Went for a drive today ...

[toryglen-boy (Duncan)]

Drove from Canberra to Umina to pickup something, dear lord the views where stunning, over a bridge called Mooney Mooney? and along the Sydney to Newcastle Highway? (i am sure some will correct me if i am wrong) but what a drive, the views where stunning, a highway carved through the middle of a mountain, and across bays and through dense forests of gums tree's, my only shame was that i couldnt take my car, as what i was picking up couldnt fit in it! (MX5) as doing the trip in a convertable would have been great.

It never ceases to amaze me, some of the scenery you have here down under, and even more so, as it looks so completely different from my home in Scotland, although every bit as striking.

I also seen things that made me smile, and that you nutters in Australia only have here

"whats that? an emergency ramp? its a road at a 45 degree angle!"

i was then informed from my good lady, that its from trucks coming down the hill that hit some trouble and cant brake !!

LOL


mental ...

[Mike21 (Michael)]

I guess it's too far to come just for the fun of it and I guess you may have already seen part of it if you went to Umina; but the Old Road is the highway before they built the concrete freeway running parallel to the freeway but with many more tight corners. It'd be a hoot in an MX5. You can take it from an ex-motorcyle courier who loved carving up that strip. Heavily policed now though which is why I'm an Ex-Hoon. WRT safety ramps, would you believe a family was fined for picnicing probably on the very ramp you passed. I'm not sure if I believe the story, but it was told to me nontheless, about the ramp near Mooney Mooney.

Don't suppose you passed any Chuck Out Days on the way?

[GTB_an_Owl (Geoff)]

and it narrows at the top Duncan

like a "duck trap" (and you probably don't know what that is either)

the truck slows and is wedged into the cutting
rather an abrupt end - but they work - and have been used on more than one occasion i believe

geoff

[toryglen-boy (Duncan)]

Originally Posted by Mike21

I guess it's too far to come just for the fun of it and I guess you may have already seen part of it if you went to Umina; but the Old Road is the highway before they built the concrete freeway running parallel to the freeway but with many more tight corners. It'd be a hoot in an MX5. You can take it from an ex-motorcyle courier who loved carving up that strip. Heavily policed now though which is why I'm an Ex-Hoon. WRT safety ramps, would you believe a family was fined for picnicing probably on the very ramp you passed. I'm not sure if I believe the story, but it was told to me nontheless, about the ramp near Mooney Mooney.

Don't suppose you passed any Chuck Out Days on the way?

yeah, i drove on part of it, i can remember thinking my MX5 would have been a blast on it, i love my little car, its not the fastest thing on the road, but corners that others take at 20, i can do at 60

[erick (Eric)]

Originally Posted by GTB_an_Owl

and it narrows at the top Duncan

like a "duck trap" (and you probably don't know what that is either)

the truck slows and is wedged into the cutting
rather an abrupt end - but they work - and have been used on more than one occasion i believe

geoff

Some are loaded with loose gravel to aid stopping?

I remember being fascinated as a kid when I first saw them (Qld country boy!). I wanted Dad to drive up one at speed - he never did

[Barrykgerdes]

That Newcastle expressway was built many years ago using giant bulldozers, machinery that had not been seen in Australia before. It was built before the "Greenies" took over the country. It would never be built today because of environment laws. It cuts the time for a run from Hornsby to Hexham from three hours to about one hour.

If you want to see some real scenery try some of the old logging roads up the Comboyne plateau. I think they are pretty tame these days but when I went up there 47 years ago it was hair raising. Roads about 10 ft wide cut into the side of the mountain. No fence and hundreds of feet down if you missed a turn (or met a logging truck going the other way).

Barry

Originally Posted by toryglen-boy

Drove from Canberra to Umina to pickup something, dear lord the views where stunning, over a bridge called Mooney Mooney? and along the Sydney to Newcastle Highway? (i am sure some will correct me if i am wrong) but what a drive, the views where stunning, a highway carved through the middle of a mountain, and across bays and through dense forests of gums tree's, my only shame was that i couldnt take my car, as what i was picking up couldnt fit in it! (MX5) as doing the trip in a convertable would have been great.

It never ceases to amaze me, some of the scenery you have here down under, and even more so, as it looks so completely different from my home in Scotland, although every bit as striking.

I also seen things that made me smile, and that you nutters in Australia only have here

"whats that? an emergency ramp? its a road at a 45 degree angle!"

i was then informed from my good lady, that its from trucks coming down the hill that hit some trouble and cant brake !!

LOL


mental ...

[AstralTraveller (David)]

I don't know about Mooney Mooney but people have certainly picniced on the safety ramp on Bulli Pass and I've seen cars stopped for a 'pit stop' on the ramp half-way down Mt Ousley.

There is a storey relating to the Bulli Pass ramp that dates back 50+ years. It seems a truck used the ramp but found it too short and couldn't stop by the end of the ramp. It then plunged down the far side of the ramp into the bush, coming to stop out of view from the road, so no one knew it was there. It was in amongst lantana that was so tight that the driver couldn't open the door. He had to start breaking off bits and put them in the cabin behind him until he could get the door open enough to slide out, crawl under the truck and then walk out along the path the truck had cleared. My father was on the crew that winched the truck out.

Duncan, if you want some scenery you could do worse than drive Macquarie Pass, south of Wollongong. It passes through some of the only remaining rainforest on the south coast and near the top you get great views of the cliffs. You can appreciate the scenery best if you are the passenger. The driver has to keep their eyes on the tight twisting road. There are blind corners, hairpins and reverse cambers to deal with - oh, and some large trucks. Don't take it lightly, there are a lot of fatalities on that road, mostly motorcycles. I've had a rider nearly smash their helmet into my bull bar - very scary. You could return via Jamberoo Pass and stop off at the Tree Top Walk to check out your vertigo rating. Where the road from Jamberoo joins the highway there is a very popular eatery. I used to stop there but one day I noticed a sign behind the counter blaming the ills of the world on 'greenies and abos'. I don't stop there any more.

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

I loooovvveee the Macquarie Pass. Positively brilliant in a manual car!

Saw my first Lyrebird there. It was scratching through the leaf litter on the apex of a hairpin, & I only noticed it because of looking at the road.

One of my favourite drives is to come down the coast, after going through the Royal National Park (also packed with twists & turns & a fav of motor cyclists) & turn right at Berry to head for Kangaroo Valley & Mittagong, via the Macquarie Pass. Then head home via the Hume. A whole day out which I suppose you would be able to do in 'reverse', also going home via the Hume.

[erick (Eric)]

How about the south coast:-

http://www.nio.net.au/maps/seacliffbridge-3d.htm

And when you bring your MX5 to Victoria, then it has to be:-

http://www.visitvictoria.com/display...680C476A90000/

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Alex,

If you turn right at Berry and go through Kangaroo Valley to Mittagong it is a loverly drive but you miss Macquarie Pass. You go over Brown Mtn into the valley and then up Barrengarry Mtn to Mittagong. To take Macquarie Pass you turn right at Albion Park Rail, through Albion Park (stopping to admire the big 'A' frame house belonging to my mother-in-law ) and along the Illawarra Highway.

If you go via Kangaroo Valley you can stop at Fitzroy Falls and go for a short walk to admire some great Sydney-basin cliff lines. You can also turn left along Nowra Rd, continue onto Yarrawa Rd, turn left onto Merryla Rd, go through Manchester Square (I kid you not) and into the state forest for a picnic. If you have even a light duty 4WD you can continue to the end and get views over the Kangaroo River above the dam. Unfortunately the road down to the old farm, which is a great picnic spot, has been closed - apparently for safety reasons. Probably idiots taking the wrong vehicles down there and getting into trouble .

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

Went through Kangaroo Valley several times when travelling from Cootamundra to Huskison for the Xmas break. Nice drive, even in the van with all the twists and turns going over the hill. Be fun on a Motorbike, but it gets a bit slippery when wet.

Bill

[toryglen-boy (Duncan)]

Originally Posted by AstralTraveller

Alex,

If you turn right at Berry and go through Kangaroo Valley to Mittagong it is a loverly drive but you miss Macquarie Pass. You go over Brown Mtn into the valley and then up Barrengarry Mtn to Mittagong. To take Macquarie Pass you turn right at Albion Park Rail, through Albion Park (stopping to admire the big 'A' frame house belonging to my mother-in-law ) and along the Illawarra Highway.

If you go via Kangaroo Valley you can stop at Fitzroy Falls and go for a short walk to admire some great Sydney-basin cliff lines. You can also turn left along Nowra Rd, continue onto Yarrawa Rd, turn left onto Merryla Rd, go through Manchester Square (I kid you not) and into the state forest for a picnic. If you have even a light duty 4WD you can continue to the end and get views over the Kangaroo River above the dam. Unfortunately the road down to the old farm, which is a great picnic spot, has been closed - apparently for safety reasons. Probably idiots taking the wrong vehicles down there and getting into trouble .

I believe i have been on this road, when driving back from Nowra, my little motor was fantastic on it, gear changing was a joy (i would never EVER drive an auto, its not driving, its steering) it reminded me of teh cliff corners on the old coyote road-runner cartoons.

[Allan_L (Allan)]

Hi Duncan,
That scenic mountain you mentioned, north of the Mooney Mooney bridge, thats pretty close to our dark sky site, Mangrove Mountain.
- Did you notice the yellow Dinosaur? (Or is it some other colour now??)
Anyway, next time, make sure you plan it near a New Moon, and come up to see us all at the Pony Club.
We'll save you a spot, and a sausage roll!

[toryglen-boy (Duncan)]

Originally Posted by Allan_L

Hi Duncan,
That scenic mountain you mentioned, north of the Mooney Mooney bridge, thats pretty close to our dark sky site, Mangrove Mountain.
- Did you notice the yellow Dinosaur? (Or is it some other colour now??)
Anyway, next time, make sure you plan it near a New Moon, and come up to see us all at the Pony Club.
We'll save you a spot, and a sausage roll!

Hi Allan, yeah that rings a bell, on the left hand side of the freeway, near a sign for the reptile park or something? i dunno, i was about a hundred and ... er, i was going kinda fast




Thanks for your kind invititation, might take you up on it sometime

[Benno85 (Ben)]

Originally Posted by mental4astro

I loooovvveee the Macquarie Pass. Positively brilliant in a manual car!

Saw my first Lyrebird there. It was scratching through the leaf litter on the apex of a hairpin, & I only noticed it because of looking at the road.

One of my favourite drives is to come down the coast, after going through the Royal National Park (also packed with twists & turns & a fav of motor cyclists) & turn right at Berry to head for Kangaroo Valley & Mittagong, via the Macquarie Pass. Then head home via the Hume. A whole day out which I suppose you would be able to do in 'reverse', also going home via the Hume.

I'll also agree to the awesome drive that Kangaroo Valley offers. Absolutley amazing, and at times quite hair-raising!! Definitely a fun ride in our new SS

[Robert9 (Robert)]

And if you want something entirely different Duncan, head out west to where the view is open plain with a 360° horizon. Remember to take a scope as the night skies are phenomenal.
Robert

[Mike21 (Michael)]

Hello Again Duncan,

Seeing as this thread has become a list of the best roads in Australia, I feel compelled to give a quick commentary of the absolute pinnacle of Australian roads. It's actually on your back doorstep.

Another motorcycling friend and I planned to ride from Bathurst (where we lived at the time) through Canberra, Cooma, Jindabyne, Thredbo and along the Alpine Pass into Victoria and onto a plethora of other Australian beauties including Black Spur. In Jindabyne I insisted that we go for a squirt up to Charlotte's Pass and back (it's a dead end road) due to nostalgic reasons; I used to be in the Charlotte's Pass ski squad as a tacker. I cheekily asked the ranger at the Natio Park entrance if any one was up the road ahead of us, he informed us that we were the first ones up on that lovely Autumn morning. Since it's a dead end, I knew that the fuzz weren't going to sell me tickets to their ball; we had an open run. We made the return trip in 40 minutes; I'm not prone to exaggeration on such topics. The orange snow poles which indicate where the road goes when it's covered in snow are so tall that you can pre-empt the line of the road over the crests: no need to cool off as you hit the crests of hills. By far the best ride on a public road ever!