I like the Pacific Highway to Newcastle, get onto the New England Hway and then find the Singleton to Colo Rd to Windsor. A free camp half way between Singleton and Windsor called Blue Gum cafe. Richmond has a free camping spot or $10pn for power 72 hr limit. (Must join the Club @$4).
There is a free camp 72hours at Broke if you want to visit the Hunter Valley.
Take the m7 to bypass Sydney and then through Appin and onto the Princes Hway and down the NSW South coast.
-- Edited by jetj on Sunday 12th of August 2012 12:49:03 PM
We are heading to Victoria too and this is the way we've chosen to go.
Brisbane to Leyburn, via Gatton-Clifton Road, to avoid the range. On to Goondiwindi, Moree, Walgett, Bourke, then south to Cobar, Hilston, Hay, Echuca, Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, Torquay.
It's really a personal choice as to which way to go.
We chose this way because we wanted our trip to be about Victoria mainly, and more westerly through NSW because a/ I hadn't been out that far, and b/ because my sister & her hubby wanted to avoid the Newell Hwy. Only because it has bad memories. They were cleaned up by a B double near Narrabri several years ago.
We are leaving Brisbane on the 1/10 and we'll hav e 10 weeks to 'Discover Victoria', as they say.
Oh, and we intend free camping wherever possible, only using CP's when there's no choice.
-- Edited by Beth54 on Sunday 12th of August 2012 04:12:13 PM
hi all just want to put it out there which is the best way to get to the ocean road run from brisbane bypassing sydney and free camping along the way this will be our first big trip away from home so we want to do a loop so to speak so not sure what highway and byways to take and the caravan parks along the way any help from you regulars will be great
Hi Margaret. To get to The Great Ocean Road you need to get to Torquay in Vic. That puts you at the start of The Great Ocean Road. Maybe you could go down the Newell, then cross over to the Hume and down to Geelong would be the best way to go. That way you avoid all the major cities. If you have Camps Aus Wide book you will find plenty of free camps along the Newell.
Just follow the Highway 1 and use Camps6 you will find plenty of good camps mentioned. If you are interested in the stops that I made you can find them on my blog changing the Classic view down to Timeslide and scrolling down, my first stop after Sydney was Berry Showgrounds so if you go there and move forward you can trace my stops.
As far as the Great Ocean Road the closest free stop is Avalon BP rest area just before Geelong where I met up with Billeeeee and we drove through Geelong and took the Torquay Road and that is the start of the GOR free stops are rare on the GOR and we stopped off at Princeown Recreation Area.
Good lord, why stick to the coast with all the idiots out there. I'd go Brisbane to Goondiwindi, Goondiwindi to Coonabarabran, Coonabarabran to Forbes, then down through Grenfell, Young to Albury, Then to Geelong. Easy, open country driving with heaps of free camping all the way. Coming from the bush, I much prefer to stay as far as possible from the coastal highways.
Darrell & Sandra
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Love the bush & our native environment. Conservationist, not a bloody Greenie.
Nice free camp at Aire River CAW6 #679 and 680. I liked the smaller of the 2 camps (first one you come to on the right before you go over the bridge). Lots of koalas around. Another really nice one between Warrnambool and Portland at Fitzroy River Reserve #587.
Jannette, theres heaps worth seeing west of the hills if you only look. Far more than the same water on one side & mountains on the other. Another advantage is the much greater distances between towns hence easier travelling, particularly towing a van.
Darrell & Sandra
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Love the bush & our native environment. Conservationist, not a bloody Greenie.
I'm sure you're right that there is a lot to see and better travelling, I doubt any road could be much worse than the Pacific Hway for driving. I love the ocean is my problem.
Bundeela Campsite at Kangaroo Valley south of Sydney is a must stop. Its great free campsite by a river with toilets & water near the cute little town of Kangaroo Valley and just a short drive gets you to Fitzroy Falls which are magnificent and has great walking tracks.
Cheers
Jon
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Home is where we hang our hats - Home now in Yamba NSW
Beth has the right idea, bypassing Melbourne altogether by travelling from Bendigo to Ballarat and hence to Great Ocean Road area.
If you do decide on the coastal route, though, you can avoid the worst of the city by leaving Highway 1 at Drouin or Pakenham and going through to Sorrento and the ferry across the Bay to Queenscliff.
Hi guys, you mentioned doing a "loop", so would this take in inland and coastal routes? Whatever, the comments posted cover some really good area's in both directions.
Have you googled the location of toll roads if you wish to avoid them? And be aware that Victoria is red hot on any speed over the posted limit. The suggestion of passing through Bendigo via Ballarat to GOR is a great way of doing it. (based on having done it myself) The Queenscliff ferry while a short pleasant journey, it isnt cheap and you have to travel out of the way to some degree to access it.
She hasn't posted again. 
