Gold Coast to Melbourne

[andrea]

Hi All,

We haven't been around much lately... a lot going on at the moment unfortunately. Anyway, we are planning to spend about 8 days in Melbourne later in the year and are after some information from the locals. We only have 1.5 days to do the 20 hour trip and are thinking we are best to go via the coastline. We know we are crazy but I have promised a friend I'll photograph their morning wedding on the Saturday morning and then I have to be in Melbourne by 8.30 am on the Monday for a seminar. We are looking at doing about 8 hours of driving Saturday afternoon/evening. There appears to be plenty of stops in the Camps 6 book along the way but as we won't be getting there until around 9pm is this likely to cause any problems. Do they get too full for you to be able to pull up (van attached) and just catch a few zzzz's?

In Melbourne we are looking at the Big 4 Melbourne. We will need to stay close to public transport to the city for the two days of the seminar but after that, where is best? We want to do the great ocean road but wondering whether we should just take the car and do a long day trip or take the van. What is a reasonable time frame for the GOR? The Boy's will want to visit the MCG and possibly an AFL game. On the way home we can take a few more days thankfully. What great little country towns are good to visit on our way back towards Qld in both Victoria and NSW? We will be coming home inland back to Brisbane so will possibly stop at Dubbo and take the kids to the zoo. All up the total trip can be no more than 15 days.

look forward to hearing your suggestions

Cheers
Andrea

PS - we decided not to put the expanda on the market. Instead I'm on a mission to create a way to have the beds remain made up when the ends are up and open again still made. I think I'm getting closer

 

[Pace]

wow that is hectic schedule, GOR best to do in 4 days, stopping along lorne, apollo bay and port stephans. would be great to see the outcome of how to pack the beds ready and have them go for when you lower. keep us posted,cheers.

 

[relgate]

We stopped at Echuca years ago and fell in love. I'd be heading there on the way home.
Also keen to see your solution for the beds

 

[macca]

Good luck. It's a long drive along the coast. Shame you can't go inland first because that would be easier to do in a shorter time. If you do the Great Ocean Road, my brother/sister in laws run the Caravan Park at Peterborough, which is 15min from Port Campbell and right in the heart of the Appostles. Great Ocean Road Tourist Park or GORTP if you google. Take the van.

Don't rush and be careful.

Cheers Geoff

 

[andrea]

Thanks for the suggestions. Good to hear about where to stay along the GOR

Geoff, from the Gold Coast (Southern end), the coast road is about 2 hours shorter than the inland road. We are also hopeful that the coast road will have more double lanes which makes for easier travelling with the van.

I will keep you posted re the beds too

 

[cruza driver]

Sounds like a nice trip, Andrea. We have done the trip both inland and coast. I would maybe head down inland and home via the coast. Coming down inland will also enable you to arrive straight into Melbourne more directly if your on a time frame. Once the seminar is done sit back and relax :sleep:


As others have mentioned take the Expanda down the GOR plenty to see and do. Wye River is a nice spot with koalas up in the tress around the caravan park.

As for using Camps 6 I guess its what time of the year your travelling and the size of the campground/rest area. I think you should be right but if its a road side stop but be aware some are designated for trucks only.
Straydingo is up that way at the moment so he should be able to help you out when he returns.

 

[macca]

We did the same trip two years ago without a van. The roads in Nth NSW are ordinary at best so I'm sure there will be heaps of roadworks. We found the trip coming back along the coast seemed to take forever and we had a timeframe of 3 days. We have 3 kids and it seemed fun when we planned it but we needed to take more time so we could see the places. It took us two nights. No1 tip if you want to make life easier. Book your caravan park ahead. We just thought we could roll up anywhere and stay. Not so, we found out the hard way.

The drive inland is much quicker. Nice drive on the coast but the windies slow you down.

 

[Matty4]

I have to agree with the others on here about the inland route (Newell) being quicker.
March last year we went to the GC for 2 weeks driving up and back.

We didn't take the van though and the Newell can be done with 1 stop easily.
We came home via the coast and after leaving the GC at approx 10.30am after checkout we only got to Port Macquarie by 6.00pm. It's not even 500k's.
The roadworks and lack of overtaking combined with lots of winding roads slows you down quite a bit.

The next day we left at 9.00am and got into Batemans Bay by 5.30pm. Getting through Sydney, even using the F3 and M2 takes quite a while.

The coastal route is close enough to 1900k's and almost 24 driving hours, too much in the timeframe you have.
I did 2000k's in 22hours last year with a mate, one slept, one drove...left Melbourne 9.45pm and arrived just north of Rockhampton 7.30pm next night, no van.
Go down via the Newell, much quicker and easier, IMHO

Matt

 

[chartrock]

I just returned from Sydney on Saturday/Sunday and as stated above, the roadworks are a problem but the Ballina bypass is open knocking 20 miutes or more off that part of the trip. It is annoying to have to slow down for a lot of the roadworks where there is no work being carried out but the local cops enforce the lower speed limits. I have only driven to Sydney once without stopping overnight. It took 12 hours (we had no van then) and I hated it.

I agree with the others and would do the inland route as the roads are quieter with longer distances between towns. Good luck with the trip.

 

[Deano]

Hey Andrea,
Good to hear you reconsidered selling the 56.2. The 20.62.3 Starcraft will always be there down the track.
Your trip sounds like the go. Look forward to seeing the pics.
Say hi to Matt and the boys.
Cheers Deano and Family.

 

[straydingo]

We went up and down the Newell for sake of time. We aim at only around 600km a day so the kids don't go too stir crazy, and we don't tend to get going till 9-10am. If by the coast road you mean Pacific Hwy, I'd add another 6 hrs minimum to the drive time. Newell was fine last week - stuff all road works and in the best condition I've seen it. (I guess the last 30 years of road works are starting to pay off) Traffic wasn't heavy, so although very few overtaking lanes, no problem to get past others, or let others pass you. For sake of ensuring you're there in the time frame you want, take the Newell. Do the Coast on the way back when time is less critical. The New England and Pacific are on either side of the Ranges, so more hilly and winding from memory. Newell is more across the plains so only gets windy (particualry West wyalong to Vic border).

Coming into Melb, watch the roadworks on the western Ring Road (I hate that road). It tight and any peak period is utterly horrible. Roadworks extend from the end of the Hume fwy till you get off the City exit.

I can't comment on the over night stops as we always go the parks, but we drove past many stops on the way. Although they are designated truck stops and thus typically just a wide open gravel or sealed area, many are big enough to be away from the road edge, and some appeared to have modernish composting toilets. (can't comment on condition) I would choose some spots carefully due to the nature of the 'locals'. (Even Moree cvan park is a secure compound). West Wyalong CVan Park was a great stop if not using a roadside stop. Late arrival, early leave was ok, drive through sites and near empty. Dubbo Big 4 had a queue of a dozen vans waiting entry both times we past, so was busy (although was school holidays).

GOR - Pace suggests 4 days, I'd have to agree, if you want to see everything, and do the whole length. GOR is winding and will be slow going, but plenty of towns and views to stop at. We've driven the length in a day trip (from the other side of the bay) and it was about 8 hrs (no van) with only a few sightseeing stops on the way as we've done it many times before. I'm not sure how many free camp spots there are along there, but I'd expect them busy - it a very popular route for backpackers. If you want a day trip to just see 12 apostles to London Bridge, its do-able but not worth it - miss too much of everything else. If going all the way to Warrnambool, take the Hopkins Hwy/Hamilton Hwy back to Melb (3.5hr) instead of Princes Hwy (4.5hr).

Other Melbourne based sights worth doing;
Eureka tower platform
Phillip Island - 2hr from Melb
Ballarat - Sovereign Hill, Eureka Stockade (but no matter what told do not do Kryall Castle )
Healesville Sanctuary, and up into Marysville (although still not as good as before the fires)
Yarra Glen region if into wines
As you already said, the G, both the tour and a game (finals start second weekend of Sept)

 

[andrea]

Thanks so much everyone. Some very valuable information in there! Good news is that we now have 2.5 days to get there and from Brisbane rather than the GC so that will make things a whole lot easier (I arranged for a trusted photographer to do the wedding for me).

I'm going to printout this thread and try and plan out the trip. Stray Dingo, thanks so much for the park tips. We were only looking at the road side camps due to the expected late arrival.

Deano, H owe's your kids a letter. I'm thinking I'll get him to send them a postcard each as kids love mail (well mine do anyway). Are you coming down for the Ipswich 300? Also, I have a new car coming (hopefully next week). A Mazda BT-50

Thanks again everyone