A couple of friends and I decided to go up to QLD for a week over New Year's Eve. It was pretty spontaneous one afternoon, but we just basically said, "bugger it, why not?!".
Accomodation is paid for now (Watermark Hotel/Resort, anyone stayed here?) and we've decided to drive up. Thought about flying, but driving will be half the fun and a new experience (maybe not fun, but will have to wait and see now!). Of course we're taking my car (ED Falc) because, "it's a big Falcon, with lots of power, air conditioning and slushomatic". Fair enough, I don't mind.
Now, I've got two different queries to throw at you...
What do you think is the best way from Melbourne to Sydney? How long should it take (we live in the South-East suburbs) and are heading to Surfers. We would like to go via Sydney, but this depends on the length of time taken. Any recommendations on where we should stop or what we should see? Note: we would like to make the trip up there fairly short, so won't be taking big detours.
Now, this is FordForums, so I may as well utilise it and ask, what should I get checked on my car before heading up? My two mates will be going thirds with whatever it costs to have a decent/service tune to make my ED nice and safe. I just bought wheels (15" turboblades from wicked, who is a top bloke and good to chat to) so I will be getting new rubber for these in the next few weeks. I'll definitely be getting a decent oil and filter change, getting brakes checked, a wheel alignment and other coolant levels checked. I know I am missing a stack of things, so don't hesitate to tell me!
So throw me your advice or own experiences, I'd love to hear (well, read) them!
Cheers.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sundeep
Eh Yagz, suck my left teste mate I'll have boost for $1k, even if it is only 1 pound.
What do you think is the best way from Melbourne to Sydney? How long should it take (we live in the South-East suburbs) and are heading to Surfers. We would like to go via Sydney, but this depends on the length of time taken. Any recommendations on where we should stop or what we should see? Note: we would like to make the trip up there fairly short, so won't be taking big detours.
Just get on the Hume Hwy and drive for about 8 hours or so and when you come to a really big town you're in Sydney.
When we drove down for the Raid and FPV days we normally made 2 or 3 stops along the way for fuel and pitstops (both for the cars and ourselves). The drive is about 800km so given that and about 1 hour for total stop time, some 80 and 60 km/h zones you'll look at 8 hours or so.
From what I've heard the drive from Sydney to Brisbane is similar.
Have fun!
__________________ Slothmobile™n. (slōthmōbēl)
Off-white EL Series II Falcon GLi Sapphire (4.0L Slothmatic™) with K&N Filtercharger, Tickford Sports Suspension, DBA Longlife Gold (front), DBA Longlife Slotted (rear) and Bendix Ultimates all round. Driven by The Slothman™.
Sydney - drive over the Harbour Bridge, see darling harbour, and the opera house, and goto centre point tower in the city as well.
Best parking for darling harbour and the city is the sydney casino, you can walk to darling harbour then over the bridge to the city then easy enough to find centre point tower.
depends how much time you have, you can also goto manly on a ferry from circular quay if you want for the hell of it, unless you really want a swim.
Dellboy999
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I did put something here, but it vanshied, I think
Just get a safety check done, then post the results here for a 2nd opinion on what they say is urgent and want they just want $$$ for to fix :0), oh dont mention to them you need it for a long trip - good excuse for them to find something wrong if they want to be dodgy, as they know it will scare the crap outta ya and you will pay $$$'s to feel safe :0)
The best way to do it, is go straight there, do not pass go, get there enjoy it, then take time to come back and see sights note them down on the way up, then stop on the way back, you can always skip them to get home on time, but if you cut your destination time short, you will feel like you had a ripped off holiday with no rest.
Dellboy999
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I did put something here, but it vanshied, I think
I drove up to QLD with a mate last year to go up to schoolies. This was all done in his KOMBi van! We took the long scenic route on the way up (Hume highway, by-pass Sydney becuase its shocking with traffic, then straight up the Pacific Highway the rest of the way). This took about 3 days of non solid driving, stopping at Lake Maquarie the first night, spending half the day in Newcastle which is a nice "big" town, then the last night at Port Maqaurie. On the way back from QLD we took the Newell Highway which is more direct, heaps quicker, but less scenic (quite boring actually), then onto the Hume and home. It took us roughly 1 and half days of solid driving, including push starting the kombi every time we stopped becuase the starter motor went lol
Im driving up to the Gold Coast again at the start of Feb with a few more people this time (2 cars, 3 in each car, and not in a Kombi). We are going to take the Newell on the way up as we have to be there in 2 days. Probably take the Pacific on the way home though. Sydney will roughly take 8-9 hours from Melbourne, Newcastle another 2-3, then the Gold Coast about 8 hours. Roughly a 20-22 hour trip including stops and fooling around. Hope this helps. If you need some help with directions just give us a bell.
I have driven up to the Gold Coast from Melbourne.
The best way to do it is get there as quick as you can (Newell Hwy) and then come back down the coast at a leisurly pace.
If you go up the Newell you should be able to make it in 20hours if you only stop for Petrol & a feed. A truckie I know used to do iit in 19 hours non stop.
We left EARLY on a satturday morning & we made it to Narrabri on the first day. Got there about 4:30pm & as it was stinking hot we swam in the pool till it went dark.
On the Sunday we left before sunrise and got to the goldcoast by lunch time. Would have got there earlier if I hadn't gone all the way up through Ipswitch & then back down again.
The drive home is a buzz but miss Sydney if you can, cause the day we went through someone had been killed on the road we were coming in from & it took us 3 1/2 hours to get from just north of sydney on the Pacific Hwy to Cambelltown.
The missus was a little pissed about that.
Just take the driving in turns getting up there and then enjoy the drive coming back.
CHEERS
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She's the last of the V8's.........
She Sucks Nitro.........
Phase 4 Head, Twin Overhead Cam.......
600 Horsepower Through The Wheels.........
Christ!
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and This Bitch Is Born To Run........
note:
Avatar pic taken at on a Public Road, not at Calder Park raceway.
and remember, the trip back will be quicker, because you're heading DOWN...
*serious advice follows
get a check done, and ffs - take some spares - all radiator hoses, all belts, globes, good spare tyre (make sure jack works), litre bottle of oil, 5L bottle of coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid, toolkit (sockets, shifter, pliers, screwdrivers), jumper cables and a tow rope - most of that can be stowed under the spare tyre, if room is an issue.
I used to carry a milk crate in my EA with all that in it, never had any trouble I couldn;t sort out easily - and remember, even if you don;t think you can change a belt yourself on the side of the road, it's no fun waiting in a garage in the middle of nowhere for a spare to arrive. (although this isn't such a problem with Falcons)
The only thing I can suggest is to avoid sydney like the plague!
It depends how quickly you want to get there. If you want to get there ASAP, go the back (inland) way. If you want to take your time, go the coast way. Remember, places like Byron Bay, Port Macquarie, Forster and Newcastle are all off the main road, so its going to add substancial time to your trip if you want to visit these places along the way. If you want to cross the harbour bridge, better to do this on the way home, as heading north takes you through the tunnel (I think its that way around). Add about 3 - 5 odd hours if you want to venture that way, especially if your going through at peek times (weekday afternoons or whatever).
I'll be going from Newcastle to the Gold Coast in a couple of weeks time, and i'm giving myself 12 hours with a stop at Port Macq. and a Lunch break and look around in hippysville.
That time of the year avoid the Pacific Hwy like the plauge. It will take you 10-11hrs from Sydney. The traffic is shocking. But if you have the time, it is the least boring.
If you want short sweet and straight to the point. Take the Hume to Albury, The Olympic way to Cowra, then to Molong to get on the Mitchell Hwy to Dubbo, take the Newell Hwy to the boarder, head to Toowoomba... (That's as far as I can think of right now).
19 Hrs with just fuel stops. Long and boring roads though.
Another way is take the New England Hwy instead of the Newell after Coonabarrabran.
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