Best Driving Roads around Sydney?

[mmilgrom]

So it's been around 4 months now since we first collected the keys of our little Hyper Blue 04 MCS Chili. Due to a ridiculously busy routine, however, those four months have been spent almost soley around Sydney's potholed, off-cambered, traffic-chocked excuses for roads. Whilst sixth gear has been selected at least a dozen times, it has usually only been for a few moments at a time, and whilst I did enjoy a moment of madness around a 90-degree bend the other night when no traffic was about, the cars legendary road-holding is still something I've yet to experience properly.

Now, this is a problem, on several fronts. Firstly, my motoring background has seen a host of exciting vehicles including a good old Pug 205 GTi, a Lotus Elise and a Ducati 748 so I'm eager to experience some of the dynamic X-factor I know the MINI posseses.

Secondly, I only moved to Sydney 7 years ago and all of my formative driving years has been spent on smooth-surfaced British B-roads (deep sigh) so pottering around on rock-hard, straight, crumbling roads the Romans would be proud of is not my idea of fun.

Thirdly, and finally, officially my wife owns the car as part of her job's car allowance. She receives a fuel card which means that we don't pay for a cent of the 98 we put into it, which means spirited driving is on the menu: or should be. Additionally, this is my wife's first manual car and she's loving the thrill of driving after many years of being an auto-loving Sydney-sider: a trip to some decent bendy roads would do her good.

We've decided that it's time to stretch our MINI's legs. We've taken a few selected days off and we're keen to experience some fun roads.

And so to my question: Where are the best driving roads around and just outside of Sydney? We're happy to make a two-day jaunt of it, if need be, but anywhere within a 6-8 hour round trip would be acceptable.

We're planning a trip up to the Jenolan Caves via Windsor and the Bells Line of road, as this has been experienced once before (albeit in a beaten up 1994 Civic Auto...)

Where else can we try?

Thanks guys.

Matt

[steve11]

Try the Putty road heading North West towards the Hunter Valley, the Old Pacific Highway heading north towards Newcastle is a blast but the Feds love to play hide n seek there.

[OzDave]

A great one day drive:
Head down to Wollongong via the coast road through Stanwell Park from the National Park (made for MINI road #1). When you get south of Wollongong at Albion Park, head inland along the Illawarra Highway towards Robertson up the Maquarie Pass (made for MINI road #2). Then go through Fitzroy Falls down Barrengarry Mountain to Kangaroo Valley (made for MINI road #3). The pub is a good lunch break with good meals. Then head on to Nowra over Cambewarra Mountain (made for MINI road #4). You can then return to Sydney north along the Princes Highway.

[minigolf]

Quote: Originally Posted by OzDave (original)

A great one day drive:
Head down to Wollongong via the coast road from the National Park (made for MINI road #1). When you get south of Wollongong at Albion Park, head inland along the Illawarra Highway towards Robertson up the Maquarie Pass (made for MINI road #2). Then go through Fitzroy Falls down Barrengarry Mountain to Kangaroo Valley (made for MINI road #3). The pub is a good lunch break with good meals. Then head on to Nowra over Cambewarra Mountain (made for MINI road #4).

Sounds good to me.

[Snapper>///">]

Quote: Originally Posted by minigolf (original)

Sounds good to me.

x 2

Also Wisemans Ferry Road north west of Sydney.
Come and meet some other Mini lovers at Pie In The Sky Cafe at Cowan Old Pacific Hwy, on Sunday morning 9 -10am and we'll show you

[Guran]

Quote: Originally Posted by OzDave (original)

A great one day drive:
Head down to Wollongong via the coast road through Stanwell Park from the National Park (made for MINI road #1). When you get south of Wollongong at Albion Park, head inland along the Illawarra Highway towards Robertson up the Maquarie Pass (made for MINI road #2). Then go through Fitzroy Falls down Barrengarry Mountain to Kangaroo Valley (made for MINI road #3). The pub is a good lunch break with good meals. Then head on to Nowra over Cambewarra Mountain (made for MINI road #4). You can then return to Sydney north along the Princes Highway.

We did (most of) this drive last weekend. Open the following attachment with Google Earth and you can see exactly what we're on about.

clubMINI20070923.kmz

and here's a jpg overview of the route

Other options also include:

Jamberoo Pass - between Jamberoo and Robertson
Jamberoo Rd - between Jamberoo and Kiama (also worth a look at Swamp Rd to Dunmore)
Wattamola Rd - alternate pass between Kangaroo Valley and Berry -- some of it was unsealed last time I tried it
Some great little back roads between Bomaderry and Gerroa.

There's plenty of wonderful driving options on the south coast ... but I'm biased 'cause I live there!

[OzDave]

Hey Guran, how did you color the road in Google Earth? Is that a path? Very good job (much better than the chicken schnitzel on Sunday).
I'm biased too as I live on the western side of those roads.

[Guran]

Quote: Originally Posted by OzDave (original)

Hey Guran, how did you color the road in Google Earth? Is that a path? Very good job (much better than the chicken schnitzel on Sunday).
I'm biased too as I live on the western side of those roads.

Sorry for the slow response - I don't check in here very often.

Yes, I set up a path using Google Earth. It was a bit painstaking to trace out the route, but got there eventually. The nice thing is that when you tilt the view, you can get a great perspective on the mountain passes.

[Gr1zzLy]

On a drive up to OPH, go via Fox Valley. If you get a clear run it's awesome.