Brisbane to Sydney - quickest route

[zjed Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close zjed]

I've just purchased a prado in brisbane and will be driving it back to melb over 2 days, staying with friends in syd overnight.

I've never done the bris to syd run, which way is quickest/easiest, down the coast or the new england highway?

Thanks

[robn Member Find all posts View Profile Close robn]

Hi mate

Have a play with this web site.Its pretty simple to use

Rob http://www.whereis.com.au

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Mate the New England is by far the quickest route not just from a km point of view but also due to the constant roadwork delays on the Pacific HWY. I will always choose the New England unitl the Pacific is totally upgraded to dual lane status.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

I agree with Mav.

Even from the Gold Coast, which requires some backtracking, it is much faster via the New England HWY. It's also a much more pleasant ride unless you wanna see the coastal towns.

As an aside, last school holidays I attempted to take the kids to Yamba (south of the Gold Coast). The Pacific HWY is the only sensible way to get there. Just South of Balina we were confronted with a big detour sign and all the traffic was directed toward Lismore/Casino :arrow: . At this point, I knew I wanted to keep going South, but was happy to follow the detour West, expecting it would put me back on the right path soon.

We soon reached Lismore and no obvious signs to get back to the Pacific HWY. We continued heading toward Casino (still no signs), by which time the conversation had dried up and we were decidely anxious for a detour back onto the Pacific HWY. :shock:

Eventually, before reaching Casino, I decided I must have misread the detour sign ops: . A lenghty trip back to the point of the detour and I noticed I could get around it and there were a couple of cars doing just that.

Perplexed and no other options I drove past the detour. Soon we found ourselves crossing the draw-bridge which was being serviced. "Oh, is that all it was", we bemused. We drove for another few minutes and looming from the horizon we noticed some cranes, which we were soon upon.

The 2-lane Pacific HWY was blocked by two (or was it three?) cranes carefully extracting a truck that had rolled into the river after a mishap the day before. The sugar-cane fields on my left blocked me (though the thought of creating a new 4x4 track crossed my mind - I couldn't bring myself to do it - not to mention the police etc who were paying close attention to my unwelcomed arrvial at the scene ).

They whimsically explained that the blockage had been broadcast on local radio all of yesterday. (Grrr, fine if you live in the region!) It was going to be blocked most of the day! :shock:

Suffice to say we never made Yamba that holiday .

So, yes, until they upgrade the Pacific HWY, I would also choose the New England every time.

LFaR.

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

I am actually going up to Brisbane on the 06 Jan for a couple of days and I will be using the New England to go up and back from Newcastle. Our friends are coming down from Brisbane on the 04 Jan and even though I have advised them to steer clear of the Pacific HWY they have chosen to still come via the Pacific and return with us via the New England.

[zjed Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close zjed]

Thanks for the heads up, I'll take the new england.

Brisbane to Melb on 1 tank? It'll be close.

Zjed

[Shell Member Find all posts View Profile Close Shell]

The other thing is are you planning or driving straight through. It's a bloody long drive, you'll find Armidale is about midpoint between Brisbane and Sydney The hwy now bypasses it but it is a good place to stop and recharge. Takes me driving steady with a couple of stops for the kids, about 7 - 7 1/2 hours to get from the Sunshine Coast to Armidale. It's a similar time frame to Sydney though it's been years since I last bothered to drive to Sydney.

[speedcomm Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close speedcomm]

Interesting !

I have done the Sydney Gold coast / Brisbane trek and Sydney Ballina trek a few times lately, I have always gone the Pacific, what a nightmare that road is :evil: Last time Sydney to Brisbane in one day with 3 kids, oh did any body mention the roadworks..........
I looked at a map and thought it would be a fair bit longer going the new England, will go that route next trip.

[Brissy4me Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Brissy4me]

Guys,
I regularly travel the Brisbane/Sydney route and I usually travel the Pacific highway. If you travel after hours you miss the roadworks, there are lots of overtaking lanes now on the non upgraded sections and I find its quicker. Its now about 910 km from Bris-Syd via the Pacific and still about 990 via the New England. I can do the trip via the Pacific in about ten and a half hours on average including a 20 minutes stop for food (usually at Kempsey) sitting on the speed limit. I have never done the New England in anything under eleven hours. It all depends on timing. If you can't avoid the roadwork times then consider the New England by all means but otherwise the Pacific is the way I go. I also usually check the RTA website for roadwork information before I plan my departure.

Have a great trip whichever way you decide

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Guys,
I regularly travel the Brisbane/Sydney route and I usually travel the Pacific highway. If you travel after hours you miss the roadworks, there are lots of overtaking lanes now on the non upgraded sections and I find its quicker. Its now about 910 km from Bris-Syd via the Pacific and still about 990 via the New England. I can do the trip via the Pacific in about ten and a half hours on average including a 20 minutes stop for food (usually at Kempsey) sitting on the speed limit. I have never done the New England in anything under eleven hours. It all depends on timing. If you can't avoid the roadwork times then consider the New England by all means but otherwise the Pacific is the way I go. I also usually check the RTA website for roadwork information before I plan my departure.

Have a great trip whichever way you decide

During the Christmas school holidays the Pacific is a nightmare at the best of times imo.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

If you travel after hours you miss the roadworks, there are lots of overtaking lanes now on the non upgraded sections and I find its quicker.

That's a good point Brissy4me. Timing does play a big part. I haven't travelled the Pacific HWY at night.

The last time I travelled the NE HWY at night was too many years ago now. I recall that at night, it seemed more hazardous due to the larger number of trucks that were using it. I wonder if I was just unlucky or whether others have noticed significant truck presence on the NE HWY at night?

LFaR.