Newbies to the world of motor homing as we have just bought a bus motorhome and are about to take off from Roma to Melbourne.
Drove the bus from Brissie to Roma and am wondering if their is a good way across the range heading back east without being too steep.
Maybe some magical " gap" we could explore???
Any tips would be appreciated.
Thanks,
gooba53 said
02:36 AM Jul 20, 2013
Welcome Bill and Lesley. Im no help in your question, but I'm sure someone will help. All the best. Have fun!
Dougwe said
02:41 AM Jul 20, 2013
Welcome from me too Bill and Leslie, enjoy here and out in the playground. I too am not much help to your question sorry.
Oma said
02:43 AM Jul 20, 2013
If you are meaning from Toowoomba to the coast, head towards Warwick then a left turn to Heifer Creek which comes down the range gradually to Gatton. Not a busy road but an occasional truck to watch out for on corners. We always go that way instead of up the Toowoomba range.
Another way is north from Toowoomba to Hampton then go down to Esk. Heifer Creek is in the Camps book, as is Hampton.
brickies said
02:45 AM Jul 20, 2013
I would head inland to Melbourne via the Newell Hwy
Happywanderer said
02:56 AM Jul 20, 2013
I usually go via The Newell but this last time I came down through St George, Lightening Ridge to Gilgandra.Stayed on the Newell from GGilgandra to Tocumwal on the border. After that its a straight run into Melbourne. No hilly areas anywhere along the way.
Bill and Lesley said
02:57 AM Jul 20, 2013
Thanks for the advice....
Happy trails,
Bill and Lesley said
03:00 AM Jul 20, 2013
Cheers for that,
Sounds like a plan.
Are there plenty of busfriendly sites along the way?
Happywanderer said
03:05 AM Jul 20, 2013
I had no problems finding good camps along the way. South of St George is a little town, can't remember its name, just out of that town is a great camp on the river.
Also 5 ks south of Lightening Ridge is a huge camp right opp Stanley the giant emu.
jules47 said
03:18 AM Jul 20, 2013
Best investment for you guys would be a copy of Camps Australia Wide no. 7 - heaps of great camps along the way to Melbourne, and all around this beautiful country.
If you are leaving from Roma, where would you want to cross the range? Do you need to go via Toowoomba? Go inland all the way, plenty of good roads.
Tim thetruckie said
03:37 AM Jul 20, 2013
From Roma down to St George cross the border at Hebal down to Walget then turn right and head across to Brewannia , Bourke , Cobar , Hillston , Griffith , join the Newal just out of Jerildere then over the border into Mexico at Tocumwal then down to Melbourne .
There are plenty of areas large enough to get your bus off the road for the night .
Bill and Lesley said
02:41 PM Jul 20, 2013
jules47 wrote:
Best investment for you guys would be a copy of Camps Australia Wide no. 7 - heaps of great camps along the way to Melbourne, and all around this beautiful country.
If you are leaving from Roma, where would you want to cross the range? Do you need to go via Toowoomba? Go inland all the way, plenty of good roads.
Thanks for the tip, don't really have to go Toowoomba as such, just chasing the best route with as few steep sections as possible.
Inland seems to be the go....
Cheers,
mongrel said
02:55 PM Jul 20, 2013
Welcome to the forum Bill and Lesley .Hope you eny\joy our happy lot and get the info you may ask for.Alan.
brickies said
03:35 PM Jul 20, 2013
I think you will find the easiest way to cross the range is don't cross it
jules47 said
03:41 PM Jul 20, 2013
Bill and Lesley - welcome to the site, by the way - follow Tim the Truckie's route - easy as - no huge mountains to cross, and great scenery all the way. Have a pie at the shop at Hebel - delicious!!! Enjoy life!
Bill and Lesley said
10:42 PM Jul 23, 2013
jules47 wrote:
Bill and Lesley - welcome to the site, by the way - follow Tim the Truckie's route - easy as - no huge mountains to cross, and great scenery all the way. Have a pie at the shop at Hebel - delicious!!! Enjoy life!
Hi all,
Just to follow up, has anyone done Roma, St. George, Goondiwindi, Moree, Narrabri, Coonabarabran, Gilgandra, Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes, West Wyalong, Narrandera, Denilquin, Echuca, Bendigo route (or reverse....)??
Heading off Thursday and this way looks o.k.....
Any bear traps to watch out for?
Thanks,
Bill and Lesley said
10:43 PM Jul 23, 2013
jules47 wrote:
Bill and Lesley - welcome to the site, by the way - follow Tim the Truckie's route - easy as - no huge mountains to cross, and great scenery all the way. Have a pie at the shop at Hebel - delicious!!! Enjoy life!
Hi all,
Just to follow up, has anyone done Roma, St. George, Goondiwindi, Moree, Narrabri, Coonabarabran, Gilgandra, Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes, West Wyalong, Narrandera, Denilquin, Echuca, Bendigo route (or reverse....)??
Heading off Thursday and this way looks o.k.....
Any bear traps to watch out for?
Thanks,
jules47 said
11:02 PM Jul 23, 2013
A lot of people would have done that trip Bill and Lesley - are you using caravan parks or free camping? There are a heap of caravan parks on that route, and also a lot of free camps - go to the "budget/free camping" subforum on this site and check out some of the places you mention.
Enjoy your trip.
Beth54 said
11:32 PM Jul 23, 2013
In my opinion, THE only way to cross the range here in SEQ is by Gatton-Clifton Road as Oma suggested. I always use it, it's a nice peaceful drive with not a lot of traffic, except for those occasional trucks. And as someone else said, there's the free camp at Heifer Creek.
There is one section that's been down to one lane since the floods in 2011, but it's not a problem really. They have done a lot of work on the western approach where there had been a lot of erosion.
The Hampton-Esk Road is reasonably good too. Depends whether you want to come over south of Toowoomba or north of Toowoomba.
Hi All,
Newbies to the world of motor homing as we have just bought a bus motorhome and are about to take off from Roma to Melbourne.
Drove the bus from Brissie to Roma and am wondering if their is a good way across the range heading back east without being too steep.
Maybe some magical " gap" we could explore???
Any tips would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Welcome Bill and Lesley. Im no help in your question, but I'm sure someone will help. All the best. Have fun!
Another way is north from Toowoomba to Hampton then go down to Esk. Heifer Creek is in the Camps book, as is Hampton.
Thanks for the advice....
Happy trails,
Cheers for that,
Sounds like a plan.
Are there plenty of busfriendly sites along the way?
Also 5 ks south of Lightening Ridge is a huge camp right opp Stanley the giant emu.
If you are leaving from Roma, where would you want to cross the range? Do you need to go via Toowoomba? Go inland all the way, plenty of good roads.
There are plenty of areas large enough to get your bus off the road for the night .
Thanks for the tip, don't really have to go Toowoomba as such, just chasing the best route with as few steep sections as possible.
Inland seems to be the go....
Cheers,
Hi all,
Just to follow up, has anyone done Roma, St. George, Goondiwindi, Moree, Narrabri, Coonabarabran, Gilgandra, Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes, West Wyalong, Narrandera, Denilquin, Echuca, Bendigo route (or reverse....)??
Heading off Thursday and this way looks o.k.....
Any bear traps to watch out for?
Thanks,
Hi all,
Just to follow up, has anyone done Roma, St. George, Goondiwindi, Moree, Narrabri, Coonabarabran, Gilgandra, Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes, West Wyalong, Narrandera, Denilquin, Echuca, Bendigo route (or reverse....)??
Heading off Thursday and this way looks o.k.....
Any bear traps to watch out for?
Thanks,
Enjoy your trip.
In my opinion, THE only way to cross the range here in SEQ is by Gatton-Clifton Road as Oma suggested. I always use it, it's a nice peaceful drive with not a lot of traffic, except for those occasional trucks. And as someone else said, there's the free camp at Heifer Creek.
There is one section that's been down to one lane since the floods in 2011, but it's not a problem really. They have done a lot of work on the western approach where there had been a lot of erosion.
The Hampton-Esk Road is reasonably good too. Depends whether you want to come over south of Toowoomba or north of Toowoomba.
Oh, and welcome from me too. Happy travels.