Favorite Drive

[bcobbus]

Without a doubt, the backroads in the foothills here just north east of Sacramento "Auburn Area". Lots of oak trees and farm land and always peaceful. Unless I decide to drive like a mad man, but you have to be careful of some of Placer Counties finest lurking around the next bend. Driving the roads in a convertable Vette is the best therapy that I know of!

[mac]

I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

My girlfriend lives on Bells Line of Road, so I've got a good excuse to go for a blat up there every now and then.

There are a few good little roads around here that I don't mind. I just wish I had a better car.

[Dave Brand]

Living on the edge of the Peak District, the most beautiful part of England, I'm surrounded by great roads.....pity about the traffic!

Here's a shot of the Snake Pass - two miles from home & I'm on roads like this!

[Dave Brand]

....fun in a car, but for fun, this is what you need:

[Craig]

It's quite good fun in a Mercedes Sprinter too, Dave, as I've experienced quite a lot lately...! The road from Macc to Buxton is my fave tho...

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by Craig Antill
It's quite good fun in a Mercedes Sprinter too, Dave, as I've experienced quite a lot lately...!

You'll have had plenty of time to see the scenery, then!

The road from Macc to Buxton is my fave tho...

Hit it at a traffic-free time & it's great - pity about the childish 50mph speed limit, though! Long Hill, Buxton to Whaley Bridge, is one of my favourites.

[Craig]

Speed limit ? I didn't notice that...?

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by Craig Antill
Speed limit ? I didn't notice that...?

It's now 50 from Macc up to just past the Cat & Fiddle Inn, if I remember correctly. All a part of a plan to reduce motorcycle casualties - a laudable aim, but the riders who are a danger to themselves & other road users are not the ones who are likely to stick to any speed limit.

[PEPSI]

Originally posted by AlanJones
The old Pacific Highway from Berowra thru to Gosford. Used to be a favourite late night blast. The bells line is a great drive and I'd also like to mention 2 sections of road no longer around..... the old Valla curves and the bends at Eungai on the Pacific Highway before they made it safe.

DITTO!!!

[garcon]

Dave, Craig - I live just a few miles west of Macc, so the Cat & Fiddle has been a common trip in my previous days of Impreza ownership. The bikers don't mind too much, as long as you give them room and understand they ARE quicker down the straights so just pull over then filter behind them... Great fun with the sunday drivers - they get used to bikes filtering past, but not a great big rally blue Scooby

I agree about the 50 limit btw - pointless (and notice how the Derbyshire side of the border is mysteriously 10mph safer )... As far as the sports bikes are concerned, it's the difference between doing 2 1/2 or 3 times the limit

I grew up in Oldham, so trips over the Snake and other Pennines roads were common. But most of them aren't long enough to be a really good drive, and tend to be a bit busy. One favourite is East Oldham (Greenfield) to Holmfirth - the bumpy straight over the tops is a real bottler if you try it flat out...

One great little road is Glossop north, past Hadfield, round the reservoirs to the A628 (Woodhead), then off north again to Holmfirth. Mostly empty, and nice challenging B roads.

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by garcon
I agree about the 50 limit btw - pointless (and notice how the Derbyshire side of the border is mysteriously 10mph safer )... As far as the sports bikes are concerned, it's the difference between doing 2 1/2 or 3 times the limit

The good news is - no cameras! Apparently the road is too twisty!

One favourite is East Oldham (Greenfield) to Holmfirth - the bumpy straight over the tops is a real bottler if you try it flat out...

One great little road is Glossop north, past Hadfield, round the reservoirs to the A628 (Woodhead), then off north again to Holmfirth. Mostly empty, and nice challenging B roads.

That's one of my favourite rides - up through Greenfield, over the Isle of Skye, turn off a mile or so before Holmfirth down the little road to Digley reservoir then back over Holme Moss. As you say, mostly empty & nice challenging roads. Hmmm, that straight has one really big bump - first time it caught me out on the bike I was singing soprano for a week!

[Craig]

Yep - done that too in a Transit van last year! Unfortunately the road was blocked off halway down and, much to my frustration, I had to about turn and go a different route! grrr

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by Craig Antill
Yep - done that too in a Transit van last year! Unfortunately the road was blocked off halway down and, much to my frustration, I had to about turn and go a different route! grrr

Ah yes, I remember that......

[Red Dog]

In OZ I thought most of the Coast road from Melbourne to Sydney was great. No traffic to mention, very few built up areas, lovely scenery, and lots of corners. Oh yes....only one policeman, and after he'd stopped me for speeding and breath tested me he let me go (I think he didn't book me as he wasn't sure about my euro licence) gives you a warm glow, a gesture like that!

In the UK the A82 in Scotland is superb and the road to Kyle of Lochalsh from Ft William also.

[Amaroo Park]

I now have to add another to this. The Putty Rd from Windsor in Sydney

[Aarrgh8]

The Putty Road. Ahh, yes. It's best heading South. Leave Denman, stay within speed limits for about 30ks, then go. You know that cops don't travel too far to get bookings. I've certainly never seen them around Howes Crossing. They'll stay around towns. That's a fabulous bit of road. It holds some bad memories for me, as my sister was killed while travelling along it, but it's still a great drive.

The Great Ocean Road is another great drive. While it's following the ocean, it's great, but even that stuff through the countryside around Laver's Hill is pretty memorable.

I don't know that Henley Marine Drive is a great drive. It's nothing anywhere near it. Back in the late 60s - early 70s, I did some pretty silly things along there in my Cooper S, and then my XU1. There's an-almost 180 bend past a park (near South Street) at the end, that we used to reckon you could do at 70mph in 3rd in a Cooper S. I have done it, with accompanying tyre smoke (I think it was Klebers back then), but if I saw someone doing that now, I'd call the cops. Deepest suburbia is not the place.

Camden to Picton over Razorback isn't bad. The old Pacific Highway from Hornsby to Gosford (or vice versa) is pretty good. Watch out for the bikies, and even more for the cops. Windsor to Wisemans Ferry (when there's no traffic around - there's not many places for passing) is nice. There's some great drives from the NSW North Coast up through the Great Dividing Range to the tablelands. Any sealed road around Dorrigo is a treat.

Overseas, Northern Italy is a blast. Get off the autostrada and go. In Germany, some laps in a rented turbo hatch around the Nordschlieffe (sp?) Nurburgring will always stick in my mind. Despite driving all over the USA, I can't think of any really memorable drives there. My fault. I was alway trying to get from A to B by the shortest route. It always seemed flat and boring.

Back to good old Oz. The Captain Cook Highway from Cairns to Mossman is a fabulous drive. Look out for the Japanese tourists in Taragos. They'll stop and turn anywhere.

Given time, I'm sure I could think of plenty more. Despite all the restrictions, there's still plenty of places where those who love to drive, can still enjoy driving. Hurry, 'cause they're drying up fast.

[Amaroo Park]

Originally posted by Aarrgh8
I don't know that Henley Marine Drive is a great drive. It's nothing anywhere near it. Back in the late 60s - early 70s, I did some pretty silly things along there in my Cooper S, and then my XU1. There's an-almost 180 bend past a park (near South Street) at the end, that we used to reckon you could do at 70mph in 3rd in a Cooper S. I have done it, with accompanying tyre smoke (I think it was Klebers back then), but if I saw someone doing that now, I'd call the cops. Deepest suburbia is not the place.

Yep the Park your talking about is Brett Park. I used to live 1 street before it. Henley Marine Drive would be the best Inner Sydney drive.

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by DAVID PATERSON
I did the Great Ocean Road in '96 in a 4-cylinder Magna automatic.

Really beautiful scenery and would be a great drive if they closed it off and sent us through one at a time, against the stopwatch.

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by Aarrgh8
The Putty Road. Ahh, yes. It's best heading South. Leave Denman, stay within speed limits for about 30ks, then go. You know that cops don't travel too far to get bookings. I've certainly never seen them around Howes Crossing. They'll stay around towns. That's a fabulous bit of road.

Given time, I'm sure I could think of plenty more. Despite all the restrictions, there's still plenty of places where those who love to drive, can still enjoy driving. Hurry, 'cause they're drying up fast.

Yes, the Putty road is a great stretch, pity it can be at the wrong side of about 800k of New England Dronesville which dulls the senses if your're going South.

Some of my best times behind the wheel if you love to drive anything were in a Merc 300E and even with a 100k blanket limit the corners can be fun in one of those. Some of the best 160ks of road you'll find anywhere. Because it is so long and isolated, actually it is a great road to drive, but fairly bumpy though long enough to really get involved in and with not much traffic in either direction, desolate enough to give you that "just you and your car, at one and alone" feeling, very much like parts of the Newell Highway give you. I absolutely love that feeling, the best feeling when driving, putting the miles away but not boringly. I just soak it up, enjoying each passing hour, but regretting your're leaving it behind. Actually, that's another great stretch of road, but not all of it- some of it can get get quite oppressive. The heat etc. Special at dawn particularly.

[Mattracer]

The Great Ocean Road is a marvel, one of the true great stretches of road anywhere on the planet- the scenery is magnificent and appeals to anyone in a 4 cylinder hire car up to a Ferrari. But the appeal of a great driving experience does differ as we have seen from the responses so far. It does depend on what you're driving but the road has a major say as well and the time of day it is driven, at least for me.

The Great Ocean Road appeals differently to the Bells Line and the Putty, as but only two exmples in this thread. Hell, Mt Panorama at the 60k limit with no one else behind or in front at the perfect time of day for YOU can be the most rewarding thing on wheels, and who are we to judge? Going fast within the sign-posted limit can be as much if not more of a blast for the driver (and passenger(s)) than cruising at the double ton or more on an Autobahn or freeway elewhere, where the majority are doing the same in vehicles of similar capability. Once you've felt that feeling, you do remember it always but I guess you have to really like cars and driving to know it.

[Bigguy]

Macquarie Pass! The first car stopped the upwards traffic at the bottom for ten minutes, so the road would be clear as far up the Pass as possible. Six WRXs then took off and BLASTED up the Pass! When we got to the top, my STi wing and the back of each wheel arch was covered with fine black powder.. it was airborne rubber dust from 24 tyres working hard!

It was a once in a lifetime effort, and we all agreed that a repeat could never duplicate the rush (and the odds of something going wrong would surely catch up with us...)

[Bigguy]

Originally posted by Alan Jones
The old Pacific Highway from Berowra thru to Gosford. Used to be a favourite late night blast. SNIP

Trouble is, you have to risk a fine to really push it. Last time I did this, I didn't go under 80kmh, which doesn't sound much, but there are a few corners with an advisory limit of 35! Going quicker on the straight bits is boring and not worth the risk.

The twisty uphill bit heading south from Brooklyn is my most favourite set of bends, with enough clear view to really get into it. What a rush

[Mattracer]

Who said driving these days was boring? You just have to know where to go I suppose.

[AussieV8]

Going through the Bulahdelah Mtns old Pacific Hwy in my RX3 to Taree to visist our friends. My wife and I did the Great Ocean Rd back in '93 in a V6 626 5spd and in a section of about 20k's we turned back and did it again..second run I had the 626 little 2.5ltr V6 revving its heart out as I pushed it hard and passed everything....

Now the most enjoyable drive is down to Surf Beach (Batemans Bay) to our Holiday house via M5 to Goulburn then onto Braidwood and the best part the Kings Hwy through the commonwealth bend s coming into Nelligen.

but as an avid 4WD anything off the black stuff in the Australian Bush.

[mtpanorama]

Originally posted by AussieV8


Now the most enjoyable drive is down to Surf Beach (Batemans Bay) to our Holiday house via M5 to Goulburn then onto Braidwood and the best part the Kings Hwy through the commonwealth bend s coming into Nelligen.

but as an avid 4WD anything off the black stuff in the Australian Bush.

My outlaws have a unit at surf beach right on the water next to the park. The drive from Bathurst to Batemans is great.

I have found another great drive, by mistake too, took the wrong turn.
It goes goes from Wisemans ferry following the river back towards the putty road. When you come into wisemans ferry you turn right at the police station insted of following the road down to the ferry crossing. The road snakes its way along the side of the river for about 30 or 40k's. It has some great 2nd and 3rd gear corners and some interesting camber changes. It was excellent fun in the mini, which i have now sold.