Road Trip, Planning a trip to Griffith need advice

[cooltint]

Hi All

I thought I'd tap into the vast resources available on this forum and ask for advice on which route is best, quickest, fastest etc to take and any POI along the way.

We will be leaving the Gold Coast on a thursday and returning from Griffith on a monday. We intend to take it reasonably easy and stop overnight at least once. On the return journey I'd like to go via Bathurst as I've never driven on the track only past it on the Hwy.

I'm looking for current info on road conditions (including how congested they get), availability of Caltex Starcard accepting servo's (open 24hr), that sort of thing. I've tried using the 'Trip Planner' on a couple of websites inc RACQ and Caltex but they don't seem to work as promised.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as this is only a few weeks away.

Cheers

Big AL

[Fairlane]

Well guess i suggest take back road from Goldy out to Beaudesert, then through to Fassifern, jump on the Cunningham Highway NH15 and run right out to Goodiwindi, them head south of the Newell NH39, follow it right down through NSW and jump then jump on SR 94 'Burley Griffin Way' after West Wyalong and do the short run into Griffith.

Assume your at Warwick
Cunningham Highway NH15- Goondiwindi
Newell NH39- To Turnoff
Burley Griffin Way SR94- Into Griffith

Way back is harder would suggest running east from Griffith on SR 94 'Burley Griffin Way' back to the Newell, run North back to West Wyalong, jump on Midwestern Highway SH 24 at West Wyalong and run it right into Bathurst through Cowra. From bathurst is a hard one, but i reckon run east down through Lithgow, then along Bells Line Rd SR40 into Windsor then North along Putty Rd up to the New England at Scone and follow that right back to Warwick or whereever. The from Bathurst to Singleton would be the trickiest i should think.

Burley Griffin Way SR94- Back to Newell
Newell NH39- To Turnoff
Midwestern Highway SH 24- Right into Bathurst
Greatwestern Highway SH32- To Ligthgow
Bells Line of Road SR40- To Windsor
Putty Road SR69- To Singleton
New England NH15- To Warwick

And no i havent driven the Mid-western Highway, but the Newell is top notch and the Cunnigham out to Goondiwindi is OK. Stopovers choice is yours but Dubbo might be an OK choice on the way down and maybe stay at Bathurst pm the way back.

[Fairlane]

Just added it up on the atlas made it 1101klm for trip down and 1363 for trip back

*By the way you tried the NRMA trip planner just worked for me, told me that same thing for way down but it reckons running back from bathurst up to the Golden then cutting east to the Oxley and back to the Pacific highway on the coast

[cooltint]

Originally Posted by Fairlane

Just added it up on the atlas made it 1101klm for trip down and 1363 for trip back

*By the way you tried the NRMA trip planner just worked for me, told me that same thing for way down but it reckons running back from bathurst up to the Golden then cutting east to the Oxley and back to the Pacific highway on the coast

Thanx for the quick reply, I didn't think to check out the NRMA Trip Planner as both sites I used ran the same mapping system so I figured they may be the only ones doing it and it didn't work.

I will check out the suggested route. Anyone else got any thoughts?

Big AL

[damon90]

or
From: Gold Coast, QLD



http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=d&h...,10.217285&z=7




Drive: 1,300 km (about 16 hours 39 mins)
1. Head west on Barbara Way toward Roger Ct 0.1 km
2. Turn right at Deborah Ave 0.4 km
1 min
3. Turn left at Christa Way 90 m
4. Turn right at Benowa Rd 0.7 km
2 mins
5. Turn left at Ashmore Rd
Go through 2 roundabouts 4.1 km
8 mins
6. Turn left at Southport Nerang Rd 3.2 km
5 mins
7. Continue on Price St 0.8 km
2 mins
8. Continue on Beaudesert Nerang Rd 3.6 km
6 mins
9. Turn right at Mt Nathan Rd 2.1 km
3 mins
10. Mt Nathan Rd turns slightly right and becomes Beaudesert Nerang Rd 26.0 km
22 mins
11. Turn left to stay on Beaudesert Nerang Rd 4.2 km
3 mins
12. Turn left to stay on Beaudesert Nerang Rd 0.7 km
1 min
13. Turn left to stay on Beaudesert Nerang Rd 7.7 km
6 mins
14. Turn left to stay on Beaudesert Nerang Rd 6.3 km
7 mins
15. Continue on Albert St 0.7 km
1 min
16. Slight right at William St 0.7 km
1 min
17. Turn left at Mt Lindesay Hwy 0.5 km
2 mins
18. Turn right at Beaudesert Boonah Rd 3.2 km
4 mins
19. Turn left to stay on Beaudesert Boonah Rd 6.7 km
6 mins
20. Turn left to stay on Beaudesert Boonah Rd 23.4 km
18 mins
21. Turn left at Ipswich Boonah Rd 5.7 km
6 mins
22. Continue on Coronation Dr 1.2 km
2 mins
23. Slight right at Boonah Fassifern Rd 4.3 km
4 mins
24. Continue on Fassifern Lake Moogera Rd 1.6 km
1 min
25. Continue on Boonah Fassifern Rd 5.4 km
4 mins
26. Slight left to stay on Boonah Fassifern Rd 0.4 km
27. Slight left at Cunningham Hwy 70.0 km
51 mins
28. Turn right at Victoria St 3.0 km
4 mins
29. Turn left at Wentworth St 1.1 km
3 mins
30. Turn right at Cunningham Hwy
Go through 1 roundabout
Entering New South Wales 197 km
2 hours 23 mins
31. Turn left at Bruxner Hwy 7.4 km
8 mins
32. Turn right at Newell Hwy
Go through 1 roundabout 330 km
3 hours 57 mins
33. Turn right at Oxley And Newell Hwy 47.5 km
38 mins
34. Continue on Newell Hwy 51.0 km
34 mins
35. Continue on Oxley And Newell Hwy 1.1 km
1 min
36. Turn left at Newell Hwy 64.4 km
50 mins
37. Turn right at Erskine St/Newell Hwy
Continue to follow Erskine St 1.2 km
2 mins
38. Continue on Whylandra St 0.6 km
1 min
39. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Newell Hwy 117 km
1 hour 27 mins
40. Turn left to stay on Newell Hwy 1.5 km
3 mins
41. Turn left to stay on Newell Hwy 32.3 km
27 mins
42. Turn left to stay on Newell Hwy 67.1 km
47 mins
43. Slight right to stay on Newell Hwy 33.1 km
22 mins
44. Continue on Mid Western Hwy 2.7 km
4 mins
45. Continue on Newell Hwy 1.1 km
1 min
46. Continue on Mid Western Hwy 106 km
1 hour 13 mins
47. Turn left at Rankins Springs Rd 42.3 km
33 mins
48. Continue on Rankin Springs Rd 4.4 km
8 mins
49. Continue on Wakaden St
Go through 1 roundabout 3.0 km
5 mins
50. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Crossing St 0.3 km
51. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Banna Ave
Go through 1 roundabout 1.2 km
2 mins
52. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Ulong St 0.2 km

To: Griffith, NSW

[Flouro_Joe]

Going to pick up some supplies?

[cooltint]

Originally Posted by Flouro_Joe

Going to pick up some supplies?

lol, no we're going down to visit old friends of my wife's long since deceased father to fill in some blanks from early childhood memories.

Speaking of supplies, I've been to Griffith before a long time ago though, around the time that Donald Mackay went missing. I was only a teenager and arrived by train so I'm not up to date with best the road route.

Big AL

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by cooltint

We will be leaving the Gold Coast on a thursday and returning from Griffith on a monday. We intend to take it reasonably easy and stop overnight at least once.

If you've got kids it will be at least one overnight stop, maybe two.

Originally Posted by cooltint

I'm looking for current info on road conditions (including how congested they get), availability of Caltex Starcard accepting servo's (open 24hr), that sort of thing.

Goldie to Goondiwindi (via Warwick) appx 4 to 5hrs. 24hr Caltex in Goondi.

Goondi to West Wyalong appx 7hrs. Next 24hr Caltex is 4.5hrs away at Gilgandra, (there is no Caltex servo at all in Coonabarabran)

Gilgandra to West Wyalong appx 3.5 hrs 24hr Caltex

West Wyalong to Griffith appx 2hrs.
.................................................. .................................................. .
As for going home..I dont know times but the best way (if you must freeze your nuts off in Bathurst) would be ...

Griffith, Marsden (20mins nth of West Wyalong) Cowra, Bathurst. From there you'll probably have to head for Sydney and have gangs of fun playing with the traffic on the Pacific. If you do go back via Bathurst allow at least an extra day.

[kyro_02]

you can sit on 120kph in 110kph zone and easily.. without getting done by safe-t-cam. i have done this trip 5 times vic to qld.. through nsw.
so have fun, just bring tools .. just incase :P

each time i went it wasn't congested. the last time I went, a truck had an escort by the police (took both lanes up on the newell highway)!!!

[cooltint]

Thanx Gas' that's just the sort of info I'm looking for. Any info on where to stop for the night would also be appreciated. I'm thinking of stopping somewhere between Narrabri and Dubbo the first night. Any Thoughts?

Big AL

[cooltint]

Originally Posted by kyro_02

you can sit on 120kph in 110kph zone and easily.. without getting done by safe-t-cam. i have done this trip 5 times vic to qld.. through nsw.
so have fun, just bring tools .. just incase :P

each time i went it wasn't congested. the last time I went, a truck had an escort by the police (took both lanes up on the newell highway)!!!

Thanx kyro, I don't carry any tools these days that's why I drive new cars, they're less likely to break down and if they do I'll be on the phone to FPV lol.

Are you sure you can sit on 120kph and not get done? I thought NSW was pretty bad for HWP out on the back HWY's.

Big AL

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by kyro_02

you can sit on 120kph in 110kph zone and easily.. without getting done by safe-t-cam. i have done this trip 5 times vic to qld.. through nsw.

Safe-T-Cam only works on Trucks. At times the RTA set it for cars but only to check expired regos, they cant use it for speed checks.

120 in a 110 zone is ok... depending on the HP officer, lotsa luck

Originally Posted by cooltint

Thanx Gas' that's just the sort of info I'm looking for. Any info on where to stop for the night would also be appreciated. I'm thinking of stopping somewhere between Narrabri and Dubbo the first night. Any Thoughts?
Big AL

Coonabarabran has some nice (and inexpensive) motels on the south side of town just past the school, but take your Pyjamas, it's bloody cold in Coona (about 3c overnight).

If you did stay in Coona there is a tourist route to Gilgandra via the Siding Spring observatory. A nice drive and you get to see a REALLY big telescope

[cooltint]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Safe-T-Cam only works on Trucks. At times the RTA set it for cars but only to check expired regos, they cant use it for speed checks.

120 in a 110 zone is ok... depending on the HP officer, lotsa luck


Coonabarabran has some nice (and inexpensive) motels on the south side of town just past the school, but take your Pyjamas, it's bloody cold in Coona (about 3c overnight).

If you did stay in Coona there is a tourist route to Gilgandra via the Siding Spring observatory. A nice drive and you get to see a REALLY big telescope

Yes I'm not foward to the temp difference, it gets down to about 12-14deg here overnight this time of year and we think that's cold lol.

I would think most of the places along my intended route would get pretty cold this time of year, would that be a correct assumption?

I spent a bit of time in Narrabri & Wee Waa in my youth & was thinking of perhaps staying in Narrabri & (time permitting) maybe take a drive over to Wee Waa to see if the place has changed at all. My guess is not much.

Where we stay will depend on how I feel after the long drive. My wife is one of those who just sets off on a trip & says ok lets stop now, but I like to do some research & advanced planning to cover all possiblities. I don't like leaving things to chance.



Big AL

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by cooltint

I would think most of the places along my intended route would get pretty cold this time of year, would that be a correct assumption?

Yup. The further Sth you go the colder it gets. We have pretty much the same temps as Griffith and it's getting down to around 4c at night with about 14c during the day.

Dont forget when you get down here to go mad and wash your car every day... no water restrictions here... yet.

[Flouro_Joe]

thr worst thing about country driving is that too many country folk drive big white Commodores and Falcons that look a lot like oncoming Police cars, that and finding a safe spot to overtke all the B doubles. 120 is still pretty safe cruising speed, anything up to 150 if you are brave and have the points.

[kyro_02]

oh my bad , i always thought it was time over distance, i knew it had something to do with trucks too though. (also isn't there a 10kph over tolerance in nsw i thought?)

eitherway; I have been safe on 120 in 110 zone. take a break every 2 hours atleast.. cause you will be wrecked by dubbo. also my trips went from:

Werribee, vic. straight to dubbo, one night in dubbo, then completed the trip the following day to brisbane.

be careful with cattle though, you might come across 100's of 'em on the road. and trucks who carry bulky payloads (getting escorted).

[GasoLane]

Cattle aren't a real problem, they're only there during the daytime. However there are heaps of Roos out there now, esp around sunset.

[cooltint]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Cattle aren't a real problem, they're only there during the daytime. However there are heaps of Roos out there now, esp around sunset.

We should be only travelling by daylight this time round, so roo's shouldn't be a problem.

Big AL

[cooltint]

Originally Posted by Flouro_Joe

thr worst thing about country driving is that too many country folk drive big white Commodores and Falcons that look a lot like oncoming Police cars, that and finding a safe spot to overtke all the B doubles. 120 is still pretty safe cruising speed, anything up to 150 if you are brave and have the points.

I don't have that many points left I don't think, probably 4 or 5, so I'm not going to be pushing it too hard. If I can comfortably criuse on 120kph I'll be quite happy with that.

Big AL