DiscoMick
10th December 2015, 09:35 AM
With holidays coming, many of us will be hitting the roads, so I thought there might be some useful travel tips to share. I've just driven Brisbane-Sydney, so here's a few thoughts about the state of the Pacific Highway. Maybe others can add their own information.
Pacific Highway
The highway can be divided into three: New motorway, constructions zones and original goat track.
Motorway: Sydney to Port Macquarie and Byron Bay to Brisbane are motorway and easy travel. Most of Woolgoolga to Urunga is also motorway, but it stil goes through the Coffs Harbour town centre, where there are always holiday delays. There are also some short sections of motorway completed in other areas.
Construction zones: Port Macquarie to Urunga and Woolgoolga to Grafton are mostly construction zones right now, with 80 and 60 sections, delays and congestion. The northern section of the Ballina-Byron section is still under construction. Last Christmas there were long delays near Byron and that is likely again this year.
Original goat track: Not much work has begun yet between Grafton and Ballina. That means lots of speed cameras, narrow, bumpy road and 50 km/h sections through several small towns. Expect long delays, congestion and crashes.
Strategies:
Night travel
The congestion eases at night, so progress is faster. Its cooler, which is easier on both the vehicle and occupants. The road is fenced so skippys are not a problem. If the kids will sleep night travel is a good option.
Fuel and food are available 24/7 at the Taree and Port Macquarie turnoff service centres and at South Coffs. There is also Maccas at Grafton and service centres on the Tweed.
Fuel used to be expensive in Coffs, but then a United opened near the showground on the highwy in the town centre, so we usually fill up either there or at Grafton, where prices are similar.
The new sections of motorway have rest stops to take a break.
Detours
To avoid the Ballina - Coffs section we often turn off at Bangalow and go through Lismore and Casino on the Summerland Way to Grafton and then turn at the South Grafton roundabout and take Orara Way to Coffs. Not much traffic, mostly 100 km/h rural road and nice views of farms and forests. While the distance is slightly longer the actual travel time is similar and its much less stressful.
New England Highway
If all that sounds too much, go straight ahead at the northern end of the freeway near Newcastle and head up through Tamworth and Armidale and keep going. It will take longer and the road is not motorway, but the traffic will be much lighter and there are some interesting towns and national parks. You can go all the way to Brisbane if necessary.
Hope that helps if you are heading north in the holidays.
Sent from my GT-P5210 using AULRO mobile app
Pacific Highway
The highway can be divided into three: New motorway, constructions zones and original goat track.
Motorway: Sydney to Port Macquarie and Byron Bay to Brisbane are motorway and easy travel. Most of Woolgoolga to Urunga is also motorway, but it stil goes through the Coffs Harbour town centre, where there are always holiday delays. There are also some short sections of motorway completed in other areas.
Construction zones: Port Macquarie to Urunga and Woolgoolga to Grafton are mostly construction zones right now, with 80 and 60 sections, delays and congestion. The northern section of the Ballina-Byron section is still under construction. Last Christmas there were long delays near Byron and that is likely again this year.
Original goat track: Not much work has begun yet between Grafton and Ballina. That means lots of speed cameras, narrow, bumpy road and 50 km/h sections through several small towns. Expect long delays, congestion and crashes.
Strategies:
Night travel
The congestion eases at night, so progress is faster. Its cooler, which is easier on both the vehicle and occupants. The road is fenced so skippys are not a problem. If the kids will sleep night travel is a good option.
Fuel and food are available 24/7 at the Taree and Port Macquarie turnoff service centres and at South Coffs. There is also Maccas at Grafton and service centres on the Tweed.
Fuel used to be expensive in Coffs, but then a United opened near the showground on the highwy in the town centre, so we usually fill up either there or at Grafton, where prices are similar.
The new sections of motorway have rest stops to take a break.
Detours
To avoid the Ballina - Coffs section we often turn off at Bangalow and go through Lismore and Casino on the Summerland Way to Grafton and then turn at the South Grafton roundabout and take Orara Way to Coffs. Not much traffic, mostly 100 km/h rural road and nice views of farms and forests. While the distance is slightly longer the actual travel time is similar and its much less stressful.
New England Highway
If all that sounds too much, go straight ahead at the northern end of the freeway near Newcastle and head up through Tamworth and Armidale and keep going. It will take longer and the road is not motorway, but the traffic will be much lighter and there are some interesting towns and national parks. You can go all the way to Brisbane if necessary.
Hope that helps if you are heading north in the holidays.
Sent from my GT-P5210 using AULRO mobile app