Toowoomba Range or Cunninghams Gap ?

gillyb · Senior Member

RE: Toowoomba Range or Cunninghams Gap ?

Happywanderer · The Master

What date are you leaving here gilly. I hope to get away some time early April.

gillyb · Senior Member

Hi HW I'm leaving Melbourne on 20th March with 1st stop hopefully Tocumwal maybe 1 or 2 nights will decide when I get there smile

then just take it as it comes after that. Hopefully will meet up with you st some stage, how far are you going and how long for?

Happywanderer · The Master

I'm going right up to the Bundaberg area for the winter taking my time along the way.
Have to be back here by early Aug as my daughter here is having her first baby in August.

gillyb · Senior Member

I'm going up as far as Port Douglas I have some friends up there to catch up with and probably very regretfully will be back sometime in September cry

Happywanderer · The Master

You lucky devil you. I do hope to make it up to Townsville as have a friend there I would like to see but not sure if I will have enough time to go that far.

ChiChi1 · Guru

Hi, I will be driving from Canberra to Brisbane soon and have roughly the same quetion.
Where is the best place to cross over the great dividing range. I can go up the highway through Sydney but hate that. As a starting point, Brown mountain would be rather too hairy for me (and too far south) Just made it in the car without towing anything. is there somewhere else further up past Sysney where I can cross more easily.

Thanks

Mel

brickies · Guru

It all depends do you like the coast or do you like inland , if you like inland head to forbes onto the newell or through Sydney onto the coast

jimricho · Guru

ChiChi1 wrote:

Hi, I will be driving from Canberra to Brisbane soon and have roughly the same quetion.
Where is the best place to cross over the great dividing range. I can go up the highway through Sydney but hate that. As a starting point, Brown mountain would be rather too hairy for me (and too far south) Just made it in the car without towing anything. is there somewhere else further up past Sysney where I can cross more easily.

Thanks

Mel

Hi Mel,

click on this Google Maps Link (Newell Hwy)

or this one (Pacific Hwy)

You can easily edit/amend it to suit your particular requirements

Jim

-- Edited by jimricho on Thursday 27th of January 2011 05:58:39 PM

ChiChi1 · Guru

Thanks Brickies and Jim,

I can go through Sydney, just trying to avoid it. Don't mind going inland, but will still have to cross somwhere. Was just wondering what it was like further up.

Regards Mel

PS This will be a first for me just by myself (and of coursre Molly chihuahua) Just going from A to B as quickly as I can although a few extra miles don't worry me if it makes the trip less stressful.

-- Edited by ChiChi1 on Thursday 27th of January 2011 09:39:08 PM

Happywanderer · The Master

I would be tempted to go straight inland from Canberra ChiChi. Then you go straight up the Newell. Only because its the way I always go and I enjoy the trip up the Newell. All small country towns, no big cities.
Don't travel at night though. All the trucks on the road then.

ChiChi1 · Guru

Hi Happywanderder,

Yes looks like its the way to go. Used to travel only at night, until was going down to Yarrawonga on the Hume quite often. Trucks bumper to bumper all the way to Albury, travelling well over the speed limit. Had a few anxious moments, so only travel by day now, on a Saturday if possible.

Regards
Mel

Happywanderer · The Master

You are fine on the Newell anyday as if like me you would be stopping for the night by about 4pm and looking for somewhere to park. Lots of free parking in the Camps 5 book.

ChiChi1 · Guru

Happywanderer,
That will be the next thing to work out. If I have Molly, can,t stay in a motel (can't afford it any way.) Will be tenting so will probably have to find pet friendly cps. Can't put up a tent in an overnight rest spot. Hopefully, while I am in Brisbane, I will come across exactly the right rig for me and I will have someone there whose guidance I trust. anyway....

Happywanderer · The Master

I have my little dog Punky too so will enjoy being able to freecamp.

When I had Mindy (she died 2 years ago at the age of 17) I would stay in cps as long as she slept in the car. They were ok with that. Couldn't tell you which ones, thats going back at least 7 years.

If you put up your own tent in a cp there shouldn't be a problem having her with you in most of them anyway.

-- Edited by Happywanderer on Thursday 27th of January 2011 10:25:22 PM

brickies · Guru

If you want a pet friendly place to camp in Brisbane area Scarborough village park you can camp also pet allowed

Haji-Baba · Senior Member

Toowoomba Range is severly damaged plus the rail line down the range.

All the coal and heavy haulage is using the Toll Bar and Cunninghams Gap.

This will be the case for up to six months untill the rail line is fixed.

The traffic is banked up for many km. each side of Toowoomba and the speed on the range is down to the slowest truck.

Blackbutt Range is out, results of a land slip, may be months before it is fixed, whole road gone down the mountain.

Best way at present is through Dalby, Kingaroy and Gympie. But even that is bad.

Good luck, you will have to do your homework just before you leave.

Haji-Baba

ChiChi1 · Guru

Thanks Haji
That is something worth considering. Will not be going until at least end of March. Was hoping things would have improved by then. Will not be towing this time. Just looking at possibilities. May decide to fly, although that has its own problems with getting Mollie babysitter and restricting my movements etc. Anyway still in planning mode.

Welcome to the forum. Hope to hear from you often

Mel