Driving from Melbourne to Sydney

minty on 16/01/2022 - 00:39
Last edited 16/01/2022 - 20:10 by 1 other user

Howdy folks, hope you're having a good weekend :)

I'm in Sydney and I'm buying a car from Melbourne and thought about driving it back.

The default google route:

Anyone who's made this trip before, can you shed some light on what the drive/roads are like? Is it all properly paved roads/highways or am I to expect gravel/dirt/etc [Edit] I meant a mix of road condition including non-sealed roads, gosh darn it you peeps! [/Edit] Should I be concerned about banging into a roo? Plenty of rest stops along the way so my bladder won't burst? There's a toll and no toll option, how much are the tolls all up?

Picking it up at 9:30am, calculating in breaks it seems too long to do it in a day and too short to break it up into two. If I do break it up over 2 days, is there anything along the way that's worthwhile to check out, what's a preferable mid-ish point to stay the night? Obviously the main goal is to get the car back so would have to be relatively along the way and not 50km off tangent. looks like I'm doing it in a single trip based on the suggestions.

Any advice/thoughts/tips would be great, lost my last minute travel buddy and I've never remotely driven 900km in such a tight span of time before.

Thanks heaps

[Edit] I have now secured a travel buddy, it'll be much better of a trip :) Thanks to all who's responded. I appreciate your input.

Automotive

Comments

  • StonedWizard on 16/01/2022 - 00:41
    +36

    Watch out for drop bears and Victoria doesn’t warn you about speed cameras.

    • minty on 16/01/2022 - 00:44

      That's why I wanted to bring a mate… But yeah I'll be a good little boy with the speed on this drive!

      • Richardc on 16/01/2022 - 01:10
        +22

        And use WAZE on your phone with speed sign and speed alert turn on.

        • minty on 16/01/2022 - 01:19

          Yep that's on my prep sheet :)

        • furyou on 16/01/2022 - 21:05

          Any easy way to use waze? Last I tried, can't search for contact addresses, can't make it default over gmaps, can't voice start with gassistant, just so hard and manual to use.

          • Richardc on 16/01/2022 - 21:41

            @furyou: I normally said ok google open Waze.

          • kaleidoscope on 16/01/2022 - 23:01

            @furyou: which phone? I use carplay / android auto and they have saved addresses in form of favourites and a route history which so far has been more than adequate for my needs.

            • furyou on 16/01/2022 - 23:03

              @kaleidoscope: S21. Eg I can't click a calendar address and open it.
              I can't say 'navigate to coles' or xyz street
              inevitably i end up using gmaps

              • kaleidoscope on 16/01/2022 - 23:09

                @furyou: I’m not too sure about S21. This is what I do on iPhone. Tap on the address link from calendar or website and it opens apple maps. Now if I switch to waze app the tapped address shows up as a suggestion in the search box.

                • furyou on 16/01/2022 - 23:16

                  @kaleidoscope: yeah just lacking integration
                  i'd get in the car, say navigate to (next place) and i'd foget gmaps opened not waze.

      • ksehgal on 18/01/2022 - 20:29

        Why don't you ask dealer to deliver to your home?

    • Scrooge McDuck on 16/01/2022 - 19:54
      +26

      Register your trip with Smartraveller and learn some basic Spanish phrases before you go.

      • derrida derider on 17/01/2022 - 21:09

        And make sure you have evidence of vaccination or exemption from it ready to present at Victorian border control …

  • Triamble on 16/01/2022 - 00:48
    +23

    Definitely no gravel… it's high quality dual carriageway all the way. Boring but easy. If you're going into melb city the citylink toll road is much faster than slogging down sydney road through Brunswick etc.

    • minty on 16/01/2022 - 00:55

      Oh sweet, thanks for clarifying that. It just occured to me now, my NSW tag isn't going to work in VIC right? Am I best(easiest) to just give the seller a headsup that there may be a few tolls coming his way and transfer him some money afterwards?

      • miwahni on 16/01/2022 - 01:00
        +5

        As there won't be a tag in the car it would be best for you to ring and pay the toll/s yourself. If it's anything like Qld there will be numerous signs showing the number to call - you ring and advise your rego number and they take your credit card details.

        • minty on 16/01/2022 - 01:08

          That's easy enough, thanks!

      • Ugly on 16/01/2022 - 08:38
        +12

        According to VicRoads, your NSW tag will work in VIC.
        https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/traffic-and-road-use/road-ne…

        I have an interstate Tag Account and want to use a Victorian toll road.
        Electronic Tag Devices used on interstate toll roads can be used on the CityLink and EastLink.

        • parsimonious one on 17/01/2022 - 12:44

          I have an etag issued from the old nsw rta and it worked fine in Melbourne

      • Zephyrus on 17/01/2022 - 10:58
        +1

        Going up Sydney road isn't that much longer off peak. The extra 2 minutes it'll take probably isn't worth the ballache of figuring out tolls.

      • tebbybabes on 17/01/2022 - 17:34

        your eTag is valid. Saves on the (small) extra cost of photo identification fee for toll purposes.

    • Ade99 on 16/01/2022 - 16:38
      +1

      or take the ring road and avoid the tolls.

  • miwahni on 16/01/2022 - 00:55
    +7

    Mate you don't need two days for this one. I haven't done this trip since 1976 but even then it was an overnighter only eg leave at dusk, arrive at dawn. Of course that was before speed cameras so maybe plan for a bit longer… the only issue then that I recall was a servo in Albury that closed overnight but you could feed coins into the pump to get fuel. Mad scramble to get enough 20 cent pieces to fill the tank.

    • minty on 16/01/2022 - 01:07

      Will definitely be sticking to the limit for this one, any fine is likely to invalidate the point of driving it back opposed to getting it transported.
      My city dweller ass has only ever driven about 250km/day though :-/

      • corvusman on 16/01/2022 - 15:14
        +7

        It's about 10 hours drive, plenty of places where you can stop and have a burger/nap. Definitely stop in Holbrook and visit submarine parked there ;-)

        Bring your mate with you, otherwise it will be super boring.

        And yeah, watch for your speed, plenty of speed cameras & patrols there.

        • capslock janitor on 17/01/2022 - 12:00

          i can get by with a charged phone xd

          but if op is driving there, he'll need someone to drive back the extra car too

      • dazeet on 16/01/2022 - 20:28
        +7

        If it was me, and I am only used to driving around 250km/day at the moment, and there is no way for me to build that up until Jan 30, I would book an overnight stay at say Albury/Wodonga, just in case, and break my trip up roughly into quarters e.g. Jan 30 til late lunch, Jan 30 lunch til sunset, Jan 31 sunrise til lunch, Jan 31 lunch til sunset.

        E.g. Big4 still has cabins available on Jan 30 at Wodonga starting from $95. $86 for members. Split it with my friend, and it should not be that bad for the price. I mean, as long as it has a hot shower with old school decent water pressure and a comfy clean bed…that's good enough for me for the purpose of my trip!

        Just because plenty of other people say it can easily be done in one go, does not mean that automatically applies to me. I have to do what is right for me (and for my fellow road users) based on a realistic view of how much I can handle right now, and factor in contingencies. Just because I can, doesn't mean I should…at least to me anyway!

        The trip also gives me an opportunity that I usually don't have by flying - to slow down and experience and appreciate more of this great country beyond just the capital cities, at a more relaxed pace. See if I can support any of the bushfire-affected communities that might be along the way, for instance: https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/adam-liaws-road-trip…

        Or I can just try to wing it, and accept the possibility that I might have to stop somewhere overnight for whatever reason anyway, and pay a much higher price for trying to find vacant accommodations on the day - and then finding that I still have to drive a fair distance further just to get there at dusk/night when wildlife is more active etc.

        Your call champ :)

        • BartholemewH on 17/01/2022 - 09:14
          +7

          You'd ask a friend to take a couple of days to pick up a car interstate, then ask them to pay half of the motel? #OzSh!tfriend.

          • dazeet on 17/01/2022 - 10:20

            @BartholemewH: Sorry skipped the split bit in my multiple edits - I was telling the OP what to do in my first draft, before I thought switching it to "if it was me" would be more palatable, and promptly forgot to edit that out.

            Reading between the lines, it seems to me that OP is really counting the cost, so I thought I should provide another perspective even while he/she is doing that.

            Of course I would not ask my friend to split considering he/she is giving up at least two days for me! But let's say my friend is a fellow city slicker, and wants to make this a genuine trip and keeps insisting on sharing minor costs…I may relent slightly, but only after multiple persuasions!

            In my case, my friend would be my wife, so it will be out of our pocket regardless!

            Appreciate the reaction Sir - wow even my own hashtag! "#OzSh!tfriend" certainly has a nice ring to it - in return for me having enough care factor to have spent - and still spending - so much time just to try to help the OP make a more informed and risk balanced decision. I hope I have clarified this adequately for you. I guess my wife may well be right on this one - who cares? Just let the OP (and potentially, other road users) be hey? :)

        • macrocephalic on 17/01/2022 - 10:10

          Last time I was in Albury-Wodonga (late 2020) there were still heaps of cheap hotels along the old highway through town with rooms for under $100 per night. Covid restrictions being lifted might have changed that, but I doubt it, Albury-Wodonga hotels have been struggling for decades ever since the highway fully bypassed the towns.

      • kaleidoscope on 16/01/2022 - 23:59

        Will definitely be sticking to the limit for this one

        Are you saying that you are generally speeding on roads? 🧐

      • NatoTomato on 17/01/2022 - 07:44

        Yeah nah, 10 hour drive is totally doable. I've done Brisbane to Sydney, Bendigo to Goondiwindi, and Brisbane to Dubbo. 10 hours is ok, more than that is tough.

    • smartazz104 on 16/01/2022 - 23:15

      What were the speed limits like back in '76? I hear things weren't as strict as they are now…

      • derrida derider on 17/01/2022 - 21:11

        But the road was FAR worse. It's 110kmh limit the whole way once you're out of the city.

    • tebbybabes on 17/01/2022 - 17:44

      Definitely doable. Last time I did it was 5 or 6 years ago, both ways after a few days. We spent almost 14 hrs though, because of the many many many stops and photos ops and small town visits.

      Thoroughly enjoyable drive.

  • M8y on 16/01/2022 - 00:55

    It's a good drive, timewise, due to the amount of freeway.

    Depending on where you're departing Melbourne and where in Sydney you're headed, a 9:30am departure should see you back in Sydney before 7pm.

    Just make sure all your Tidal playlists are ready before you head down to Mexico.

    • minty on 16/01/2022 - 01:18

      Glad to hear about the roads, that's a relief, drove to Dubbo once and remember there being so much dust along the way.

      Got my music and UE Boom prepped, the sad thing is that this car doesn't have bluetooth music steaming.

      • Quantumcat on 16/01/2022 - 16:12
        +4

        Get into some podcasts before you go. Trips go much faster when there is something interesting to listen to instead of just music

        • upsidedownlemon on 16/01/2022 - 20:18
          +14

          They actually go at the same speed believe it or not

  • Philthy on 16/01/2022 - 01:17
    +6

    i do this trip or vice versa regularly. it's around 10hrs ( catering for safety rest stops)

    Tips :
    depending on the time you drive, plan to do the bulk of the drive before the sun or a sunny day. Wear a long sleeve shirt to get the sun off the side of your body.

    Stop in Albury for fuel/food. fuel is usually cheaper there. It's about the midway point between the 2 cities, so I worked out it's a good point to stop.

    If you have costco membership.. go get fuel from there before you leave!

    There are enough public rest areas.. but not all have toilets.

    • minty on 16/01/2022 - 01:36

      It'll be Sunday 30th so cross your fingers for me please about the weather, landing in Melbourne 8:30am, then get to the seller's place and the usual stuff so latest time to set off would be 9:30am. Based on everyone's comment I think I'll do it in a single trip.

      Thanks for the tips appreciate it, guess there's nothing else to it then, my main concern was the quality of the roads and was second guessing myself whether it's worth saving $600 vs transportation but since it's all highways that's great.

      And no Costco, I was only buying their radioactive sized chooks anyway and $60 seemed like a dumb idea!

      • El cheepo on 16/01/2022 - 10:55
        +12

        What time are you planning to wake up to get your flight?
        If you are factoring in catching a flight, inspecting a car then driving back that almost becomes worth a two day trip.

        Most people that don’t drive much long distance get quite fatigued quickly. So factor that plus getting up early for a flight in. What are you going to do if 3/4 of the way you get exhausted? Sleep in your car? (Possible but uncomfortable)

        If you want to make doing it over two days worth it and easier on yourself try getting a flight that gets you there around lunch time or mid afternoon and drive half way - motel- up early and finish the drive.
        You’ll be more refreshed after it too that way.

      • berger on 16/01/2022 - 19:37
        +10

        You won’t be on the road by 9.30. If you land at 8.30 you won’t be leaving town till 11 at the earliest.

        You imagine it’ll be ‘here’s the cash, a signature or 2 and bye’

        Trust me it is never that quick.

        If the car is reliable and insured, do it in one trip.

      • dirtybigbjelke on 17/01/2022 - 17:01

        You won't be leaving before Mid-Day. There is no-way you will be done by 9-30am. I would take the option to stay in Albury/Wodonga.

  • yellowfever on 16/01/2022 - 01:26
    +4

    One day will cover the trip during daylight hours.

    Check tyre pressure is at recommended PSI as per sticker on the car.

  • [Deactivated] on 16/01/2022 - 01:27
    +31

    Stop every 2 hours for at least 20 minutes , even if you don't feel tired and get a good night sleep the night before (most important)

    If you do feel tired at any stage pull over in a safe location off the highway and shut your eyes for 20-30 mins (set an alarm if you have to)

    There are average speed cameras in certain sections but they only work for trucks so i'm told , but in my most recent trip i can confirm there are mobile detection cameras now in some sections so stay off your phone.

    Have a working/reliable dash cam with a working SD card for your trip in case anything happens

    Don't drive anywhere until you have valid full comprehensive insurance on the car considering you are spending around 40k on it.

    Check your tyre pressures before you set off at the closest fuel station and ensure your tyre pressures are at the minimum inflated to what it says on your placard (usually by the drivers door) , i don't know what car you are getting so i can't give you more exact pressures but you should be right with manufacturer specs. Don't forget to inflate the spare tyre if you have one , if its a space saver its usually 60 psi but check on the sidewall , if its a full sized spare just inflate it to the same pressure as your other tyres.

    Check the engine oil and coolant and just make sure both are at the required levels and top-up where required , stopping on the highway is a serious matter and its something you want to avoid on a long journey.

    Fill up your windscreen reservoir with wiper fluid (bring some if you have to) , there's bugs..lots of them and you want to try and ensure good clear vision as much as you can.

    Optional: have roadside assistance organized if required before your trip

    At highway speeds keep a bare minimum of at least 5 car lengths to the car in front of you , after awhile it will feel like you are traveling slower due to the amount of distance you cover and should anything unexpected happen you need time to both react and act accordingly.

    Keep hydrated even if it means pulling off to the side of the road for toilet breaks , same with food keep your energy levels up but don't gorge so you end up in a food coma.

    Give random people calls throughout the day just to break up the day and catch up if possible

    Good luck , let us know if you made it safe.

    • minty on 16/01/2022 - 02:10
      +2

      Haha for a moment I was like how the f does this guy know how much I'm spending :P

      Thanks for the write up mate I really appreciate it. Having the travel buddy drop off is a real bummer as that would have helped tremendously.

      I thought about the bugs initially but then figured since it's all highways it wouldn't be as bad, cleaning them out of nooks and crannies is no fun at all, may not be a tight ass and take it to a hand wash place once back. Not sure why I thought otherwise but interstate travels is still limited to 100mL of liquids so may have to swing into something in Melbourne for the wiper fluid.

      Not sure actually whether there is a spare tire as it was an option for the car (370z) but will do if so, would have completely forgotten about this one.

      All the others are great reminders, will do. Thanks again!

      • kerfuffle on 16/01/2022 - 06:03
        +5

        Not sure why I thought otherwise but interstate travels is still limited to 100mL of liquids

        Since when?

        • timthetoolman on 16/01/2022 - 10:33
          +9

          I get the odd feeling op is thinking about international travel at the airport

      • WreckTangle on 16/01/2022 - 09:41
        +1

        100 mL lol what?

      • Presence on 16/01/2022 - 11:28

        Pretty much every service station has a watering can for topping up your wipers. An Ozbargainer would never pay for special fluid.

      • munecito on 16/01/2022 - 11:56
        +1

        No 100ml liquid limit rule for national flights unless you are departing from an international terminal.

      • bobbified on 16/01/2022 - 13:04

        Not sure actually whether there is a spare tire as it was an option for the car (370z)

        I have a similar car with no spare tyre and that's always in the back of my mind when I travel long distances (I stay on the main highways though). I realise that if I get a flat, I could be waiting hours or even have to find somewhere to stay overnight for someone to rock up wherever I am. lol

      • Quantumcat on 16/01/2022 - 16:16
        +1

        Maybe join some Melbourne community Facebook pages and see if anyone wants a free trip to Sydney to keep you company

  • Muzeeb on 16/01/2022 - 03:51
    +43

    Some great advice above but I'm going to be frank and not sugar coat your question.

    The fact that you thought it was possibly a dirt track has me really concerned. It has been a sealed, mostly dual carriageway, since the 1970s. You must be in your late 20's at least and you didn't know this is one of Australia's major road transport routes?

    What suburb is the car being picked up in? Plane landing at 8:30 and departing with new car at 9:30 may be very ambitious depending on the Melbourne suburb.

    Your biggest challenge is going to be making it to the Hume freeway / highway.

    There are a lot of major roadworks currently taking place depending on your starting point.

    Got my music and UE Boom prepped

    This is a dumb idea. Just use the car stereo. The ability to turn the volume down quickly in the event of an emergency situation is paramount.

    Most of the journey will be signposted at 110km/h so be prepared for that. Stay in the left lanes unless you are overtaking (for the love of God please do this). There will be a lot of trucks limited to 100km/h. Either follow and match their speed or confidently overtake them. Attach your phone securely and use a GPS app to check your speed. 110km/h could be up to 120 on the car speedo. Your car will have cruise control - use it. If you vary your speed all the time (eg. Between 90 and 110) you'll have some really pissed off fellow road users.

    I've made a mental note to avoid 370z's in Melbourne and the Hume on the 30th. Thanks for the heads up.

    Apologies for being so brutal and good luck. It sounds like you'll need it FFS.

    • Euphemistic on 16/01/2022 - 05:49
      +6

      use a GPS app to check your speed. 110km/h could be up to 120 on the car speedo.

      Plus one for this. When travelling long distances 10km/h will make a difference. Finding out exactly what speedo displayed speed is actually 110 is important. With stock wheels, most cars will show 5-10km/h above your actual speed at 100km/h. So it shows 110, but you could be going as slow as 100km/h.

      Definitely learn to use cruise control otherwise you’ll drift up and down by 10-20km/h as you pass and get passed by other vehicles. It’s just a natural reaction to slow or speed up when you are near others.

    • Cliche Guevara on 16/01/2022 - 07:55
      +5

      They also mention only driving ~250km/day in the city, but talk about driving out to Dubbo and there was lots of dust. Something doesn't add up…

    • SBOB on 16/01/2022 - 08:18
      +3

      This is a dumb idea. Just use the car stereo. The ability to turn the volume down quickly in the event of an emergency situation is paramount.

      Yep, unless this is some rare antique car, travelling to get it I assume it would need to be at least Bluetooth or more likely having android auto/apple car play.

      Spend 15 mins before you drive off getting the Bluetooth or car connection working, get your playlist or podcasts sorted, get your navigation app (eg Waze) loaded and know your directions to at least get you to the main highways back to NSW.

      Then, spend the next 5 minutes signing up for comprehensive car insurance before you drive anywhere.

      Then (personally) I'd be driving to the closest service station and doing a check of all fluid levels and tire pressures and fixing any that aren't 100%

      Then settle in for a 10+ hr return trip (including stops)

    • minty on 16/01/2022 - 08:45

      Not at all, appreciate the reply. I didn't think the roads were ladened with cobbles or anything, thought maybe a mixture including outback-y and gravel roads which I would have definitely avoided it to save $500. Outside of a city bubble have done very little driving besides Canberra, Hunter Valley, Dubbo and Broken Hill, the latter two were a mix of what I didn't want.

      Picking up from Hillside, once I sort out fluids/tires/fuel was going to use this route and hug the outer suburbs: https://ibb.co/8zXb8YC instead of going through Tullamarine, I did see loads of road work dots pop up thankfully none along this way.

      Will definitely be using the car stereo if I can get bluetooth to play music/recognise my phone, lots of forums seems to indicate issues with android phones, bringing along also a backup on USB as well. The UE Boom was a worse case scenario, I'd die of boredom of 10hrs of radio.

      Your concern for my social media is ill placed for I do not use any so all of my digits will keeping away from the screen :)

      Got it on the rest, thanks heaps mate.

      P.s. It's a black one, throw me a peace sign on Sunday so I'll know it you!

      • SBOB on 16/01/2022 - 08:55
        +8

        besides Canberra

        That's like 1/3rd the trip (just don't turn off the hume)
        Take that road from leaving Sydney to Canberra turn off and just triple it…
        You're now close to Melbourne

        And dubbo…what non sealed road did you drive from Sydney to Dubbo??

        • minty on 16/01/2022 - 09:36

          Huh, that doesn't so bad then we did to and back for Canberra in a single day.

          I'm not sure about Dubbo sorry it would have been whatever the GPS routed, as others seems baffled by my experience as well ¯_(ツ)_/¯ It was a cheap ass car so I wasn't really bothered at the time.

      • Muzeeb on 16/01/2022 - 09:21
        +5

        That route out of Hillside will work. The road between diggers rest and bulla is definitely a C grade road but it's sealed. The other option is just to use the Calder onto the western ring road onto the Hume freeway which becomes the Hume highway. The right turn from Hillside onto the Calder is a bloody death trap though.

        avoided it to save $500.

        Have you done the maths for picking it up? I think it's false economy if you can get it delivered for $500. By time you add taxi fare to Sydney airport, airfare, taxi to Hillside, about $200 in fuel, food and drinks and whatever you think your time is worth per hour it will be very close.

        Also, as you rarely drive long distances I think you are putting yourself and others in danger. To land at Melbourne at 8:30 you are departing Sydney at 7:15 which means you are up around 5am. You will probably have a shits night's sleep in anticipation of the new car. Then driving 10 hours in an unfamiliar car on unfamiliar roads to me spells trouble with a capital t.

        • minty on 16/01/2022 - 09:30
          +1

          Phrased it wrongly, I meant $500 (probably closer to $650, the open top transport is $900-$950 door to door) of difference. Training it to Sydney, then seller is picking me up, what sort of lavish life do you I'm living taxing everywhere!

          I'm still trying to find a free mate for that day but that's unlikely, which is why originally I was going to break it up over two days with a cheapie $50/night airbnb somewhere.

          • Muzeeb on 16/01/2022 - 09:36
            +10

            @minty:

            cheapie $50/night airbnb somewhere.

            If you can find an air bnb between Sydney and Melbourne for $50 then please post as a deal.

          • bobbified on 16/01/2022 - 13:11

            @minty:

            Training it to Sydney, then seller is picking me up…

            You're taking a train up to Sydney? I'm confused because you earlier mentioned something about 100mls limits on liquids, so I (and probably everyone else) has assumed you're flying! 🤣

            (Not saying there's anything wrong with the train, of course!)

            • elcap on 16/01/2022 - 17:29
              +2

              @bobbified: The op said they were flying down to melb, picking up the car and driving back to Sydney…. So I assume they're missing a few parts, ie. Taking the train from home to the airport in syd, flying down to melb and the seller is picking them up from melb airport.

              @minty you don't need to worry about the average speed cameras in nsw as they are only for trucks, but the ones in Vic on the Hume are for cars too, so be careful of those.
              Waze is fantastic for the long trip as it will tell you when youre in the average speed zones.

    • afoveht on 16/01/2022 - 09:50
      +1

      It has been a sealed, mostly dual carriageway, since the 1970s

      Somewhat - the last section to be converted to dual carriageway was definitely well after 2000. Quite pathetically late really for a developed country. And the road from Sydney to Brisbane is still not a dual carriageway for its entire length. How we are not embarrassed by the state of our roads always boggles my mind.

      • foolsgold on 16/01/2022 - 16:59

        which other sparsely populated country is doing better?

        • afoveht on 16/01/2022 - 18:03
          -1

          This "sparsely populated" argument is common but entirely inappropriate. We are amongst the most urbanised countries in the world and our esteem seaboard is littered with people. We're not talking about building freeways into the outback, we're talking about connecting around 15 million people with less than 2000km of modern roadway. You want better performing countries? Try any county in the EU, even the later additions from the former eastern bloc.

          • bsm2122 on 17/01/2022 - 15:19
            +2

            @afoveht:

            This "sparsely populated" argument is common but entirely inappropriate.

            How? have you been on highways in Europe and the USA? The average EU highway has way more traffic than the Hume or Pacific highway. I cannot deny that the EU has the most high quality highways in the world but saying population density has nothing to do with it is stupid.

            Also you are leaving out that you have to pay tolls in most EU countries. A 500km trip on a French highway will cost at around $50.

            • afoveht on 17/01/2022 - 17:14

              @bsm2122: Yes I have driven on highways in the US and Europe numerous times. The amount of traffic on those highways is, like here, seasonal and otherwise fluctuating - I can't think of any intercity freeways that were any more congested than I have at times seen here. In the cities sure there is traffic, just like here. The roads here are often a convoluted mess of converted single lane highways re-purposed for freeways when they build a second carriageway - some sections of the Hume are rough as.

              As for your comparisons, take 2 examples, and old boy from the west and a recent addition from the Balkans:

              Germany: according to wikipedia the autobahn has a total length of 13,183 km, servicing let's say the entire population of 83million. 83 / 15 = 5.5 times the number of people on our eastern seabord, they have 13 / 2 = 6.5 times the amount of roads that I proposed would be fitting for our situation that we don't yet have.

              Croatia: the road joining the 2 largest cities, Zagreb and Split - I would estimate connecting perhaps 2.5 million people - according to google maps 409km. A great road too, riddled with lots of tunnels and overpasses. This is a country with a GDP/capita of around US$13000.

              Either way we're behind. And their roads are better quality than most of ours except perhaps those sections done here in the last 20-30 years. The fact that we even do these small sections - a piecemeal attempt over 70+ years - is pathetic.

              I'd rather pay $50 to go 500km intercity (and catch the foreign dollars too) than pay $20+ (M7, M2, LCT, HB) 2 times per day for the 40km commute from north-west Sydney to the city.

              I wish we would stop defending our failures and call for better.

              • bsm2122 on 18/01/2022 - 03:14
                +1

                @afoveht: I'm sure the people in Croatia earing $13,000 a year love paying $40 to go 400km. The Croatian highway doesn't just connect Zagreb to Split, it also connects countries like Montenegro and Albania to Central and Western Europe. Also Europe charges a lot more tax on fuel as well.

                I can agree with you that tolled highways in Europe are excellent quality but I've been on non toll highways in Italy, Greece and Eastern Europe that are absolutely terrible quality. When I road tripped around Europe I would avoid most toll roads because of the cost resulting in several hours extra added to driving time.

                Also if sparse population has nothing to do with road quality why is one of Europe's wealthiest and arguably most developed country Norway have very few Dual carriageways?

  • Euphemistic on 16/01/2022 - 05:51
    +1

    Most of it is boring, straight dual carriageway. Make sure you stop and rest regularly because you aren’t used to driving long distance. The boy needs to be for a few minutes, but at least every couple of hours. Find a lookout, point of interest jump out and get a selfie or view pic and update your favourite socials then move on.

    • Muzeeb on 16/01/2022 - 06:51

      update your favourite socials then move on.

      This could be good or bad.

      Bad - OP might not have self control to not check likes and comments while driving.

      Good - opportunity to educate OP's "friends" that the Hume is not a goat track.

      • JayM on 18/01/2022 - 11:59

        A goat track would make the drive more interesting

  • Bargain Blesser on 16/01/2022 - 08:13
    +9

    Mate, bugger google, could I suggest research films such as Wolf Creek, just in case you break down? Gives you some idea of what to expect. Also the original Wake in Fright gives a wonderful example of how life’s lived outside the metropolis of Sydney and Melbourne…very realistic. We looove tourists..

    • SBOB on 16/01/2022 - 08:19
      +4

      Mad Max also has some scenes that you may encounter around southern NSW as you drive through that area :)

    • WreckTangle on 16/01/2022 - 09:46
      +4

      Duel is another helpful film to know how to drive around trucks

    • corvusman on 16/01/2022 - 15:18

      I drove from Sydney to Mt Gambier once …

  • FromAtoZ on 16/01/2022 - 08:37

    Most of the trips will be on Hume and M3 so the road condition is fine. It is just a long and boring drive so prepare some music/podcasts etc. it can be done in a day with a few rest stops (ideally a break after 2 hour driving if you are not used to long drive).

    There are heaps of toilet facilities on Hume (some are scary and some are well established )

    Hume on VIC side, just right after you leave metropolitan, has heaps of camera, even a speed-average surveillance zone, so make sure you watch out for speed limits.

    • minty on 16/01/2022 - 09:20

      Noted on the camera bit, I will be exceptionally good on this trip :)

  • pegaxs on 16/01/2022 - 08:51
    +31

    Lol @ is it gravel/dirt. Christ, do people really live in that much of a bubble in major cities that they think anything outside of their suburb lifestyle is the wild outback?

    Yeah, it’s a dirt goat track from about Wollongong to Albury, and then dirt again from Wodonga to Broadmeadow… I hope you are buying a Land Cruiser with a winch or some other suitable 4x4 to do the trip in. Remember to take 4 litres of water, per person, per day, as it’s a 6 to 8 days trek. You’ll need to carry extra fuel cans and a VHF radio and a GPS emergency beacon so rescue crews can find you in the thick bush tracks between Melbourne and Sydney.

    • SBOB on 16/01/2022 - 09:03
      +4

      major cities that they think anything outside of their suburb lifestyle is the wild outback?

      It's why they all buy SUV and 4wd…just in case they need to drive 2 hours out of Sydney ;)

      • pegaxs on 16/01/2022 - 09:25
        +6

        I’m still trying to work out where all this “dust” was on OP’s trip to “Dubbo”.

        Had a friend whose parents had lived on the north shore of Sydney their whole life, ask her that if they came up to visit her in Newcastle would they need to pack for an overnight stay on the way, how much of it was dirt roads, and if they would need to bring their own food for the trip and if there was any fuel available or did they need to pack some “just in case”.

        It’s a 90min (fropanity) drive.

        • Muzeeb on 16/01/2022 - 09:34
          +3

          We've had friends visiting our farm in a town of 25k people. They often bring pets and their first question is

          Is there a vet where you live in case my pooch gets sick?

          Nah, no vets for hours. Better leave your dog at home is my go-to response. They are later surprised we have about 6 practices and they can look after anything from bunnies to bulls.

        • pharkurnell on 16/01/2022 - 10:51

          I’m still trying to work out where all this “dust” was on OP’s trip to “Dubbo”.

          me 2… OP must be in his 70's .. wonder if he is buying a car or horse and cart…. ???

          • DashCam AKA Rolts on 16/01/2022 - 12:10

            @pharkurnell:

            I’m still trying to work out where all this “dust” was on OP’s trip to “Dubbo”.

            Took the detour via the Old Wentworth Road.

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