Mexicans run north

[rosco]

Hi all,
we are currently broadbrushing our run north to Yamba for the '08 Nats.

Currently there are four definites, hoping many more will commit as time nears.

Proposed two day trip from Melbourne includes an overnight at Gosford.

Will be running the Hume, we believe the Newell is now the longer journey on account of the by-pass freeway around Sydney.

Please pm if interested in projected locations/times..............

frats,
Rosco

[karsten]

not havin a go at you,rosco ,but more at the nsw rta that the bypass nearly goes around sydney ,,and you still have to go up pennant hills rd like before,,whats with that sh$t ,,,wish it went to the newcastle fwy,,another half finished job ,,,,the hume is a bit the same !!! unfinished,,
on the other hand you mexicans did your part till wodonga and on most other hwy,s , vic roads ,put a tick in your box

[rosco]

Thanks Karsten,
you chaps do a lot of km's long haul and know the best routes.
We had a couple up that way recently who went via the Hume.
They are of the opinion even with the Pennant Hills sojourn, it will be quicker than the Newell.
Have done some work using sat navs but not the updated figures with the by-pass.

Thanks for the reply Karsten, appreciate any info we can get.
Don't get up those parts very often - tend to stay this side of the "river"
frats,
Rosco

[karsten]

its posibly the best route the hume easier road but lots of traffic,rosco,,,,,,if you go the newell id cut across from coonabaraban to tamworth up the new england to armidale turn right and over to grafton and up to yamba but its maybe longer than the coast route
although its very pretty and a touch twisty you dont have to come to bris and then go back down there is a few routes that cross from the newell to the coast and there all nice drives it would be either or to yamba personal choice i guess im not keen on that coast road its nerve racking even with a 60 ton b double but i do use it when i have to, ran it twice a week to syd once then my hair fell out

[rosco]

Thanks Karsten for your experience

- the thought of Sydney in the peak is concerning me - no matter which way I juggle figures, it seems we will be in the thick of it evening peak on the Thursday.

Did put some figures up to the group for the Hume yesterday

Melbourne to Yamba via
- Hume is

1547 km in 16 hours 37 minutes

This does not account for the mayhem of Pennant Hills section - we will hit the outskirts of Sydney somewhere between 16:00 and 17:30 depending on how much is lost in transit.
We will also make Gosford after dark looking for a meal and a bed - hopefully in that order.

Have now done the current figures for the Newell for comparison:-

Melbourne to Yamba via
- Newell
via Coonabaraban, Tamworth, Armidale, Glen Innes & Grafton

1596 km in 17 hours 29 minutes

There is supposedly 49 km and 52 minutes difference in travel time.

Via the Newell - Coonabarabran some of us have done in one "sitting" as for the Tenterfield Nats - it will be just on dark but a less trafficked locale.

I suppose if intending travelers had three days to make the run each way – the Hume would be the more scenic………….. but for some of us, we just have to run the “canon-ball” and make the best of time at hand……………

Both ways demand a big first day requiring a very early start but leave a shorter second day and daylight arrival at Yamba.

In both applications, these times are quoted at maximum speed and do not take into account fuel or rest stops, traffic or road-works etc..............

Has to be put to the group yet..............

Cutting across to the coast at Armidale and run to Coffs Harbour extends running time by 35 minutes and involves an added distance of 14 km’s – I believe most time is lost on the section over the mountain and down through Dorrigo…….

No matter which route we take – there is a possibility of all joining at Grafton and running in to Yamba together – we must all run through there before arriving Yamba………………..

All times, figures and calculatoins based on wheris.com

frats,
Rosco

[karsten]

pennant hills and up to gosford will eat up that time so it would be worth considering the newel mate depends if you like low stress low traffic levels or if you like to feel your blood boil with heaps of trafic and suicide drivers good luck with that decision and the road is exellent from armidale threw dorrigo to graften i did it a few times on my bike its bendy and strait and remote and very pretty other way would be thers a turn of 40 odd north of tamworth that goes to glouster and over to i think taree or whauhope pretty pretty

[EK JAY]

Hi Rosco
from my experience the Gwyder Highway
that goes to Grafton is a real bugger of a
road very step with lots of hair pins found
out this when the floods were on a few years
ago. i went the new england high way ;way
traveling from sydney to coffs harbour
because the raod was cut at kempsey any way
i reckon the armidale way to dorigo is better and then
onto the Pacific HWY and on to yamba

i live at sawtell(near CoffsHarbour)
wich is about one and a half hours
south of yamba im located about 1km off the Pacific
hwy if your interested in taking a break you and
anybody else doing the trip are most welcome to stop in for a
cuppa and a rest i will post some directions as the
Nationals get closer

[karsten]

hey ek jay the gwider is the one that goes from tenterfield over to lismore graften??? isnt it? yeah it sux ,,i did it in a low loader with a d9 on a four axle with a goose neck dolly ,,oh man ,,i had the sh#ts big time after that took me 3 or 4 hours to do whatever it was 180ks armidale over to graften is a far nicer drive through dorrigo

[rosco]

Thanks Karsten and Jay,
The shortest route is on the Gwyder - I haven't been on either highway.
Whereis.com can be set up to give either the shortest route or quickest - it can't offer both at once.

Figures I worked on were set at shortest route - trying to calculate the Hume and Pacific by the new freeway...........

I have taken another peek at the Gwyder and Waterfall Highway routes from Armidale and believe you are correct in suggesting to run via Coffs......

The Gwyder runs to the coast from Glen Innes through to Grafton.
Is this the section you feel is tricky, Karsten?

Fugures quoted are:-

Armidale to Glen Innes 99 km in 1 hour 8 min
Glen Innes to Grafton 162 km in 1 hour 47 min
Total- 261 km in 2 hours 56 minutes

The Waterfall Hwy runs to the coast from Armidale to Coffs then up to Grafton.

Figures quoted are:-

Armidale to Coffs 190 km in 2 hours 23 min
Coffs to Grafton 85 km in 1 hour neat
Total - 275 km in 3 hours 23 min

It is 14 km further and 27 minutes longer to run via Coffs.

******It is interesting to note that in just one day- the trip has been shortened by 8 minutes............ see post above - must have had a four axle somewhere along the road - eh Karsten?

Again, these figures are best possible at regulatory speed limits...................they do not take into account traffic, road-works - D9's on the back of four axled trailers..................

I suppose if you had to take the D9 along the Gwyder Karsten, there may very well be someone else taking something slow along there the day we are on it.......
four hours for 180 km's - thanks for the tip.............

Final leg from Grafton to Yamba is 63 km in 45 minutes.

Jay, are you up for the Nats? - I'll keep info open on site as we get closer.

frats,
Rosco

[EK JAY]

yeah mate keen as

[mrs ratbox]

also rosco don't know how much you have used whereis, but i have found it to be not real accurate mainly on times, i can usually do the runs quite a bit quicker than there quoted times and only driving pretty much at speed limit, distances are pretty right though
one of the things to watch which is what karsten and ekjay are talking about is the roads you have to travel on, where i live woodstock, to orange is about a 90-95k drive on the reasonably good hwy, looked on maps that show back roads tried them, about 10k's shorter but takes about 15-20 minutes longer in time and more fuel as you're constantly on and off the brakes going round sharp curves and up and down hills
hope this is of some assistance

[rosco]

Thanks Ratbox,
Telstra have done a pretty good job with whereis. but it is only a ball-park.
We use our Navman quite a bit -especially on country trips and it sort of works time wise - sometimes up, sometimes down.......... but within the realms of probability.

I know it drives us nuts around here when it tells us to make turns which just don't make sense - it depends greatly on how you set your parameters.
if you want to run via main roads - it doesn't hesitate taking you K's away from the shortest/quickest route to find a main road............. think this comes down to local knowledge.

But for the main, we think it's just he bee's knee's............ absolutely fantastic on country roads - all curves/corners come up with plenty of warning - magic in fog - but it is not radar! it doesn't show traffic or roo's.

Thanks for the reply Ratbox............ all info is greatly appreciated.

Still juggling figures............ local knowledge can't compete with that.

frats,
Rosco

[mrs ratbox]

we have a tomtom don't know how i ever lived without it, especially this weekend in sydney looking to buy a car for the missus, put in an address drive to there front door as if you've known the person all yor life
but yes it once tried to send me up a goat track instead of the hwy because it was shorter distance

[karsten]

hey rosco,,,that road from armidale to graften does not go to coffs,it comes straight in to graften mate and its a windy in a few places but theres a lot of strait to and its great road there must be a road from dorrigo to coffs it rings a bell but positive theres a direct route without coffs in it ,,,,will check my maps and tell you the name of the road

[karsten]

had a look in my truckies atlas,,,when you go from armidale you dont go through dorrigo,, you go on that road to ebor, and then head to hernani,tyringham,clouds creek,nymboida,coutts crossing and strait into graften ,,i work it out to 194 ks from amidale to graften,, and ive done it by truck and bike, and its a sweet drive through some lovely bush and there is a few windy bits but there not real bad and its all sealed and great road,,,and would sh#t all over that bruxner or gwydir,,,,, and is so quiet ie bugger all traffic that when we road through there we often slowed down to the state speed limit on corners and open throttle the rest of the time,,,the names above are not towns more just a house or a hill as ebor is just a petrol station ,so you want a tank full at amidale