Can anyone tell me what this road is like. It goes from Bowen through Collinsville to Belyando Crossing. The Camps 7 book shows the last bit, over 50 ks is not sealed.
But books can be wrong sometimes. Has anyone travelled it lately.
brickies said
09:45 PM Jun 23, 2015
Hi I also will be keen to hear word on this ,Last year I traveled from Bowen to Glenden on the development road and it was good sealed road to the Glenden turnoff but not sure for how the road ahead would be , I rang the Glenden Police before I under took the trip , Maybe if you dont get any replies you could ring the Collinsville Police station
brickies said
08:29 AM Jun 24, 2015
Marj just rang Glenden Police and he said he would not recommend the Bowen Development from Glenden turn off to Belyando road is sharp schale and is very hard on tyres .
Happywanderer said
08:57 AM Jun 24, 2015
Thank you so much for that Brickies. Had been thinking overnight it I got there and found it not suitable, I could turn left through Glenden to Elphinstone on to Nebo and down to Clermont that way.
My thoughts have been confirmed. That works out well.
brickies said
09:26 AM Jun 24, 2015
Marj good road from Bowen to Nebo via Glenden and Lake Elphinstone Did it last year . Also don't forget Collinsville showgrounds free camp with hot shower and worker club across the road and IGA in town , Lake Elphinstone was having a new amenities built should be finished now . We did Townsville to Collinsville : Collinsville to Lake Elphinstone via Glenden , Two easy days
Happywanderer said
09:31 AM Jun 24, 2015
All sorted , thanks for that brickies.
villatranquilla said
10:07 PM Jun 24, 2015
we are on a station in this area and the dirt roads are getting very corrugated and chopped up as there are a lot of cattle being trucked south. We had considered this route for when we leave but have decided to go back to the Burdekin dam then back to Charters Towers then head south.
brickies said
07:52 AM Jun 25, 2015
Jenny and Barry is the road from Collinsville to Burdekin dam been repair at the Dam wall last time I was there the concrete road at the Dam wall was impassable and the road was fenced off
PeterD said
10:17 AM Jun 25, 2015
The apron across in front of the dam wall has been repaired some time back.
brickies said
10:48 AM Jun 25, 2015
Thanks for that PeterD , We I was there 2 years ago the word was they weren't going to repair it so that good they have
villatranquilla said
08:40 PM Jun 25, 2015
we came across the spillway at the dam wall at the end of May - was all good despite a puncture a few k's further on - that section of road is very 'shaley'. The station owners here have punctures about every 4th trip to Charters Towers. Am not looking forward to the return trip in August as the road will be worse by then.
Happywanderer said
02:53 PM Jun 26, 2015
Left Bowen yesterday and now at Collinsville. What a lovely drive through the hills/range. Very pretty picturesque, windy but worth coming this way.
brickies said
03:51 PM Jun 26, 2015
Enjoy the Showgrounds , There is a bakery and chemist in the IGA complex , Also had a nice meal at the worker Club and they also have showers at the club for the campers
Happywanderer said
03:54 PM Jun 26, 2015
Thanks Brickies. Couldn't find the bakery, will go back in the morning now I know where it is.
Skyfacer said
04:00 PM Oct 5, 2024
Recently on my trip up to Townsville from NSW (September 2024) I drove the Bowen Developmental Road (Hwy 77) from the Gregory Developmental Road near Belyando Road House (West to East) to Bowen.
I've read on this forum that the first 53 Km to Mount Coolon (an old Gold Mining town), was in a bad condition. Yes, I found it certainly was, but not unexpected for a major unsealed road.
Lots of corrugations and fine dust. Not quite the awful 'bull dust', but getting there. I also had to stop for an approaching cattle truck and the resulting complete 'dust out' after it passed.
Also the road has crushed shale as its surface. Hence, I kept my speed down to around 20/25 Kmh. I drive a 2007 Mazda Single Cabin BT-50 Ute (Manual rear wheel drive) with a canvas over the tray that I bunk in at overnight stops.
After Mount Coolon, I continued on towards Bowen and was disappointed that there was a further unsealed section. However, this turned out to be what looked like the final surfacing before the bitumen is laid down.
I was averaging over 80 kmh on this section as the surface was smooth. Apparently, it won't be long before Hwy 77 will be completely sealed from Mount Coolon to Bowen.
However, there's one problem I noticed after I passed Mount Coolon about 4.60 klms before the Collingsville Elphinstone Road. There's a one lane bridge. And I mean one lane !
Before this, you're driving on a good standard two lane sealed road with a center line and the two outside edge lines clearly marked as it's a fairly recently sealed section.
Then just before this bridge after approaching it down a slight curve, the center line ends, and the two outside edge lines pinch into to a single lane. WTF ?
Such a bridge should not even exist on such a road. It's ridiculous and dangerous ! There's no clear view of any approaching vehicles on the other side as it's also a slightly curved section.
I forget the name of the waterway the bridge is over. (There's no Google Earth Street view for this section)
Other than the negatives I've mentioned above, the road between Mount Coolon and Bowen is an enjoyable road to travel on.
-- Edited by Skyfacer on Saturday 5th of October 2024 04:01:49 PM
-- Edited by Skyfacer on Saturday 5th of October 2024 07:25:10 PM
Can anyone tell me what this road is like. It goes from Bowen through Collinsville to Belyando Crossing. The Camps 7 book shows the last bit, over 50 ks is not sealed.
But books can be wrong sometimes. Has anyone travelled it lately.
My thoughts have been confirmed. That works out well.
we came across the spillway at the dam wall at the end of May - was all good despite a puncture a few k's further on - that section of road is very 'shaley'. The station owners here have punctures about every 4th trip to Charters Towers. Am not looking forward to the return trip in August as the road will be worse by then.
Recently on my trip up to Townsville from NSW (September 2024) I drove the Bowen Developmental Road (Hwy 77) from the Gregory Developmental Road near Belyando Road House (West to East) to Bowen.
I've read on this forum that the first 53 Km to Mount Coolon (an old Gold Mining town), was in a bad condition. Yes, I found it certainly was, but not unexpected for a major unsealed road.
Lots of corrugations and fine dust. Not quite the awful 'bull dust', but getting there. I also had to stop for an approaching cattle truck and the resulting complete 'dust out' after it passed.
Also the road has crushed shale as its surface. Hence, I kept my speed down to around 20/25 Kmh. I drive a 2007 Mazda Single Cabin BT-50 Ute (Manual rear wheel drive) with a canvas over the tray that I bunk in at overnight stops.
After Mount Coolon, I continued on towards Bowen and was disappointed that there was a further unsealed section. However, this turned out to be what looked like the final surfacing before the bitumen is laid down.
I was averaging over 80 kmh on this section as the surface was smooth. Apparently, it won't be long before Hwy 77 will be completely sealed from Mount Coolon to Bowen.
However, there's one problem I noticed after I passed Mount Coolon about 4.60 klms before the Collingsville Elphinstone Road. There's a one lane bridge. And I mean one lane !
Before this, you're driving on a good standard two lane sealed road with a center line and the two outside edge lines clearly marked as it's a fairly recently sealed section.
Then just before this bridge after approaching it down a slight curve, the center line ends, and the two outside edge lines pinch into to a single lane. WTF ?
Such a bridge should not even exist on such a road. It's ridiculous and dangerous ! There's no clear view of any approaching vehicles on the other side as it's also a slightly curved section.
I forget the name of the waterway the bridge is over. (There's no Google Earth Street view for this section)
Other than the negatives I've mentioned above, the road between Mount Coolon and Bowen is an enjoyable road to travel on.
-- Edited by Skyfacer on Saturday 5th of October 2024 04:01:49 PM
-- Edited by Skyfacer on Saturday 5th of October 2024 07:25:10 PM