sunnyj

Hello we are driving up to the Gold Coast from Adelaide in a few weeks time.
I know people have done it before and posted on here but I am too lazy to search. We want to get there as soon as possible bearing in mind we have 3 kids. What is the best direct route there and are there any reasonable campsites with cabins or if it works out too expensive, campsites with powered pitches. We only want to stay 1 night a time until we get there.
I have been told that you can do it comfortably in 3 days. The sat nav said it takes 25 hours. Are we mad to be thinking we can do it in 3 days?

Thank you.

punoo

Wow in 3 days!!!! thts really fast. We are going to do the same route in march but planning to spend 1-2 mths enjoying the drive and descovering places on the way.
Try to use the coastel road..very beautiful and u will see some great landscapes! For camping details buy Camps 5 book..suppose to be very good!
All the best!

Hino

That's a damn shame

Hoola

Expensive but...Western Plains Zoo..great to visit as you'll be enroute

quoll

All depends on what route you take. The "outback" road is going to be fairly dull in all honesty. The coastal route is going to take you too long but is far better scenery wise. Work out your route first and then you may get better advice about where to stop and look. It's a long haul!

Red_V_Roger

Make sure you visit 'Shear Outback' in Hay on the Sturt Highway. A museum about shearing sheep. But its very interesting really...

mulben

Take the Sturt Hwy to Narrandera then go up the Newell Hwy
I wouldnt take the coastal Hwy as it would add 600+ kms to your
trip as well as being a lot slower.
Narrandera to Goondiwindi is possible but Narrabri is a comfortable
distance.If you want to stop at Moree go all the way to the north side of town-across the river.

All towns on the Newell Hwy have good accommodation at all prices-
most do family rooms -four or five beds(motels)
Most will give a lower price when asked
Get a Golden Chain card 10% discount.
Breakfast at the local bakery which are usually open at 6am

chris and farideh

we did that drive & took us 4 nights & 5 days, very boring drive, we stayed at BB on our way to GC, as we were just too tried to put a tent up after the long drive.
would I do it again, mmm no, but for the experince it was good thing to do, we also drove with our 3 children, we stopped over in Dish which was nice place to check out, if you go to RAA they'll do the best safe route for you to do your journey.

mulben

We used to leave straight after school and go 300/400 kms - in your case Renmark and you will do it with ease in 3 days

I would agree with c+f
just too tried to put a tent up after the long drive.
By Dish I think he means Parkes Observatory ,not sure on SA but in NSW if your a member of NRMA you get special deals on accommodation which is reciprocal with QLD and Vic . Pick up a NRMA
motel and caravan park guide , it gives all prices and directions . If you can,t get one in Renmark there is a NRMA depot in Wentworth (when
you cross the river at Mildura)

sunnyj

Thanks everyone for your replies. We want to get there asap and will probably take in more sites on the way back. We are going to join the RAA and we will ask them for any info. I was thinking it would be best to stay in some cheap place, maybe a small cabin at a caravan park. This will give us more time to travel and we will get a better nights sleep (hopefully).

Darren-Debbie

we stayed in a cabin overnight at Armidale while driving through the mountains, was really cheap, very clean. also Bathurst is worth stopping at, not sure of any campsites or cabins there though.

ozzieeagle

I've done Melbourne to GC in one go a couple of times. Wouldn't do that anymore. The Newell is a very fast road, not a lot of things worth seeing from my point of view. My wife spent her very early years in Parkes, and one visit is enough. Very flat and just open plains for a hell of a lot of the Newell. I just head for Moree these days as it has naturally heated mineral springs, which is great at the end of a long Drive. GC is only 6 hours from there... 7 if you take it easy. So take the Newell if you want to get there fast. Overtaking truck convoys is really interesting I managed 160k's overtaking a group of them once. Very straight road and very safe. Wifes Brother Manages a big station called Lapunyah out west of Goondawindi, really interesting place, airstrip, own school, helicopters for shooting wild pigs, cotton, piggery, cattle, the lot. It's great for a quick visit, personally I get very toey after a few days there.... too remote.




If I were going up the Coast, I would make it a 7 day trip. A lot more to see.

NigelWaring

You don't tell us the age of your children but if they are in the right group it could be worth planning a route to call into as many McDonalds as possible. They have toilets, not always the cleanest and some smell a bit, generally they have a McCafe so you can get a reasonable snack. The main thing is that you send the children off into the play area whilst you enjoy your break then you take their food back to the car. The exercise they've just had plus the snack that they are eating keeps them quiet for quite a while. I know many who do this, on most routes they are two to three hours apart.