Driving home from Tassie Cruise - Advice?

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[AM_XR4]

Not sure whether this is the best location to put this post - it's pretty random so the pub is probably the right place.

I'm doing the Tassie trip in May with a few guys from our forum and the XR5 guys.  Should be an absolutely epic trip.  As I am driving down from Brissie, I was going to drive down to Melbourne on the Newell.  A quick but boring 2 day blast if all goes to plan.

However, on the way back, I have a few extra days up my sleeve so am thinking of making an event of it and seeing some new scenery, providing the car, driver and driver's budget hold out.  I have a feeling that I am a beggar for punishment...

Here's my dream itinerary:

- Melbourne - Omeo (via the south coast) - 408km
- Omeo - Canberra (via Cooma) - 440km (Canberra's boring, but the scenery should be terrific driving in)
- Canberra - Bathurst (the pilgrimage!) - only 295km
- Bathurst - Tamworth (via Lithgow and the Putty Road) - 505km
- Tamworth - Brisvegas (about 600 clicks, give or take)

Adds about 5 nights to the trip, but some of the best windies in Vic and NSW.  Plus might be a good chance to meet some of you crazy southern kids, if any one is keen for some mountain shenanigans.

Any thoughts or words of advice?

I know this is a massively, massively ambitious schedule.  I expect I will need to pare this down a bit, or add a day or two of R&R in the middle, but I’m used to long days in the saddle.  Wanted to cram in as much as I could while I'm down there...

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[XR4er]

I would love to do it but I won't be on the EAAST side (spoken like a gangsta)  Do putty road as you want to, also do Royal national park and macquarie pass, relatively short but awesome roads!! And old pacific highway.

[vhcbm_Mk7]

I would agree with what Alex said, great areas for a drive however they will add significant amounts of time to your journey. Let me know if you do the National park, I might join you for that run as it is only 10 minutes from me.

[broady]

andrew, bathurst to tamworth:  MAP  takes in Jenolan Caves twisties, Bells Line twisties, Putty Road and Thunderbolts Way. The section between Singelton and Gloucester is a little bumpy, but i did it in my Mondy ok. You could always go by the major highway for that bit as you'll have driven some pretty awesome roads for the rest of the trip.

if you can, when heading for Brisvegas, a run down the Oxley Hwy from Tamworth to Port Macquarie is well worth it too. 75km of the most awesome twisties heading down the mountain. then you can have a cruisy run up to Brisvegas via the highway.

[Cholly]

i wish we could have gone again too hahaha!! we didnt have the xr4 wen we lived there, we did the awesome roads in our courier...... which was great... hahahaha
then went 4wding and got stuck in a waterfall for 6 hours.....

dont go 4wding....

[XR4er]

Very simple message..... Don't go 4wding! Lol should have told that to Damo 

[Peety117]

IMO forget going through Bathurst, unless you want to and like seeing rolling hills...

Do your vic bit and come up into NSW til about Moss Vale, then head east on the Illawarra Highway through Macquarie Pass, then  up past Wollongong through the royal national park. Stay in Sydney then either head out to Richmond to Putty rd or up along the old pacific highway then through Wollombi.

If you take the  Putty Rd route head up to Tamworth then head to the coast via the Oxley Highway, imo the best road in NSW. You should then consider from Coff's to do the Waterfall Way back to Armidale, then New England Highway home.

If you go up old pac you can still do oxely highway, just start from the opposite end.

[AM_XR4]

Thanks for all the advice guys - you're all legends!  Sounds like you have had some pretty bad luck Cholly...

I was only thinking about Bathurst because I have always wanted to do a lap of Mt Panorama.   I imagine the scenery would be a bit like Canberra...lots of sheep farms?

I'm not really sure whether I will be able to cram all this in to be honest - I have the time off work, but it's more whether I have the budget or inclination after two weeks of hard driving in Tassie.  Probably closer to the time, once I've sorted out a bit of a plan, I'll let you guys know.  Peety, I think I now have my route from Tamworth planned...

It would be really good to catch up with you all.  Seems the XR4s are becoming an endangered species, so it's always good to see them out and about.

[07xr4]

if you can i think you swhould visit bathurst if youve never been, you really dont know how steep it is until youve been there.

[dennis]

let us know how you go from Omeo to cooma,
  Dennis

[cal213]

i can set up a black spurs/reefton cruise with the xr5 guys if you like? but like you say, depends if people have the time and money left over to do it. im a vic so its easy for me.