New England or Pacific Highway? Which do you prefer?

[FenianEel]

Last week had to urgently get to Sin City for a funeral, so the wife and I packed a bag, and took off in the trusty Disco.

Having done this trip too many times to mention, I took the New England and did it straight through, with a couple of toilet /drink/food stops. Avg. speed for overall trip was 110kph

Returning on the Pacific Hwy on Friday with lengthier stops, avg. speed for trip was 95kph.

Consumption was terrible both ways - due to heaviness of foot on way down and stop start , high traffic and genrally dribbling along on the way back.

To me NEW ENGLAND is better scenery, better roads (condition and layout), less peelers, less traffic, more interesting. In distance it's only 40ks longer.

PACIFIC Highway is a decent freeway at start and finish, nice drive through Nthn Rivers, then 600+k's of boring driving through 2 lanes highway of trees, much more traffic, lights, lower speeds, more little towns to slow down for and worse roads.

So what are your thoughts???
If you've done both, which do you prefer?

And Why do they call it the "coast road"? It's not on the coast, you don't see the coast, and due to traffic, little towns, lights and trucks - you hardly "coast" along??

[crump]

New England, on the bike in late Autumn, mmmmm, I can feel a tour coming on.

[drivesafe]

I prefer the Pacific but I start from the Gold Coast.

If you are leaving from the western suburbs of Brisbane then the quickest trip to Sydney is down through Beaudesert, along the Mt Lindesay Hwy and then down the Summerland Way to Grafton, then to Sydney on the Pacific Hwy.

Thats the shortest and Quickest trip.

BTW nearly all the trucks have moved from the New England to the Pacific in the last 5 or so years because of all the improvements, but the is a hell of a lot more work needed.

A little trick when using the Pacific Hwy, try starting out late at night. You miss all the road works and get to Sydney in the middle of the day so you miss peak period down there. :idea:

Cheers.

[abaddonxi]

There are some great stretches off the Pacific Highway - Buckett's Way is narrow and somewhat potholed, but also empty, full of nice smells and bird noises - even at 110kph.

The coast road runs closer to the coast, Myall Lakes, car ferries. Also very nice if you have the time.

Your funeral wasn't on the 10th, by any chance? I had one on that day.

Cheers
Simon

[FenianEel]

Simon,

It was on the 12th. Myall lakes is a nice spot. There are a lot of nice spots on the way. A lot less dodgy little roadside attractions now though, not like the 70's and 80's. https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[weeds]

unfortunity, i'm forced to stop at the mother inlaws at coffs harbour, so its the pacific for me

[adm333]

I went down the "coast" road at Christmas.

I keep meaning to try the New England but force of habit sent us down the Pacific.

It's a pretty terrible trip and if you managed a 95kmh average then you were doing quite well.

My new NAVMAN told me the average was more like about 80 - 85 km/h.

Dave

[abaddonxi]

Originally posted by FenianEel
Simon,

It was on the 12th.

Well phew, wouldn't have wanted to pass like ships in the night at the same funeral and not caught up.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Simon

[seqfisho]

I voted Pacific, not because I prefer it just that it seems to be the way I've gone in the last dozen or so times :x

They both suck as they lead to Sydney :roll:

[ET]

Mate it is the Pacific for me. Only because there are lots of great places to stop for a surf.
Can't do that on the inland route.

[Steinzy]

I go Pacific but only cos I'm on the Gold Coast

[VladTepes]

I prefer the Bruce Highway.

Not because it's a good road (it isn't, it's woeful)

but because it goes NORTH :!:

[Steinzy]

yeah but it sucks to come back on after a long weekend - banks up from Caboolture to Aspley :evil: :!:

[Maggot4x4]

Originally posted by FenianEel
Last week had to urgently get to Sin City for a funeral, so the wife and I packed a bag, and took off in the trusty Disco.

Having done this trip too many times to mention, I took the New England and did it straight through, with a couple of toilet /drink/food stops. Avg. speed for overall trip was 110kph

Returning on the Pacific Hwy on Friday with lengthier stops, avg. speed for trip was 95kph.

Consumption was terrible both ways - due to heaviness of foot on way down and stop start , high traffic and genrally dribbling along on the way back.

To me NEW ENGLAND is better scenery, better roads (condition and layout), less peelers, less traffic, more interesting. In distance it's only 40ks longer.

PACIFIC Highway is a decent freeway at start and finish, nice drive through Nthn Rivers, then 600+k's of boring driving through 2 lanes highway of trees, much more traffic, lights, lower speeds, more little towns to slow down for and worse roads.

So what are your thoughts???
If you've done both, which do you prefer?

And Why do they call it the "coast road"? It's not on the coast, you don't see the coast, and due to traffic, little towns, lights and trucks - you hardly "coast" along??

I disagree, I personally think the pacific is far better than the new england, and I have done both well over 20 times.

[Quiggers]

pacific, it's a mongrel but it's not as fiddly as the new england

drivesafe quite rightly said the unknown part is the summerland way from grafton into brisbane, largely unused, but take the lyons road north of kyogle and save another 40 ks, did kyogle to bris airport in 2 hrs 20 mins, the coastal run is becoming clogged,

(for the cost of fuel, an air ticket would may be the go, did an air run to melb last year (ex ballina) and sent the disco to melb on a freighter, was about the same as a drive and overnighters with 5 pax)


GQ

[rick130]

New England to BrisVegas or Sin City, 'cause I live 25km away from it. It's a bit of a hike to the coast road from here. https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[Redback]

The New England in the car is better than the Pacific, but is bloody awsome on a bike.

Baz.

[JohnE]

Since moving up here I have done the trip down on the pacific a number of times. When you weigh up the time versus the cost it is cheaper to fly down and hire a car.
To drive to my parents place in the eastern subs door to door is 740km, time down average 9 1/2 hrs including a half hour stop.
To fly down, pick up a car at the airport and get to the parents, under 2 hrs.
going down the new england is not an option too far from here.
But if you were to go down from qld trun off at urally to walcha then to Gloucester and onto the highway. just by taking that road you shave about 2 hours off the trip.

john

[Kenjo]

I had to really think about this one. I finally chose the New England only because it would be my choice if I planned to head south from the Gold Coast without time up my sleeve. If it is a straight trip with only a stop to refuel the New England is generally the clearer run.
If my wife and I had plenty of time, the choice would be 50/50. We would probably go the Pacific in summer (New England can be damn hot) and spend time at the numerous scenic spots along the way. Autumn and Spring would depend on our moods.
In winter, the New England can be very cold but preferable to the summer heat. The first time I ever saw snow as a wee one was on the Gyura – Glen Innis stretch. There are so many great camping spots from the granite belt to the south, one could spent a week or three to get to Sydney.
My last trip to Newcastle was during the Easter holiday period. The Pacific was stop start in places. We decided to follow the logging and fire trails through the mountains all the way back. It took us 4 days but the only vehicle we came across was a forest ranger besides the times we exited the forest to cross main roads to get to the next trail. It was great https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ .
Cheers to all. Kenjo