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18 Jan 2010 | Which stretches of highway bother you?

In the February edition of Caravan World, reader Terry Hanckel of Helensvale, Qld, expressed concern about the condition of the Warrego Highway between Toowoomba and Chinchilla.

What do you think? Which stretches of highway bother you?
COMMENTS (27)
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
I agree some of the highways are not the best But we found that as long as we drove to the conditions there wasn't a problem, Before leaving Hughendon for Winton we asked the locals what it was like ? The answer " acouple of Dodgy sectiond " but apart from a couple of K's in the middle it was great,.The road between Toowoomda & Mitchel was good surface but it was like being on a boat going over swells, but at 80kms/hour no problem. I think a lot is to do with towing big vans with Falcon size vehicles. We haave an 84 Sahara towing a windsor Sunseeker and we travel comfortably at 90 Kms/hour & still get to Camp at a reasonable time. Tom aka Shorty Sydney. Incidently 'me' mate Browny (who does the driving)she thinks the same.
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
After dragging a caravan for 85000km around this great country,I believe the worst roads are as some other people before me have stated,in Qld(heading east/west)north of the sunshine coast.The best are in WA.The most dangerous highway is the Pacific.
Dave and Marg Birchall
Frankston. Vic
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
The question not asked, is if we want great roads to tow a van on are you willing to pay for it.
Who can expect a great road to all the places we want to go to so far away from population centres.
Yes we have some shockers and some are scary but if you travel with a well maintained van and some common sense you should have no problems at all.
So stop complaing about a road you may only travel once or twice check out the country and enjoy your trip
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
Many of our major highways are in difficulties the problem seems to me that most of these are funded by Federal Government so local shires are not interested and dont want to upset the feds as they might not get federal funds.

Having said this I recently travelled the From Leigh Creek to Adamoonka along the old Ghan Road.
This road is of course an outback road and is not sealed.
In june when we went to lake eyre I found it in very good condition given the remoteness and low traffic volume.
You would only travel this route in a 4x4 and with and outback camping trailer. aythink else and you ask for trouble.
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
after just coming back from eden,[after george bass]i can verifie the statements made about the princess hwy,
m ackerman Bulli
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
My wife and I have been caravanning since 1980, and having travelled extensively through this great country, the Queensland roads have not improved in any way shape or form at all, if anything they have gotten worse. They are very rough and narrow, with large eroded areas at the edges. If the Queensland powers to be dont start catering for the caravanning tourist that travel throughout their state by improving the roads, their is going to be a lot more accidents with dire results. G. Hodge WA
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
After travelling around this country of ours for the past 9 years since retiring, I feel that most roads are o.k. if people take them for what they are and slow down and addapt to the conditions instead of blindly flogging along with caravan in tow, there would be less accidents and happier travellers.Before you start blaming the roads, start looking at driver incompitence such as huge caravans being sold to grey nomads with no caravan towing experience. Dave from Landsborough
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
Perhaps true 'off-road' caravans are the only way to handle all the 'on-road' experiences these folk are describing thru Australia?
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
We're Queenslanders so it is upsetting to have to say that when it comes to road conditions we're always glad to travel interstate. Qld roads are surely the worst in the country. When the state government decides to spend some of our hard earned dollars on road works it seems to take forever and when completed there is not a lot of improvement. We particularly enjoy towing the van in N.S.W., S.A. and Tassie. Their roads are the best in our opinion.
David (Redlands).
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
The Newell Highway - Goondiwindi to the Victorian border has got to be of great concern to the RTA. Recently the speed limit was reduced from 110 to 100 due to the incompetence of this organisation to keep and maintain the road in a "highway" condition. It is not only the trucks which do damage but all the vehicles travelling on that road, and the maintenance is appalling. The RTA's assessment of safety on this road in my book, on a score of 1 - 10 is about 3!! You've got to do better - less spending on Pollies and more on roads.
Rod, Moree resident
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
Just as a change - we were in WA late last year from Kunnunnurra to the Border Village and found all their main highways to be in tip top condition - what a pleasant surprise. They even drag the road kill off the road each night! I have to agree about the Qld road comments - also the Princes Hwy and Bruce Hwy, lots of work needed there.
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
The Newell Hwy between both borders has deteriorated that badly the powers that be have lowered the speed limit from 110 to 100 kph and intend to lower it to 90. Wouldn't it be better to improve the road?
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
I have read all of the below comments & a lot of these comments are about secondary or other roads not highways as the original letter was about. I do agree there are a lot of bad roads out there, including highways, secondary & others. You could mention just about every road (including highways)in Australia that have some poor sections. What we do is drive to the condition of the at hand, or if we want to see something & the road is poor we leave the behind.
wazza, thornton nsw
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
The Gibb River rd should be renamed
"THE CHIROPRACTOR"it has more Bumps in it than a polititions election speach and twice as many vibrations as the Beach Boys.
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
The question is: Which stretches of highway bother you? A lot of the answers so far are not Hwy's but development roads etc. All of my vanning in the past 3 years has been in Queensland and believe that the Bruce Hwy from Brisbane to Mossman is 80% poor some sections are worse than others thay are: Sarina - Mackay and Mackay - Cairns. I have been up and back 3 times
NWK Tinaroo
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
Having a completed a 39,000 kms trip around Australia, including most of the abovementioned roads, (except for Tassy) the worst stretch by far was the Kennedy Development Road from Hughenden to The Lynd Junction. This road made the Gibb River Road, Canning Stock Route and The Savannah Way look and feel like an 8 lane German Autobahn. In saying all that, all roads are dangerous and you must alter your driving style acording to the prevailing conditions. Tom, Wagga Wagga
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
1. Gawler to Clare in SA is shocking.
2. Qld section of Newell Highway is ripped up by semis.
3. Willunga to Victor Harbor, SA should be 4 lane highway. Number of accidents & deaths are shameful.
Camper from Willunga,SA
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
Newell highway Moree-Goondawindi poor road surface due grain trucks no road repairs
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
The Bruce highway from Makay to cairns is real bad.Section are so narrow and the road is full of dips ,pot holes and the edges need filling. Some work has been done between Cardwell and Tully but its obvious the government looks after southern Queensland. Other areas in outback Queensland suffer from the same neglct
Ian & Irene Casey Buderim formly Nth QLD
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
split our over riding coupling along its length on the road between chinchilla to proston qld was a shock to find the damage when unhooking
ken&helen davis yarra nsw.
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
There was one little "spur" on a New England trip in NSW between the little hamlet of Watsons Creek and Manila. You could check the tailights on the camper trailer as you went around. Not the best place to attempt to tow - local farmer told me later he would detour many miles rather than drive through in his Suzuki 4WD.
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
The stretch of road between Woodenbong and Kyogle (Northern NSW)requires much concentration due to the sharp bends,80-100km speeds and patches of unmade road.
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
I am not familiar with the condition of the Warrego Highway in Qld which Terry Hanckel expresses concern about in the January edition of Caravan World however being a resident of a small town close to Ulladulla I have personal experience as to the Princes Highway in NSW.

The Highway, south of Nowra and particularly south of Ulladulla NSW has recently claimed 6 lives in two separate accidents, as well as the lives of many local mainly young people in past years.
It has short sections where there are overtaking lanes but for the main part is single lane in each direction with narrow shoulders and trees and other vegetation close to the road.
Being the only coastal route from Sydney to the South Coast and into Victoria, and without any rail link past Bomaderry (Nowra) there is no alternative method of transporting fuel, timber or foodstuffs to the many towns in this popular tourist destination. Consequently many large and heavy vehicles use this road each day and night.

In the Christmas holiday period as well as at Easter many thousands of tourists flock to the towns along the coast putting even more strain on the highway.
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
definitely the worst road I have travelled on is the road between Hughenden and Winton. There is even a sign posted telling you to drive in the centre of the road. Terry Hobbs,Salisbury Pk S.A
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
none
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
The Princes Highway between Cann River & Eden has dangerous spots on some bends with trees blocking proper view. Gippsland Shire when you call them not interested. Coolart Road Somerville to balnarring in Victoria has many overhanging dangerous trees some ready to fall.ornington Shire not interested either.
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 month ago
The scariest road that we came across during a 2 year trip around Oz was a small section of about 16 km in Tasmania known as Elephant's Pass. You couldn't pass a pushbike let alone an elephant. It was a single lane road up a mountain on the way to St Mary's and whilst scary (the back of the van was out over the cliff face I'm sure), we are glad we did it as it was a real experience!
Jim & Di O'Mara, Maroochydore.

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Wednesday, 10 March 2010