Headed to Lake Tinaroo today from Ingham - Bruce HWY. Followed the navman and turned at Gordonvale as instructed. WOW- what a road. 2nd gear most of the way up to the top, heaps of stops for road works which meant hand brake starts on slopes.... Unless you love stress in your life do not take a caravan over the Gillies Highway to the Atherton Tablelands.
So the lesson - make sure I know where I need to go to get where I want to be BEFORE I leave in the morning!
Mind you - in spite of worrying about the van on all those tight corners I actually found it an amazing drive
this caravan park at the dam is a bit different also. Tight little sites, very narrow road, and lots of slopes to get up - or down - to get on to the site! Not easy. But - computer system was down so basically we found a spot then told the guy where we were
milo said
12:34 AM Jul 14, 2012
we have had fun with Tom the tom tom guy on our trips, taking us up the weirdest ways.. but you do get to see some different country that way, ..
DeBe said
12:41 AM Jul 14, 2012
One of the things i quickly learnt is dont completely trust the GPS. I still use a good road map with a GPS.
aussietraveller said
12:47 AM Jul 14, 2012
Still up here in North QLD and a few forum members warned us about the Gillies Highway so fortunately we went from Atherton to Innesfail and there has recently been a serious accident with a Caravan travelling down the Gillies, so best to stay clear and use either of the other two routes.
spida said
01:33 AM Jul 14, 2012
aussietraveller wrote:
Still up here in North QLD and a few forum members warned us about the Gillies Highway so fortunately we went from Atherton to Innesfail and there has recently been a serious accident with a Caravan travelling down the Gillies, so best to stay clear and use either of the other two routes.
Problem is I didnt know it was the Gilles Hwy until I got to the CP and checked to see where I had been! Glad I did it though but would not go back the other way - would be way to hard on the brakes going down that road!
BohemianGypsy said
01:45 AM Jul 14, 2012
milo wrote:
we have had fun with Tom the tom tom guy on our trips, taking us up the weirdest ways.. but you do get to see some different country that way, ..
LOL Milo Kate the Tom Tom gal is a royal pain on occasions as well and has led us a merry dance or two. She drives Ray and I mad when we realise that we are on the wrong path.
Michelle
Dougwe said
01:47 AM Jul 14, 2012
When I left Mildura heading to Ballarat I set my Navan My60 to the coordinates of the CV park at Lake Burrumbeet. As I was driving along the Calder highway I saw the turn off to Ballarat via Sunrasia Hwy, that is what I wanted but the Navman Lady cold me to keep straight so ignored her and turned right onto Sunrasia Hwy. She corrected things to that way and fine after that. Heaven knows where she was going to take me, mmm, maybe I should have gone with her.
Moral of the story, work with GPS Unit and Paper Maps or you own knowledge.
gypsy rover said
02:02 PM Jul 14, 2012
Doug
She was probably going to give you a scenic tour. They usually get you there in the end, but sometimes not the way you would choose to go.
Cheers!
Chris
Keith19837 said
02:43 PM Jul 14, 2012
My son has a GPS that has a feature totally new to me. It starts off giving tips and directions all very politely. However, if you miss the turn it tells you off and then complains that it has to now work out a new route because of yoyr stupidity; muttering away to itself. If you miss the next turn it starts getting really agitated and mildly abuses you. It gets really upset after a while and begins to cast doubt on the quality of your hearing and the marital status of your parents. My son tells me that there is a variety of these 'emotional' type GPS narrators including a sexy female for the guys, promising all sorts of things if you follow her directions and a suave gentleman full of compliments for the ladies. A bit of a novelty I suppose, but quite amusing.
_wombat_ said
02:55 PM Jul 14, 2012
use your GPS with maps maps maps maps and more maps
justcruisin01 said
09:07 PM Jul 14, 2012
When you set a destination have a look at the chosen route before you leave, if thats not the way you want then change the settings.
JC.
aussietraveller said
10:34 PM Jul 14, 2012
Justcruisin01 has it right all the sat nav units I have seen show a proposed route on a map you can then click on alternate route if its not the way you want to go or ok if happy with the route.
Palebushman said
11:08 PM Jul 14, 2012
BohemianGypsy wrote:
milo wrote:
we have had fun with Tom the tom tom guy on our trips, taking us up the weirdest ways.. but you do get to see some different country that way, ..
LOL Milo Kate the Tom Tom gal is a royal pain on occasions as well and has led us a merry dance or two. She drives Ray and I mad when we realise that we are on the wrong path.
Michelle
Ah ha, Michelle,
d'you mean "Nagging Nancy"! Personally I prefer listening to the dulcet tones of my Queen for directions, she is so much nicer than those GPS gizmo's. They never tell you when it's time for a cuppa for one, and secondly, I personally don't like taking my eyes off the road while driving, and more importantly, the safety and well-being of my irreplaceable passenger is paramount.
Beth54 said
01:08 AM Jul 15, 2012
The Palmerston Hwy is the best way to the Tablelands, by far. The Gillies is awful even without a caravan. I call it 'the sick road'. The locals are used to it, but it is very tricky.
Tinaroo is a great spot, well worth a visit. Also Lakes Eacham, and Barrine. Lake Barrine has a lovely tea house overlooking the water.
So many great places to visit on the tablelands. Lots of waterfalls too. There's a really good info centre just north of Malanda.
Headed to Lake Tinaroo today from Ingham - Bruce HWY. Followed the navman and turned at Gordonvale as instructed. WOW- what a road. 2nd gear most of the way up to the top, heaps of stops for road works which meant hand brake starts on slopes.... Unless you love stress in your life do not take a caravan over the Gillies Highway to the Atherton Tablelands.
So the lesson - make sure I know where I need to go to get where I want to be BEFORE I leave in the morning!
Mind you - in spite of worrying about the van on all those tight corners I actually found it an amazing drive
this caravan park at the dam is a bit different also. Tight little sites, very narrow road, and lots of slopes to get up - or down - to get on to the site! Not easy. But - computer system was down so basically we found a spot then told the guy where we were
but you do get to see some different country that way, ..
One of the things i quickly learnt is dont completely trust the GPS. I still use a good road map with a GPS.
Problem is I didnt know it was the Gilles Hwy
until I got to the CP and checked to see where I had been! Glad I did it though but would not go back the other way - would be way to hard on the brakes going down that road!
LOL Milo Kate the Tom Tom gal is a royal pain on occasions as well and has led us a merry dance or two. She drives Ray and I mad when we realise that we are on the wrong path.
Michelle
When I left Mildura heading to Ballarat I set my Navan My60 to the coordinates of the CV park at Lake Burrumbeet. As I was driving along the Calder highway I saw the turn off to Ballarat via Sunrasia Hwy, that is what I wanted but the Navman Lady cold me to keep straight so ignored her and turned right onto Sunrasia Hwy. She corrected things to that way and fine after that. Heaven knows where she was going to take me, mmm, maybe I should have gone with her.
Moral of the story, work with GPS Unit and Paper Maps or you own knowledge.
Doug
She was probably going to give you a scenic tour
. They usually get you there in the end, but sometimes not the way you would choose to go.
Cheers!
Chris
use your GPS with maps maps maps maps and more maps
When you set a destination have a look at the chosen route before you leave, if thats not the way you want then change the settings.
JC.
The Palmerston Hwy is the best way to the Tablelands, by far. The Gillies is awful even without a caravan. I call it 'the sick road'. The locals are used to it, but it is very tricky.
Tinaroo is a great spot, well worth a visit. Also Lakes Eacham, and Barrine. Lake Barrine has a lovely tea house overlooking the water.
So many great places to visit on the tablelands. Lots of waterfalls too. There's a really good info centre just north of Malanda.