Queensland Astrofest 2015 - Page 2

h0ughy (David) · #21 21-01-2015, 03:41 PM

well I have booked my annual leave ready for the event

multiweb (Marc) · #22 21-01-2015, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0ughy

well I have booked my annual leave ready for the event

Do you go up via Coffs or Tamworth?

h0ughy (David) · #23 21-01-2015, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

Do you go up via Coffs or Tamworth?

I go up the coast including coffs harbour then on through Ipswich esk, moore etc

multiweb (Marc) · #24 21-01-2015, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0ughy

I go up the coast including coffs harbour then on through Ipswich esk, moore etc

Cool - thanks. I asked coz I was wondering if the inland freeway was faster. I haven't driven to coffs in 15yrs or more. The road must be better now. I remember had to go through the hills before port mcquarie and also around byron bay I think. Bit of a trip up and down at the time.

h0ughy (David) · #25 21-01-2015, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

Cool - thanks. I asked coz I was wondering if the inland freeway was faster. I haven't driven to coffs in 15yrs or more. The road must be better now. I remember had to go through the hills before port mcquarie and also around byron bay I think. Bit of a trip up and down at the time.

It's still a fair trip time wise, around 12 hours or more

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #26 21-01-2015, 09:48 PM

When I went up last year a bunch of folk (at this end and that) recommended using the inland route as the road is reportedly of better quality. The only thing that put me off was that the towns are farther apart and I was driving alone, needing the rest stops

Might try the New England route this year though.

mental4astro (Alexander) · #27 22-01-2015, 12:31 PM

I drove up last year via the Pacific Highway. Very fast as the upgrades to the highway are nearly all complete. Two lane dual carriageway most the way north now, by-passing a lot of smaller towns and villages. No secondary roads. At Gold Coast just take the exit to Ipswich (continuation of freeway too). Two roads pretty much for 98% of the voyage. The remaining 2% is accessing Duckadang, very easy too.

Inland route may be more 'scenic', not like the Pacific Highway is a tunnel though. More urban, yes, but still beautiful. Pacific Highway also has less animals crossing it, which is better when driving at night.

multiweb (Marc) · #28 22-01-2015, 01:23 PM

Sounds like the Pacific Hwy had a serious upgrade since I've last used it. Also Coffs is about midway which makes it a good overnight stop. I'd rather take it easy and do 2 x 8h than one 13h leg and be buggered in a tree somewhere on the small road to Duckadang. Also my record hitting roos is really bad. I'm a bloody magnet for these. They must be attracted to frogs. Long distant green relatives maybe.

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #29 22-01-2015, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mental4astro

...the upgrades to the highway are nearly all complete. Two lane dual carriageway most the way north now...

Complete?!? I must have made a wrong turn then

once past Port Macquarie it's pretty much single carriageway all the way to Ballina, a few of the more recent bypasses excepted, the one around Coffs Harbour was almost complete last winter.

Totally hear you about the wildlife though...almost as wild were the bloomin trucks riding the rear bumper

this year I will be planning on driving only during the daytime as the night driving just made it feel longer...

mental4astro (Alexander) · #30 22-01-2015, 05:39 PM

Duncan, Duncan, Duncan. Read what I wrote...

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #31 22-01-2015, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mental4astro

I drove up last year via the Pacific Highway. Very fast as the upgrades to the highway are nearly all complete. Two lane dual carriageway most the way north now, by-passing a lot of smaller towns and villages. No secondary roads. At Gold Coast just take the exit to Ipswich (continuation of freeway too). Two roads pretty much for 98% of the voyage. The remaining 2% is accessing Duckadang, very easy too.

Inland route may be more 'scenic', not like the Pacific Highway is a tunnel though. More urban, yes, but still beautiful. Pacific Highway also has less animals crossing it, which is better when driving at night.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mental4astro

Duncan, Duncan, Duncan. Read what I wrote...

Erm...yeah...I just read it again...it's a major thoroughfare between two of Australia's largest cities and much of it - I'd estimate 40% or so - is not dual carriageway...what am I missing?

Or does "nearly" and "most" imply that it might be very fast one day

mental4astro (Alexander) · #32 22-01-2015, 06:04 PM

Ok, ok!!! I should have written 'MUCH of the way'! Sheesh!

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #33 22-01-2015, 06:11 PM

multiweb (Marc) · #34 29-01-2015, 12:48 PM

New development. I had a chat with one of my mates who did the drive couple of weeks ago and he told me that he never tried the inland hwy but the pacific hwy had so many portions with work being done on it that the delays with traffic were horrendous up to coffs. So that got me thinking of going inland instead.

h0ughy (David) · #35 29-01-2015, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

New development. I had a chat with one of my mates who did the drive couple of weeks ago and he told me that he never tried the inland hwy but the pacific hwy had so many portions with work being done on it that the delays with traffic were horrendous up to coffs. So that got me thinking of going inland instead.

true but all the new bits make up for them -

i have travelled this route since 2005, they keep knocking time off the trip

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #36 29-01-2015, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

New development. I had a chat with one of my mates who did the drive couple of weeks ago and he told me that he never tried the inland hwy but the pacific hwy had so many portions with work being done on it that the delays with traffic were horrendous up to coffs. So that got me thinking of going inland instead.

Would this have been affected by summer holiday traffic? I wasn't all that bad when I went up last year, it's just that it wasn't all that quick, much was single carriageway and much of that in poor to rough condition, with an endless steam of articulated tailgaters

I think my total driving time was about 12 hours from the bottom of the M1.

batema (Mark) · #37 04-02-2015, 10:47 PM

Dare I say this but my school has agreed for Adam and I to go for the entire time as a professional development. Big grin......

Mark and Adam. (the ultimate scammers)

h0ughy (David) · #38 04-02-2015, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by batema

Dare I say this but my school has agreed for Adam and I to go for the entire time as a professional development. Big grin......

Mark and Adam. (the ultimate scammers)

two barstools on the field - well i never....

acropolite (Phil) · #39 15-03-2015, 08:03 PM

Is it possible to get confirmation of the dates from someone on the organising committee, if we're making the trip up I need to book a passage across the pond...

thunderchildobs · #40 16-03-2015, 06:51 PM

Between Friday, 7th August and Sunday, 16th August 2015.
The registrations for this year's event will open on 7th May 2015.

From the website.

Brendan