Island Bend Kosciusko ride Jan 30-31

[Mal S7]

Melbourne to Sydney 5 hours, Sydney to Brisbane prolly 5 hours too.

errr 5 hours Jeff? In your dreams!

[ME 109]

Melbourne to Sydney 5 hours, Sydney to Brisbane prolly 5 hours too.

errr 5 hours Jeff? In your dreams!

Let me look at the map.

[ME 109]

Right, 10 hours Melbourne to Sydney.
12 hours Sydney to Brisbane.
That's with a coffee somewhere along the way.

It's ok, ZM will be on holidays, and not everyone rides a Messerschmitt.
What was I thinking.
Just follow me ZM, we won't get lost, much.

[Zombie Master]

So is that route along the ocean an interesting? Sidney to Melborne for instance, a good ride?

[grant81rs]

Gidday,

Please excuse Jeff, an honest mistake and I'm sure many others have made also including myself, you see Jeffery was thing in RS time and not the normal everyday standard time.. HUGE DIFFERENCE!!

[ME 109]

So is that route along the ocean an interesting? Sidney to Melborne for instance, a good ride?

Very interesting and very beautiful in many places. There are many roads off the main highway that will take you to the coast and more minor roads that follow the coast closely. There are many beautiful estuaries to check out all the way along the coast. Some places leave you wondering why there are so few people there to share the beauty with.
Quite a few of the best places are in national parks where development is at a minimum, while other small towns are more commercial and attract many holiday makers. The coast north of Sydney is also quite spectacular with the mountains (big hills) close to the ocean in lots of places.
If you get off the beaten track wherever you can you'll see some of the best on offer in Aus.

[SteveD]

So is that route along the ocean an interesting? Sidney to Melborne for instance, a good ride?

Sure is, with a few alternative twisty roads inland to spice up the ride when coastal gets a little too straight.

North of Newcastle to Brissie is a bit boring unless you have a specific destination to stop at. Up thru the hills is a better riding choice, but for someone having a look around, Nimbin and Byron Bay are probably worth a visit. It'll be warmer north of course, but ok south, if you're into swimming/surfing.

[SteveD]

When I'm doing a big day ride, by the time I add in petrol/ablution stops and maybe a couple of longer ones, an average of 80kph over the total kms/hours taken is quick at around 80kph. So Brissie to Sydney without stopping to be a tourist would be 11.5 hours...conservatively. Add time for stopping to smell the roses and who knows how long it takes.

Brissie to Sydney...920kms.
Sydney to Melbourne, coast road...1030kms at mostly 100kph
Sydney to Melbourne direct, Hume dullway...890kms at mostly 110kph
Adelaide to Melbourne direct route...760kms.
Melbourne to Adelaide coastal...1000kms. Takes in the Great Ocean Road, which is now mostly well regulated and slow going.

The longest single day ride I've ever managed was Port Macquarie to Melbourne @ 1465kms, via Maitland, Dubbo then straight down the Newell Hwy. 16 hours and long stints @ 160kph, av around 90kph. That would be impossible these days without multiple fines, even though the roads are much better.

Three weeks between Sydney, the South East, the GOR to Port Fairy then up thru Halls Gap...then head back to Sydney via the vast inland or via the north edges of the Great Dividing Range. Names like Bright, Mount Hotham, Falls Creek, Shannonvale, Mitta Mitta, Bethanga, Khancoban, Jindabyne....Google maps will show them to you.

If you were to do 5 days around Tassie, leave out the GOR.

[ME 109]

North of Newcastle to Brissie is a bit boring unless you have a specific destination to stop at. Up thru the hills is a better riding choice, but for someone having a look around, Nimbin and Byron Bay are probably worth a visit. It'll be warmer north of course, but ok south, if you're into swimming/surfing. [/color]

There's heaps of top spots along the coast down from Brisbane, Steve.
Mullumbimby
Byron
Lennox Head
Ballina
Evans Head
Iluka
Coffs Harbour
Nambucca Heads
Mostly off Highway 1

I went to those places a few years ago with Daniel on the back, very pretty indeed.

[SteveD]

Lots of spots, but the roads in between weren't much especially compared to below Woollongong. They might've changed since the early '80's...I'd hope so. My folks lived at Port Macquarie and I used to get up there a bit. Admittedly, I would ride to Sydney then just belt up the highway. From PM I'd head up to Brissie to catch up with mates, and those rides were point to point.

In three weeks it's easy enough to travel 4000kms, but it'd be better and more relaxing to narrow the focus and add some relaxation ...depends on what ZM is after I s'pose.