How long to drive Melb to Brisbane

TS50 · 12-04-2007, 12:33 PM

I am just wondering if I can get some feedback on how long it takes to drive from Melbourne to Brisbane.
I am not looking to set any records, but no stops apart from those for food, petrol and rests.
But just a sensible drive, not looking for sight seeing or anything.
Any help would be gratefully accepted

DBourne · 12-04-2007, 12:37 PM

probably do it in 2 days...
melbourne > sydney = 10hrs at most
sydney > brisbane = 12hrs or so at most id say

PDIDDY · 12-04-2007, 12:39 PM

2 years ago, we got of the Spirit at 7.30am in Melb, and made it to Gosford by 7.30pm that night. Left Gosford at 8.00am next morning and made Brisvegas by 5.30pm that evening. That was sitting on a constant 115-120kmh with rest stops every 4hours.

TS50 · 12-04-2007, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SgtBourne

probably do it in 2 days...
melbourne > sydney = 10hrs at most
sydney > brisbane = 12hrs or so at most id say

Am I right in saying that is a more inland highway, that does not go near Sydney?, which again is shorter? something like 18 hrs drive?
I dont know, but I was sure someone mentioned that once.

DBourne · 12-04-2007, 12:42 PM

umm no idea off the top of my head TS50. i would have thought your best bet would be hume h.way and then evenutally once in sydney get on the pacific h.way but i could be wrong... i only do the syd > melb trip bout twice a year, and syd > bris once a year. so i've never done the trips without stopping at home in syd...
if that makes sense

TS50 · 12-04-2007, 12:43 PM

it does, and thank you for your input

DBourne · 12-04-2007, 12:50 PM

no worries. what you doing it for?
depends on how many drivers you have with you as well and what kind of driver you are...

for example i find driving melbourne > sydney much easier than sydney > melbourne... why i have no idea, its the same peice of road!

also if i have my girlfriend or someone to talk to it makes the trip fly by... also having the 12th man playing makes long trips seem like 5min commutes!!

TS50 · 12-04-2007, 12:57 PM

need to just get a vehicle up there, (BF XR6) for a family memeber, then spending some time up there with them, I believe it will just be me, i think the wife will fly up direct (she wont go on the boat for a start), and its almost as cheap to fly from Tassy to Brisbane than it is to fly to melb.

Poetic Justice · 12-04-2007, 01:02 PM

The route up Newell Highway is the best bet if you're looking for a direct ride without sight seeing.

I did Gold Coast -> Melbourne last year... went out through Warwick and out to Newell Highway and came back through Vic via Shepparton etc.

I don't know many precise roads to take but notable the Newell Highway is the main highway you'd be on for the trip.

Hope this is a tiny bit of help..

JC · 12-04-2007, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TS50

I am just wondering if I can get some feedback on how long it takes to drive from Melbourne to Brisbane.
I am not looking to set any records, but no stops apart from those for food, petrol and rests.
But just a sensible drive, not looking for sight seeing or anything.
Any help would be gratefully accepted

To give you an idea, I did Canberra to Brisbane in mid Feb, stopping every 2 hours, for 15 mins (and 45 mins for meal times), and we did it in 16 hours easy. That's generally sticking to the speed limit (lots of fixed, but marked, cameras on the pacific/princes highway). We also did Canb to Melbourne in early March and that was 9 hours, again stopping every 2 hours etc (we have 3 small kids).

Canberra is around 1 hour from the Hume, so if you drop one hour out of each of those times and add them together, you get 23 hours - it's around 1800km total distance, so you could do it in 19 or so, but if you want to get there alive, I recommend the 2 hour stop strategy as it works for me.

pb02 · 12-04-2007, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackout

The route up Newell Highway is the best bet if you're looking for a direct ride without sight seeing.

I did Gold Coast -> Melbourne last year... went out through Warwick and out to Newell Highway and came back through Vic via Shepparton etc.

I don't know many precise roads to take but notable the Newell Highway is the main highway you'd be on for the trip.

Hope this is a tiny bit of help..

We used to go this way when I was a kid. We would usually leave on a friday night and stop at the VIC/NSW border for the night. Then make it to Warwick the next night which would leave us about 4 hours to Gold Coast.

If you leave Melbourne early morning I would think you should get to Brisbane by mid afternoon the next day.

**Charliewool** · 12-04-2007, 03:32 PM

Used to do this trip a lots... It is aprox 1650kms via the Newell. My best time was 15 1/4 hrs in my AU V8 ute.
This can be done "reasonably" legally providing you limit stops STRICTLY to fuel & toilet..
Used to have the esky packed with snacks & drinks beside me. I'd get a really early night, set alarm and leave home (Maribyrnong) at 2am.. 1st fuel stop Narandara by 6.30am, 2nd fuel stop Coonabarabran around 11am.. last fuel stop was Goondawindi.. Arrive Brissie just on dark, (depending on traffic on Ipswich Mty) usually around 6pm.

daz82 · 12-04-2007, 03:49 PM

Use whereis.com.au
best website, then just subtract a little time for doing a little over the posted limit if you so wish.

gozza · 12-04-2007, 03:54 PM

My dad and i left Melb Midnight and arrived in Brisbane around 4.30-5.0 The next Day...Maybe a tad earlier.....We only breaked when we needed fuel......You can mkae up some fair time driving between 1am-6am lol

we bypassed sydney also

Poetic Justice · 12-04-2007, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charliewool

Used to do this trip a lots... It is aprox 1650kms via the Newell. My best time was 15 1/4 hrs in my AU V8 ute.
This can be done "reasonably" legally providing you limit stops STRICTLY to fuel & toilet..
Used to have the esky packed with snacks & drinks beside me. I'd get a really early night, set alarm and leave home (Maribyrnong) at 2am.. 1st fuel stop Narandara by 6.30am, 2nd fuel stop Coonabarabran around 11am.. last fuel stop was Goondawindi.. Arrive Brissie just on dark, (depending on traffic on Ipswich Mty) usually around 6pm.

Beat me by 45 mins!

I managed Gold Coast Melbourne in just over 16 hours. I left at 4am in the morning however I think a majority of the advantage was the 4am drive from Gold Coast to Warwick which was a very exhilerating bout of twisties with no on coming traffic.

xf_vanner · 12-04-2007, 05:23 PM

I've just dont the trip a month or so ago it took me about 2 days with a few stops. straight up the hume then take the pacific highway. The pacific is a great scenic highway so u'll enjoy it.

Outbackjack · 12-04-2007, 05:30 PM

Did the drive a few years ago. Non stop, asides from petrol, pee, and food, took 20 hours with two drivers.

Bill_R · 12-04-2007, 06:00 PM

Whereis gives:
Travel: 1,681.76 km
estimated time: 18 hrs 18 minutes
with no rest stops. That woudl be usign the Newell.

Interesting - my brother-in-law does Sale to Hastings Point (25 km south of Tweed Heads) in about 20 hrs. using the Pacific. Whereis cuts it to just over 17.

Quasi · 12-04-2007, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JC

To give you an idea, I did Canberra to Brisbane in mid Feb, stopping every 2 hours, for 15 mins (and 45 mins for meal times), and we did it in 16 hours easy. That's generally sticking to the speed limit (lots of fixed, but marked, cameras on the pacific/princes highway). We also did Canb to Melbourne in early March and that was 9 hours, again stopping every 2 hours etc (we have 3 small kids).

Canberra is around 1 hour from the Hume, so if you drop one hour out of each of those times and add them together, you get 23 hours - it's around 1800km total distance, so you could do it in 19 or so, but if you want to get there alive, I recommend the 2 hour stop strategy as it works for me.

Times 2.

We did the trip about 13 years ago, by car (flown up once since then). We took two days to get there with a stop overnight in Ghundawindy (no idea on spelling

). However, for the trip back to Canberra we pulled out of father's driveway at the stroke of 7AM, and pulled into our driveway as it ticked over 11PM that night.

Mind you I had a saw back for two days and wouldn't do it like that again. I'm moving to the Gold Coast toward the end of the year and am planning an overnighter to drive there (only because I'm not sure if I want to sell my beast, otherwise I'd fly up).

Sledgehammer · 12-04-2007, 06:43 PM

Allow 21 hours, dont travel overnight.

XR6TCraig · 12-04-2007, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sledgehammer

Allow 21 hours, dont travel overnight.

Yeah I would avoid doing it non stop, especially up the Newell. Lots of semis use that route and it can be a scary time at night if you find yourself being passed by a convoy of semis throwing **** up at your pride and joy as they pass, and almost running you off the road. Most direct route is the Newell though. Dubbo is about half way. Makes it a good place to stop for the night. Plenty of Motels.

belz82 · 12-04-2007, 07:13 PM

meh... a day...

smciner1 & i left toowoomba (QLD) at 7.30 - 8am, and arrived in Melbourne at 2.30am the next morning. this included a nice lunch stop, a nice dinner stop and, me being a chick, plenty of pee stops

oh, and a road kill stop

helps when you have two drivers and you can do shift driving

i will also add that we took the inland route... through the newell highway

TS50 · 13-04-2007, 07:54 AM

well sounds like the Newell is the route for me, I was planning on doing about 12 hrs day 1, then a overnight stop, then the remainder (sounds like 8 hrs) next day
I had heard driving on that highway at nite was risky due to the high number of semis using it. Would hate to get a million stone chips on the front of it
Thanks all for their input

blackers10 · 13-04-2007, 04:34 PM

striaght thru bris to syd is 11-13hours (traffic and stops dependant)

night is the BEST time to travel the pacific as you dont get the tourists with caravans etc..

just gotta watch for wildlife

13-04-2007, 04:54 PM

Did SW Sydney to Broadbeach in 8 hours 45 mins (900km) in Jan this year. Was going a few clicks over although still within tolerances, and only needed to do a $15 splash and dash at Ballina to get to Broadbeach

I haven't, but my brother did SW Sydney to Crown Casino (850km) in just over 8 hours.

If you really pushed it you could do the Hume/M7/Pacific in 17 hours 30 mins I recon. (including fuel and pee stops)

CAMS290 · 13-04-2007, 07:18 PM

If it was me, i would try and make Dubbo your overnight stop, then on to Melbourne.....and the same on the way back.

Stay off the roads about 1 hour before dusk, and 1 hour after daybreak, unless you are driving a truck with a large 4 post bull bar.

Tickford Kid · 13-04-2007, 08:45 PM

Not as many skippy's going up the coast either!!

Smoke Pursuit · 13-04-2007, 09:32 PM

Dont try and do it in one day, its not worth the stress, specially once you get to Goondi as that last 3 hours to brisbane is a bit of a bastard, specially Cunninghams gap (I travel this road like fortnightly). Id do it in 2 days that way you know your going to get there in one piece and you never know when theres going to be a hold up on these highways neways.

BTTB · 13-04-2007, 09:47 PM

I recently drove from Melbourne to Coffs Harbour to attend a funeral...

It was a straight through trip that took nearly 16hrs
(add another 4hrs at least to reach Brisbane)
we were notified of the funeral at 11am that day and
left at 12 noon on the Wednesday and arrived at 3:45 am Thursday morning
(funeral was at 7:30am that day)

My wife and daughter were with me...
we have an EF V8 Ghia (cruise control and Climate controlled Air Cond)

I drove from 4 - 6 hrs at a time with my wife taking several 2hr shifts
We stopped and had small 10 -15min breaks for refills,nappy changes etc...
We also picked up my brother around 10pm in Sydney

We drove straight through out of necessity with several drivers
and we were all very tired at the end of the trip
there was very little traffic due to it being a wednesday night
but the majority of the traffic was heavy vehicles

I wouldn't recommend driving straight through

take 2 days for the trip... unless you have several co-drivers that are well rested

DTFRMONT · 13-04-2007, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EFGTHO

I wouldn't recommend driving straight through

take 2 days for the trip... unless you have several co-drivers that are well rested

Having done the trip a few times, I'd agree with you there. The first time I did the drive, I left Melbourne at around 6AM, stopped in Narrabri for the night at around 6:30-7. Absoultly buggered. If you've got the time, take the Hume/Pacific route, a much nicer drive than the Newell.