state forrest... Dixons Creek Old Toolangi Road is the name of it, mostly unsealed, but pretty wide for the most part, and in good nick.

There is also the trip over Mt Slide heading towards Yea (it's uphill to Yea, downhill, and not as much fun, coming back)... that would be the Melba Highway from memory, don't go mapping Mt Slide!

[macca_779]

The hills into and out of Dorrigo NSW are quite entertaining. They were recently resurfaced and I had a ball driving them. Pitty I was in our magna.

[BLACKWAGON]

The Grampians have some great spots too.............just not at night coz there will be kangas all over every road.

[HSV_CRUZN]

Keep em comin, I'm trying to compile a map of where all these places are :)

But where is this "Black Spur" that you are talking about? As I search for it on my Garmin mapping software, and it's in the middle of WA, is this right?

EDIT: Ah, HSV_CRUZN, I traced back your directions, and it sounds like ur starting ur drive from Healesville, is that right? then on the maroonda highway halfway towards marysville is the black spur right?


Thats Correct mate, starting from Healesville(Maroondah hwy), black spur twists and turn through the hills which could be used as a 'warm up' (due to its popularity traffic can sumtimes be an issue).

As I said, take the turn off to Marysville which is where things start to become isolated. Behave on the run up to Marysville as they have a police station there;) and its popular for familys to visit, so little kids are around, so just keep an eye out. Marysville pretty much has one main road and a round about at the end which you turn right and leads you to lake mountain. The speed limit is 100km/h which allows you to really open it up, as the roads are twisty enuff you really have to be going out of your way or have a purpose built race car to break the speed limit. Off the top of my head Lake Mountain is 30 klms out of Marysville(when your belting the car its not long at all to get there) Go for a squirt up Lake Mountain road(which is a small turn off the main road), which is about 15 klms from bottom to top, where you find a ski resort and tea rooms, have lunch with the lads, and belt back down lake mountain road and turn left on the main road and continue in the direction you were initially travelling and prepare to work the shit out of your brakes, your car and yourself. Dont push too hard cos one of several things could happen, if you mess up ur 6 foot under, u break sumthing on the car you have a VERY long walk just to get fone reception(hitch hiking is not an option cos u see one car maybe every hour if ur lucky), if you break sumthing on the car beyond repair, good luck finding a towing company that is willing to come out.

Always go with a mate in another car, make sure you fill up on a full tank of juice(as u will use about 3/4 to a tank in the 2-3 hours u will be driving, do all fluid/safety checks on the car prior, keep your fone charged, and enjoy a very satisfying weekend:)

Heres a quick vid of one of my cars on the run up to Lake Mountain :)

http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c136/GMVHSS/?action=view&current=Senator-LakeMountain027.flv

[beaver_roadkill]

http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~beave/blackspur.jpg

I believe this is route, with the black spur being on the top right corner. Excellent, will try it out :)

[vxssgurl]

To be honest, i can't make head nor tails of that map... Acheron is in entirely the wrong postion - it's nowhere near Millgrove... but anyway! when deciding to tackle the Spur, DON'T pick a weekend when snow is predicted on the lower Alps... it's not unusual to get snow on the Spur too - BOTH sides, and for the uninitiated, on those hairpins (the Healesville side), you could come to some SERIOUS grief... pretty much every ski season, at least one dillpot will make themselves candidates for the Darwin awards by spearing off a corner... and it's all Mountain Ash forest, which isn't too forgiving on sheet metal and fibreglass, no matter what speed you hit it at... not forgetting the locals, who don't look before they cross the road (and they like to stop for a chat in the middle too, so beware driving at witching hour)

Still, for all that, the Spur (and O'Briens pub at Alex at the other end, waiting for you) would have torate as one of the best driving roads in Melbourne...

[matthewfnorbert]

old pacific hwy mt colah to gosford, week day run the best otherwise you will share with bikes and cops. all the two lane passing etc has been converted back to 1 lane, nice road.

bells line is good richmond to lithgow, a little bumpy and not many passing spots, bad given there are plenty of 60km/h drivers on the 100km/h stretches..

[beaver_roadkill]

http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~beave/overview1.jpg

This is the overview of what I've collected so far (did this a couple of days ago), just puts into perspective the length of the drives so far.

Seems to be most good drives are major roads up through mountains :)

[Gteeez]

Hey Beaver, this ones not really a day trip, but believe me its well worth a weekend away. We used to do it on the bikes once a year. Omeo Hwy that runs from Bairnsdale to Omeo, then you shoot off up to Mt Hotham, keep going over the top and continue on to Mt Beauty and Bright. Depending on which way you approach it from you can stay at Bright or Bairnsdale overnight, then do the hole thing again the other way round.

Also, this is definitely not one for winter for obvious reasons. But in summer, I think you'll struggle to find a better drive in Victoria. No traffic, perfect roads with a good surface. As you climb up Hotham, they have those lovely fluoro snow markers on the side of the road so you get a good idea of upcoming corners at speed. Oh yeah, never seen a radar trap, speed camera up there in summer, not enough cars and a bit far away. One to plan for summer. Once you are through Bright, you can do Mt Buffulo as has previously been mentioned. Hope this helps.