Hi, I'm sure this has been asked a number of times before however I didn't find many suitable recent links so apologies for your groans however, I will be towing a 19.5' van from East Gippsland up to Palm Cove in FNQ (approx 3000km) next (late) April, expecting to travel approx 500km/day maybe with an extra day or two stop along the way but wanting to reach Palm cove in around 7 days. Any suggestions on the most practical route/s to take ie; via Canberra - Lightening Ridge etc or the coastal route or a bit of both ? While my towing experience is around 10,000km over 5 or 6 years to date, I have not towed this distance before or much past southern NSW before.....Happy for paid overnight sites or the odd freebie - Be gentle, thanks !
Thanks Collo, I agree with you however we do have a timeframe Im afraid so as much as Id like to take more time to get there, this trip is more about being there than getting there.
Hi, I'm sure this has been asked a number of times before however I didn't find many suitable recent links so apologies for your groans however, I will be towing a 19.5' van from East Gippsland up to Palm Cove in FNQ (approx 3000km) next (late) April, expecting to travel approx 500km/day maybe with an extra day or two stop along the way but wanting to reach Palm cove in around 7 days. Any suggestions on the most practical route/s to take ie; via Canberra - Lightening Ridge etc or the coastal route or a bit of both ? While my towing experience is around 10,000km over 5 or 6 years to date, I have not towed this distance before or much past southern NSW before.....Happy for paid overnight sites or the odd freebie - Be gentle, thanks !
Hi Baz, and welcome to you as a first-time poster. As a long-distance truck driver I regularly drove 1000km/day, but in my caravan I rarely do more than about 200km/day, not because I can't but because it's important to enjoy the journey.
There is simply too much to see, and too many things to do do to simply race up the country in a "Gotta get there" fashion.
Unless you have plans that can't be altered I would expect that journey to take a minimum of three weeks as there is just SOOO much to see, and sooo many things to explore, on the way.
As far as choosing a route goes you may do well to download Wiki Camps, which lists free camps, van parks etc. Good luck with your plans but life is too short to be forever "rush, rush, rushing".
Slow down and smell the flowers. Cheers
P.S Better to be a day late than Dead on Time!
-- Edited by yobarr on Saturday 7th of October 2023 08:21:52 PM
Thanks yobarr, I appreciate your advice and experience and will have a look at Wiki Camps as well.
Certainly not intending on racing anywhere and my better half will be playing an active part in preventing that too, hence my planning on stopping along the way.
Is it a one way trip? If not maybe via one of the inland routes on the more time critical one, and via the coast on the other leg. With hardly any time to smell the roses, I would plan on extra kilometers on the area near home because you have probably been there and are familiar with it. I really like the tropical area north of Townsville so would want to plan on saving time for there.
The further west route via Cobar and Bourke will be more more barren, and if you have not been on such an inland trip is worth doing to appreciate it. You benefit from flatter terrain for towing and less traffic. The mid route through Lighning Ridge has a mix of barren and more green pastures and varying terrain. The hot bores are something to try if you have not before. The coast road, taking slightly longer has a lot of multilane and more traffic. If you are not stopping there is not much point being coastal because the highway is mostly a few kilometers inland so you would not appreciate it.
Can you freecamp? On day after day of long drives I would rather avoid the check in process, and especially choose places where I don't have to disconnect. If staying in van parks, look for those that offer drive through sites. If you can just drive in and be enjoying a beer or whatever 5 minutes later, that would be my plan.
-- Edited by Are We Lost on Saturday 7th of October 2023 07:14:52 PM
You make some Great points so thanks very much for your input as it gets me started on making some decisions.
While I'd love some more time, it is a return trip over about 6 weeks all up.
We can free camp and yes I'll be mixing that with drive through sites at van parks. I also understand your point re the closer I get to home, potentially the more km's in familiar territory.
I plan on researching the Cobar Bourke route V Lightening Ridge for road quality etc for the journey up and possibly the coastal route on the way home although I assume this will be much busier the closer it gets to the southern winter but I'd love to see further down the coast re Airly Beach, Townsville etc so I may try and extend a few days as well.
If you have flexibility in the dates you are around Cairns and north, I would spend more time on the journey and less at the destination. Driving straight through misses on so much.
The coastal route is longer and Google says it takes about 3 hours more, but I am more familiar with that route in NSW than QLD or the western routes. As it is nearly all divided highway the driving is very easy, and little worry about the volume of traffic. The Hume Highway and then onto the M1 north of Sydney is now so easy, with not a single traffice light, intersection or roundabout all the way from Melbourne to Newcastle ... over 1,000km. That is assuming you use the toll roads in Sydney, at a cost of a little over $60 as with that size van you will be assessed at the heavy vehicle rate. Bypassing the 8km NorthConnex tunnel saves about $25 at a cost of about 10 minutes more time.
That section through the outskirts of Newcastle only takes about 20 minutes and then you are on divided road again for 99% of the way to the Queensland border. Coffs Harbour takes a similar 20 minutes although both those sections can be pretty slow in peak times.
-- Edited by Are We Lost on Sunday 8th of October 2023 11:13:16 AM
We used to do the trip from Cooma to Moranbah (midway between Mackay and Emerald) frequently. 2000 km door to door. When you look at the maps, it is almost due North all the way. I wont make comments about your timing, but if you wanted to get there quickly, Cooma, Yass, Cowra, Wellington, Dubbo, Gilgandra gets you on the North road with the least traffic. Canberra is best negotiated by turning toward the city centre, following the lake until you get near the city centre, and then follow the Gungahlin Expressway signs until you get on that road. This will take you past the Aust National University and Black Mountain. Keep in the right lane when you see the Gungahln signs, or you will miss the expressway turnoff. Once on the expressway, the exit to Yass is clearly marked, about 15 km along the road. If you decide to go through the city centre, the speed limit is 40 km/h in the Civic area and is monitored by cameras, so be careful.
There is an excellent free range zoo at Dubbo, if that interests you, Lightning Ridge is worth a visit, if you have time. About 150 km North from Roma is a turnoff West to Carnarvon National Park. If you are capable of walking, this place is really interesting. Turn left at Rolleston for Springsure and then Emerald. From there, go to Clermont and then Charters Tower (a good place to visit). From there, you have the choice to keep inland, going through The Lind Junction (nearby Undarra Lava Tubes are interesting) and then to Mareeba, and finally come down to the coast near Port Douglass. The other option is to head to Townsville and up the coast from there. I think I have used up all your time just getting there, and that is the quickest road. The coast road has a lot more places of interest and I wont even try to list places to look at on that road. Be warned - this is the Bruce Hwy and it is very busy at all times, especially school holidays if applicable.
Thanks, I'd considered that route however knowing my history of turning onto the wrong road at the wrong time, thought Id end up lost driving around Sydney for a few days !
I presume you can take your suggested route in reverse as well and I will consider it for the return trip so thanks again for your help, much appreciated.
Thanks erad, your Cooma-Gilgandra route looks to be my main preference so far and then continuing north eventually head across to Rockhampton or thereabouts and continue up from there.
Have been to Port Douglas a number of times however only after flying into Cairns etc so I know that area a little better than the roads to get there !!
Appreciate the advice re Canberra as I vaguely remember this can be tricky as well however I reckon we're on the right track,
The further outback the easier it is to free camp. Gravel pits are good. Start looking from about 3pm & stop for the day when you find one.
Avoid dawn, dusk & night driving. Kangaroos will ruin your trip.
In the morning we usually pack & get going but stop half an hour or so later for breakfast. It's quicker to get going & you can make the first driving break of the day more multi purpose.
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Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
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The main issue is tyres, if you have TPMS, tyre repair kit & quality compressor. You can most of the time save a tyre before it destroys itself, & further damage. An awful lot of peace of mind.
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Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
Just a bit concerned if I go too far west, if I have a car or trailer issue I could be in trouble however Thanks for the advice Whenarewethere.
Hi Baz, Like many beginners you're imagining all sorts of problems that you are unlikely ever to ever have. It's all in your mind!
In my travels I've sometimes driven 300kms on rough outback dirt roads without even seeing another car, but in the areas you plan to travel you'll never be alone, as always there will be other vehicles, and people in "the bush" are more likely to stop and ask "OK?" if you've pulled up on the side of the road. And I've travelled more than 60,000km alone.
Make sure that your tyres are OK, and plan your fuel stops. The more you imagine possible problems the more you'll worry.
Just get out there and do it. It's no big deal! Happy travels. Cheers
In the outback, you will be surprised at the number of people. They are all very helpful. The opposite to city rubbish, & I live in Sydney, serious rubbish. You wouldn't believe the number of cars I have jump started in our street & plugged tyres, to show how easy it is. It's worth the look on their faces!
It's basically tyres out there. If you can fix a puncture before it's an issue you can keep going. We had 4 punctures in 2018. They were all slow leaks. TPMS shows the pressure. So I could plug the tyre in the evening. Actually some I did a few days later as the rate of deflation was so slow.
Jumper leads (old welding cable is brilliant & cheap) & spare fuses (have given a few fuses to the various idiots out there, plus the idiots in our street).
__________________
Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
