Wol

We have to drive from Bowral to Orange on Friday, and to make a change will go to the West of the Blue Mountain park.

My maps are not the newest (!). The road from Goulburn up through Crookwell and Blayney to Orange has sections marked as possibly unsealed: if we go down to Yass and then North through Cowra it appears to be "proper" roads.

Anyone "local" enough to know whether the Crookwell way is comfortably driveable?

ozhappy981

Have you got the RAC in NSW? (Tried to google it for you but couldn't actually find it.)

Our WA version has an online journey planner and a telephone travel advice line. If you can track down the NSW version they may be able to help (they should have up-to-date info on the state of the roads).

NickyC

I've been on a bit of the Blayney/Crookwell Road - from Blayney to Abercrombie Caves. That bit is definitely sealed. I believe there's a short section (around 15k) of unsealed road further south - probably around the Abercrombie River. It's supposedly quite wild country around there.

Yass to Orange via Cowra is 100% sealed. I've driven on that one a few times.

I'd take the wild road every time. Much more exciting, definitely shorter and probably more scenic too..

quoll

Havent used that road but I would imagine it would be much like many other NSW "highways" - even if they are unsealed doesnt mean they are undrivable - we use unsealed roads in our little Fiesta quite often and if they are "main" roads they are well graded and maintained - it's when you get out to Woop woop that they become a bit dodgy. It's a bit of a shock when you first start but you get used to it. It doesnt look as if it would be as bad as the road out to McKillops Bridge and we have done that a couple of times in a Fiesta. I see Googlemaps takes you that way and the street view seems to point to that Junction Point Rd being a fairly bog standard unsealed road. It is almost an hour shorter than the other way so it all depends on whether time is important to you or not.

stevenglish

Sounds like the best way to me, Hume highway from Golbourne to Yass should take you past the Yass McDonalds sign. it's pure class

Wol

Don't be cute <g>.

Our one and only trip through Yass was a disaster - the Navman took us out of Yass (good) about 30Km to join up with the Hume - only to find that there wasn't an entry there (the road just went over the Hume) and we had to retrace all the way back to Yass (bad).

Wol

Thanks, Quoll. It does look like the "scenic" route.

stevenglish

not being cute, look at this. It's now open 24 hours

Wol

Well, I'm back!

Went via Goulburn - Crookwell: the road has several sections which aren't sealed but they are perfectly driveable, if a little corrugated and very dusty.

Coming back we took the more Western road and cut across from Cowra and Boorowa across to Gunning and the Hume Highway - about 30Km of unsealed but graded gravel and almost as fast as tarmac.

Saw about 50 kangaroos - but all squashed at the roadside!