Sydney to gold coast

[Julia]

Hi! I'm currently staying in Sidney and want to cycle up the north to the gold coast. Does somebody has the same plan an time to join me? Have to be back in Sydney end of december.

Any experiences cycling this trip?

Greetings, Julia

[europa]

I've done it by motorbike ... in the eighties

Welcome to the Nuthouse Julia.

From very old memory, it'd make an interesting trip. Stay off the boring old main highways and meander your way from town to town. It's the sort of area where you could get away with tossing any plans and time frames out the window, and just ride when and where you feel like it. There are some lovely seaside villages along the way (no doubt spoiled by the idle rich now) and some great viewing inland. Even a leisurely zig zag would work.

But think first about staying off the major routes. I doubt they've changed much and my memory talks about lack of room, high speed tin boxes and lots of them.

Richard

[20 inch wheels]

Lonely Planet's Cycling Australia is getting a bit old as a reference, but it does have a detailed description of this ride, devoting 68 pages to a Melbourne to the Gold Coast, via Sydney, ride.

For a more recent description of this ride have a look at downtheroad(dot)org

Tim and Cindie Travis have not too long ago completed this route and documented it on line.

[mikesbytes]

As you are already doing, do tons of research so to find the best route that reduces traffic and includes sealed shoulders.

I would suggest that you contact local bike clubs on the route and seek their advice on roads local to their area.

Coming out of Sydney you have 4 choices
1. Side of the freeway. Good sealed shoulder but unpleasant due to the heavy traffic.
2. Pacific highway. Traffic varies but mainly light, usually a sealed shoulder.
3. Wisemans ferry. Light on traffic but no sealed shoulder. Can have high speed motorcyles on it.
4. Putty rd. Too many high speed motorcyles on it (I use to be one of them)

Based on my current knowledge, I'd probably go up the Pacific Highway then cut over Cessnock way then Maitland and then Glosocter (spelling?), joining back to the Pacific Highway inland from Foster/Tuncurry. Birdman can probably provide some local advice.

Another consideration is what you want to do on the way up.

[stryker84]

Hi! I'm currently staying in Sidney and want to cycle up the north to the gold coast. Does somebody has the same plan an time to join me? Have to be back in Sydney end of december.

Do you mean this year,, or next? What sort of timeframe you looking at?

[Aushiker]

1. Side of the freeway. Good sealed shoulder but unpleasant due to the heavy traffic.

Do you or rather can you ride on the actual freeway or is this a shared path beside the freeway? Here in WA we are not allowed to ride on the freeway itself.

Regards
Andrew

[stryker84]

Not sure of Nsw/QLD, but sounds like it's similar to VIC, youre not allowed to ride on metro freeways, but outside melbourne and intercity highways are okay to ride on, though dull and full of large traffic.

[Aushiker]

Not sure of Nsw/QLD, but sounds like it's similar to VIC, youre not allowed to ride on metro freeways, but outside melbourne and intercity highways are okay to ride on, though dull and full of large traffic.

That sounds similar to us, but we don't have freeways outside of Perth. So no bikes allowed on the road until it "freeway ends" and it becomes a normal highway.

Andrew

[mikesbytes]

You are allowed to ride on most freeways in Sydney

[Kev365428]

To the best of my limited knowledge, you're able to ride anywhere in Syd unless there is a "No Bicycles' sign posted, such as the ones at the start of the M5 east tunnel.

Kev.

[timbo]

By riding on the freeway (actually its not free, so we will call it a motorway, as tollway sounds bad), we actually mean riding on the shoulder or breakdown lane dodging bits of debris as we go.
Its always a bit of a dilemma, as when touring, the scenic twisty bits of road commonly have less traffic but less (or no) shoulder to ride on.
Lakes way from Buladelah to Forster/Tuncurry is a good example of this.

[xyz55]

As you are already doing, do tons of research so to find the best route that reduces traffic and includes sealed shoulders.

I would suggest that you contact local bike clubs on the route and seek their advice on roads local to their area.

Coming out of Sydney you have 4 choices
1. Side of the freeway. Good sealed shoulder but unpleasant due to the heavy traffic.
2. Pacific highway. Traffic varies but mainly light, usually a sealed shoulder.
3. Wisemans ferry. Light on traffic but no sealed shoulder. Can have high speed motorcyles on it.
4. Putty rd. Too many high speed motorcyles on it (I use to be one of them)

Based on my current knowledge, I'd probably go up the Pacific Highway then cut over Cessnock way then Maitland and then Glosocter (spelling?), joining back to the Pacific Highway inland from Foster/Tuncurry. Birdman can probably provide some local advice.

Another consideration is what you want to do on the way up.

I rode the Putty Road way and I can recommend it - lots of trees, little traffic, bush camping sites abound. I didn't see many motor bikes either, maybe they appear mostly at weekends? I did this 3 or 4 weeks ago - see my blog http://davidddinoz.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html

[mikesbytes]

I rode the Putty Road way and I can recommend it - lots of trees, little traffic, bush camping sites abound. I didn't see many motor bikes either, maybe they appear mostly at weekends? I did this 3 or 4 weeks ago - see my blog http://davidddinoz.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html

Yeh the motorbikes are out on the weekend, however the cops had "operation sports bike" and put a spanner in their fun, so they may have moved on somewhere else.

[banjo]

Julia, I have been planning a ride from Melb to Bris for some time. Plan to leave Melb early Oct and pass through Syd area late Oct then on to Bri. If this looks like it might fit in with your plans let me know and I'll PM you with contact details.