Sydney to Brisbane

[RAPID_BA]

Originally Posted by No.6

Gday forum gurus!

In a months time i will be taking a short holiday to the gold coast...by car...from sydney. I have never done an epic drive of this magnitude before...in fact, the longest drive would have to be from sydney to nelson bay. So, for those of you that have done such a thing is there any tips you have or precautions i should take?

Im also interested in roughly how many kms/fuel stops it will take to get there. My car is an 09 xr6t..around sydney i get about 370-400km per tank...could i expect to get 550km per tank to brisbane?

I know i could just fly up there, but what is the use of having such a nice car when you only drive it around metro sydney!

Thanks in advance.

I have done this drive at least 10 times, bank on 1 and a half tanks each way and under $100 each way and about 11 hours with reasonable stops. Its an awesome drive, here are my tips.

Make SURE you have quality tyres on the car, you don't want it to rain for hours on end and you get the hippy shakes. Tyres are most important. One of my drives I had three lots of flat tyres.

Polish the front end of the car at least for bugs and crap to later be easily cleaned.

Drive during the night, easier on the car with cooler temps, no sun, less cars on road, better economy and higher average speed. ( But you will feel a little hungover the next day, but better than wasting a day on the road)

Swap drivers every 2-3 hours and try snooze when your not in the pilots seat.

Treat the windscreen to anti fog and anti rainN makes a big difference for at least half the trip and invaluable should it rain.

Don't do the first leg to newcastle, its all traffic to get out of sydney and not much of a drive. Best leg is leg number 2 all highway. Then after coffs harbour for the run home as the sun rises.

I have driven all sorts of cars there and back, my favourite is an old 88 model pintara I drove with a mate back a few years. Those cars when travelling 110km/h felt like your going 200km/h (like vl commodores), it was lowered to the max so we felt every bump, it had an exhaust which droned like buggery and no power steering, it rained for half the trip, It felt like driving in a rally, felt really fast, loud, low, I was crossed up more often than not, bouncing and muscleing the car around the road the whole way, frantic on the steering left and right bendS, overtaking when overtaking lanes presented themselves and in hysterics laughing. He had retreads which developed an air bubble towards the end. Best drive ever!!!!

In your car 100km/h will feel slow, it will be a relaxed cruiser. Tyres are most important mate