Navigational help required (Sydney)

I need to go to a funeral this Wednesday (16th April) at Castlebrook
Crematorium, Windsor Rd, Rouse Hill. The funeral is at 11am.

Given that I'll be coming in from Canberra and I'm not keen on
traffic, is it worth my while going via Campbelltown-Penrith-Windsor
via the Northern Road?

Also, my street directory is from 2003. Has much changed in that time
out west that's going to get me lost?

Thanks.


BTH

 

I'd try the Western Distributor, and then the Sunnyholt Rd turnoff which
takes you through to Windsor Rd. Left turn, and you're there very soon
after.

 

Are there any tolls along that route? Maybe I should get myself a new
directory after all.


BTH

 

www.racq.com.au
(from Narellan):
1 Start on The Northern Road Narellan
2 Continues as Camden Valley Way Narellan 488 metres
3 Continues as Camden Valley Way Harrington Park
4 Bear left Camden Valley Way exit
5 Continues as Westlink Prestons 553 metres
6 Bear left Westlink Prestons 32.89 kms
7 Bear left Sunnyholt Road exit Kings Park 562 metres
8 Turn left Sunnyholt Road Kings Park 2.55 kms
9 Turn left Clarendon Drive Stanhope Gardens 264 metres
10 Take the 1st roundabout exit Midlands Terrace Stanhope Gardens 712
metres
11 Turn right Newbury Avenue Stanhope Gardens 200 metres
12 Turn left Old Windsor Road Stanhope Gardens 917 metres
13 Continues as Windsor Road Kellyville Ridge
14 Finish on Windsor Road Rouse Hill

Totals 59.61 kms 54:51 Minutes

 

Nah - I'm sure it would take 54:52 . . .

 

The Western Distributor (aka M7) is a toll road, but is has the rare
distinction of actually being worth the money! You don't need an e-tag
though, you can get an 'electronic' pass by either calling 13 8655 or
applying through http://www.roam.com.au - you can sort it prior to your
trip, or up to 48 hours afterwards. Of course, if you are not prepared
to use toll-roads under any circumstances then it's probably not the
route to take.

If you really want to avoid the traffic though, and not pay any tolls,
then I would highly recommend turning off the Hume at the Hilltop/Colo
Vale exit (immediately north of Mittagong) and going up through
Buxton/Thirlmere/The Oaks/Wallacia to come out at Penrith, and then use
the Northern Road to finish it off. It's a great scenic ride in its own
right, and quite enjoyable.

 

That's the problem you get when you rely on websites for directions!

That list can be condensed to simply:
1. Hume Highway from Canberra
2. Bear left onto M7
3. Exit M7 at Sunnyholt Rd exit
4. Turn left on to Old Windsor Rd.
5. continue until you get to the cemetary

 

I'm sure it would be, but I'll be in the car.


BTH

 

Well, it's still a scenic drive, if you like.

Although if you're after the avoidance of tolls and not taking too long
to get there, then you're probably better off going via Narellan. The
scenic route does come at a price of its own, time-wise.

 

I had a close look at Google maps then my 2003 Sydney street
directory, and the M7 is marked in dotted lines as a "proposed
freeway". What a bugger that it turned into a tollway, eh?

Getting there on-time is a bit more important to me than the toll, I
might try a different route home though.


BTH

 

Just beware that the Hume itself becomes a parking lot from Campbelltown
(ie. well before the M7 exit) from around 6am and stays that way for a
few hours.

 

If you dont want to pay tolls:

Canberra - Hume Hwy
Take the liverpool exit and turn LEFT (signs indicate towards camden)
Turn RIGHT onto Cowpasture Road
Follow ALLLLLLLL the way to a set of lights labelled Eastern Creek Raceway -
This is Ferriers Road
Follow all the way till you hit the Great western (one roundabout at the
creek that you bear left at)

Cross Great western

Follow this road, youll come to a roundabout indicating doonside, go
straight thru
Next roundabout takes you up and over a small bridge, bear right here.

This road eventually renames itself the quakers hill parkway
Follow it till it T Intersections on to sunnyholt road

Turn Left

Few sets of lights and you are at windsor road, hang a left, and its about 5
k's north of there, on the left, you physically cant miss this place, its
frakkin hooge

At the time of day youre talking about, 11am, if you hit liverpool at about
9, maybe 9:15, you wont have any problems with traffic

 

Thanks all, I'll take it on board.

I've now got another one to attend on Thursday as well, but it's here
in Canberra and I should be able to find it OK.

Let's just hope this isn't one of those "happens in threes"
things. :-/


BTH

 

Damn; now I've got to go to a funeral this week too.
She was well into he 90s but she was sharp-as-a-tack and a great visit and
I'm kicking myself that I didn't drop by on the way home from the GP last
year like I did the few years previous (damn Howard for losing his Gearsack
and making us backtrack!)
Leo and I also tried to visit a few months later but she was ill and had
been taken away to hospital.

She was also a great living link to her long-passed little sister; my
mother.
Like all of her siblings she never touched a drop of alcohol in her life but
I can't think of any other way to salute her.

 

People would rather stop than get any closer to Sydney?

 

Fark don't say that!!

 

Shit, bad luck Clem.
Have a drink to remember and celebrate, but don't drown in it.

SteveB

 

I can only imagine. We drove up to Nambucca early December last year,
and I thought that aiming to be on the M5 by 6am would mean we'd beat
the traffic. Bloody hell, was I ever wrong! At 6am, we were still stuck
in traffic near Campbelltown, and it took us half an hour to make it to
the M5 and another 1 1/2 hours to get to North Shitney. Keeping in mind
that we got into Sydney around 6am to start with.

Seriously, what sort of problems does a shithole have when major
multi-laned freeways can be so completely choked with traffic so early
in the day? I have no pity for the saps who live there, as they chose
it, but I still can't understand why they'd want to. Some people say
"yeah, but that's where the jobs are", to which I respond "well, the
jobs go where the people are!"

Anyway, if you DO have to go through Shitney then use the M2/M7 - sure,
its at a small financial cost, but the savings to your sanity are more
than worth it!

 

Agreed... so you didn't use it then...

Bit late for your sanity eh?


G-S

 

My mum came over from Frogmore yesterday, and we headed off this
morning at 6. We made good time, so I went the way I knew via the
Cumberland Highway, then turning onto Old Windsor Rd. Didn't have any
problems (in spite of mum's adamant refusal to navigate!), and we
arrived with an hour to spare.

Uncle Pud had a small attendance (probably due to outliving most of
his family), but a good eulogy. He was a top bloke, and he'll be
missed.


BTH