Syd-Brisb..Any good overnight stop?

Travelling (by bike) Syd-Bris end of week....after school holidays.

Any suggestions for a good town/pub/motel to overnight?

Somewhere around Coffs/Grafton/Ballina.

 

it's only a light ride
just a day trip why stop ?

 

For starters I wouldn't go the coast road and for seconds I wouldn't
take two days!
I'd go Putty, Dungog, Gloucester, and stay at Walcha or Uralla. Day 2
I'd go Ebor, Grafton, Casino, Kyogle and either the Lions Rd to
Beaudesert and Brisneyland or via Murwillumbah, Numinbah Valley,
Advancetown, Nerang and either to the Gold Coast or up the M1 to Brisbane.

 

Elsie's right - the coast way is shite - too many disgruntled and rude
refugees from the big smoke (yes, in non school holiday time as well) doing
despicable things on overtaking lanes - like making sure they are the only
vehicle to overtake the slow truck at the head of the queue) and too many
slow trucks making people cranky and impatient.

betty

 

Agree.

Boxer

 

All good suggestions however schedule constraints prevent me from
leaving Sydney before Thurs and require me arriving in Brisbane on
Friday. Whilst I could do one day, I'd prefer arriving in Brisbane
after a short stint rather than a long haul, totally stuffed.

Looking at Coffs now so can get a tyre changed...eeek out the last of
the tread.

 

Even if you don't stay in it, the pub in Crescent Head is spectacular and
well worth a visit (same beer as anywhere else, but). Unusually for a
coast pub, the view is inland.

 

All good suggestions however schedule constraints prevent me from
leaving Sydney before Thurs and require me arriving in Brisbane on
Friday. Whilst I could do one day, I'd prefer arriving in Brisbane
after a short stint rather than a long haul, totally stuffed.

Looking at Coffs now so can get a tyre changed...eeek out the last of
the tread.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I did Canberra-Armidale the first day, then Armidale-Bris the second.
Admittedly, I was pretty hot and tired by the time I got there, but would've
been less so if I'd had a clear run on each day, rather than traffic snarls
in Sydney on Day 1 and bloody roadworks, gravel and a change of route (due
to roadworks, gravel and bushfires) on Day 2.

btw, I can't remember whether it was in Grafton or Coffs, but there was a
lovely big old pub I stayed at a couple of years ago, called the
Australian - not flash, but it had wide upstairs verandahs and a really nice
restaurant that did garlic mash to die for. Just around the corner was a
kind of hippie emporium that did massive breakfasts.

betty

 

Buy your tyre now. A flat will totally stuff your schedule.

Boxer

 

Agree wholeheartedly.

There's only about 60Km difference between the New England and the
Pacific Highway to get to Brisbane from Sidderknee, and New England is
at least an hour quicker, not to mention a better road with less
traffic.

Taking the Gloucester road to Walcha / Uralla then onto the New
England from Uralla is the lowest trafficked, most pleasant route, and
it's the same travel time give or take as the New England to Armidale
due to there being fewer towns.

If I want to do Brizvegas to Sinders non stop I'd take the Gloucester
road. If I wanted to stop partway with a lot of options then New
England - avoid the Pacfic deathtrap as much as practical

JL

 

In aus.motorcycles on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:33:26 -0800 (PST)

Why take the Pacific Hwy? It's infested with trucks, caravans, and
cops.

Take the New England if you must do the freeway thing. Else just past
Raymond Terrace take Bucket's Way to Gloucester, then Thunderbolt's to
Uralla. You can stay at the pub opposite the bookshop in Uralla, and
browse the bookshop before leaving in the morning. 3 large rooms of
many floor to ceiling shelves...

Else keep going, take Waterfall Way over the top to Grafton and stop
there.

From Grafton take Summerland Way to Casino and either go up to
Tenterfield and the New England from there, or to Murwullimbah and Mt
Lindsay and the back road to Brisbane.

But forget the Pacific Highway!

Zebee
- who has just done that trip, although stopped at just past Kyogle
to stay with a friend and drink, eat, and ingest Certain Substances
that were a great deal of fun. Waterfall is sometimes stunning
surface with many wonderful curves and sometimes pretty damn average
surface with tight off camber turns but on the whole a damn nice ride.
Except when it hailed on me!

 

''Buy your tyre now. A flat will totally stuff your schedule.'"

Indeed wise words..Apart from the lack of traction issues in the wet,
punctures tend to occur during the last 20% of tyre life. And that's
proven to be my experience.

Comfort wise, new tyres are less hush on the Dayto ride comfort
factor. That extra few mm of new rubber helps the suspension.

It's a pareto relationship..80% of punctures in the last 20% of tyre
life. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle (cue for the
stats people in here to comment)

The other cure for preventing tyre punctures is to carry a tubeless
repair kit ...plus...you want drought?..carry wet weather
gear..prevent road trauma on dodgy backroads? ...UHF radio... hundred
bucks (Policeman's Ball)...doesn't work any more. still looking for
alternative.