Melbourne to Brisbane

[topgear]

I will be driving to Brisbane soon and need some advise on the best way from Melbourne to Brisbane?

Via Wagga Wagga & Dubbo on Hume, Newell & National Hwy or Via Sydney on Hume and Pacific Hwy? Both routes have pro and cons.. not able to decide.

Basically idea is to start in the morning and stop over somewhere midway either in Sydney or Dubbo depending the route I choose and cover the rest next day.

Any suggestions?

[Auslandau]

If you want to do it in 2 days you should try for goondawindi and that then gives you a good run the next day as is easily done if get away early enough. If you are taking your time then you can go through Sydney but is a lot further, more traffic and Sydney to brisbane is a hell of a drive in one day. I wouldn't do it myself but have done the 2 day run through the guts heaps of times

Go through Maree and then on to Warrick

[RepSpec]

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=108716

read this and then read it again...feel free to laugh at me, i still do.

- make sure you take a map and dont just rely on gps
- no matter how many people tell you not to drive around dusk/early morning...listen to them
- make sure your car is in great shape, i ran out of fuel because the gas mixer controller was knackered and wouldnt work all the time, so i was running on petrol more.

there are plenty of other threads on here bout that drive, just try a search on it, and try travel with someone, or a big ipod, cause its very boring.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

If you want to do it in 2 days you should try for goondawindi and that then gives you a good run the next day as is easily done if get away early enough. If you are taking your time then you can go through Sydney but is a lot further, more traffic and Sydney to brisbane is a hell of a drive in one day. I wouldn't do it myself but have done the 2 day run through the guts heaps of times

Go through Maree and then on to Warrick

goondi is only about 4 hours from brissie. there is a big bp/maccas/motel on the big roundabout so you don't actually have to go to town centre.

also, rather than going through warrick, i go through toowoomba. time wise its the same (distance is a fraction less) and the road is a lot better.

as for the rest of the journey, i'll find out what the newell is like around forbes in a couple of days as i leave brissie to head back to adelaide on sat morning. newell was flooded 4 weeks ago so couldn't go that way to get here.

Originally Posted by RepSpec

- no matter how many people tell you not to drive around dusk/early morning...listen to them

its not as bad as all that. you just have to keep your wits about you. i always get going around 3-4am, sometimes earlier.

if its dark and there is a few trucks around, just sit a 100m or 2 off the rear of the truck. (not too close as he'll feel the extra drag and they don't like it) he'll take care of the wildlife for you.

[Smoke Pursuit]

I can do Brisbane to Melbourne in a day via the back way... I go through Warwick straight out.

Last trip I left Brisbane at 3 am and arrived in Melbourne at 6 pm, was it an easy drive in an F6 Tornado with 2 of us doing multiple change overs. I would not go through Sydney if you paid me.

Prydey has some good advice re: getting behind a truck and staying there... means you only have to focus on his tailgate and less chance of roos etc.

[topgear]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

I can do Brisbane to Melbourne in a day via the back way... I go through Warwick straight out.

Last trip I left Brisbane at 3 am and arrived in Melbourne at 6 pm, was it an easy drive in an F6 Tornado with 2 of us doing multiple change overs. I would not go through Sydney if you paid me.

Prydey has some good advice re: getting behind a truck and staying there... means you only have to focus on his tailgate and less chance of roos etc.

I did Sydney trip like that once to buy a car. Started 1:30am from Melbourne, with 2 mates and by 9 am we were in Liverpool Sydney. Inspected car, didn't like it and went to Campbelltown for second inspection and car exceeded our expectations. Bought car, headed back to Melbourne in 2 cars and by 10 or 11 back in Melbourne. Won't do it again.

Only problem getting behind a truck is they throw too many rock at you damaging bonnet and windscreen.

Originally Posted by RepSpec

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=108716

read this and then read it again...feel free to laugh at me, i still do.

- make sure you take a map and dont just rely on gps
- no matter how many people tell you not to drive around dusk/early morning...listen to them
- make sure your car is in great shape, i ran out of fuel because the gas mixer controller was knackered and wouldnt work all the time, so i was running on petrol more.

there are plenty of other threads on here bout that drive, just try a search on it, and try travel with someone, or a big ipod, cause its very boring.

Mate, you will remember that trip for rest of your life. That GPS is a classic. I went to Mt Buller once relying on GPS and it took me off road and eventually into a 4x4 track. That was the last time I used gps. Never again. If you are not going on work and not in rush then its good to do such trips atleast once in a life time. I don't mind getting lost or stuck in nowhere on holiday trips. But not now.. am moving interstate so, I just have to get there safe and sound.

Originally Posted by prydey

goondi is only about 4 hours from brissie. there is a big bp/maccas/motel on the big roundabout so you don't actually have to go to town centre.

also, rather than going through warrick, i go through toowoomba. time wise its the same (distance is a fraction less) and the road is a lot better.

as for the rest of the journey, i'll find out what the newell is like around forbes in a couple of days as i leave brissie to head back to adelaide on sat morning. newell was flooded 4 weeks ago so couldn't go that way to get here.


its not as bad as all that. you just have to keep your wits about you. i always get going around 3-4am, sometimes earlier.

if its dark and there is a few trucks around, just sit a 100m or 2 off the rear of the truck. (not too close as he'll feel the extra drag and they don't like it) he'll take care of the wildlife for you.

Originally Posted by Auslandau

If you want to do it in 2 days you should try for goondawindi and that then gives you a good run the next day as is easily done if get away early enough. If you are taking your time then you can go through Sydney but is a lot further, more traffic and Sydney to brisbane is a hell of a drive in one day. I wouldn't do it myself but have done the 2 day run through the guts heaps of times

Go through Maree and then on to Warrick

Thanks for all advise, I am going through Sydney for few reasons and I have to stay back in Sydney overnight so, I will do it 2 days. Whatever it is between Sydney and Brisbane I have to deal with it.

[fordomatic]

Originally Posted by topgear

I will be driving to Brisbane soon and need some advise on the best way from Melbourne to Brisbane?

Via Wagga Wagga & Dubbo on Hume, Newell & National Hwy or Via Sydney on Hume and Pacific Hwy? Both routes have pro and cons.. not able to decide.

Basically idea is to start in the morning and stop over somewhere midway either in Sydney or Dubbo depending the route I choose and cover the rest next day.

Any suggestions?

What car are you driving mate? if it's a good car i would take the coast road, the newell is hideous at the moment, roadworks everywhere and the roads are shagged.

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by prydey

goondi is only about 4 hours from brissie.

.

Sorry .... meant Coonabarabran ...... Only few hundred K's out.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by topgear

Only problem getting behind a truck is they throw too many rock at you damaging bonnet and windscreen.
.

if you are getting hit by rocks and stuff you are way too close!!

Originally Posted by Auslandau

Sorry .... meant Coonabarabran ...... Only few hundred K's out.

yeah, that would be a fairly cruisy 2nd day. we put in a big first day from adelaide and went to narrabri. few more options for o'night stay. in brissie by 10:30am.