Favourite Roads
06-05-2007, 10:48 PM
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Favourite Roads
Whenever I go on holidays I like to have an idea to follow. For example I have a strip of postcards from the 1930s that my Grandfather sent to his family from travels in America. I want to go and drive this road from San Francisco to Seattle. It's called the Redwood Highway - there might even be a book in the offering if the trip is interesting enough. I'd love to do it an a Buick or Hudson or Ford V8 of 30s vintge.
So, to the reason for this thread. Where are your favourite drives in the 8? What roads do you travel to unwind your soul and the soul of your 'twin rotor'? Where the streatch of road that makes you smile?
I am not interested in breaking the law. I'm talking about the 'right kind of road' for a Mazda RX8. I'm not interested in 'best times point to point'. I just want to start a list the great driving roads of Australia.
To start the ball rolling, I love the old streatch of highway from Devil's Elbow to Eagle on the Hill in Adelaide. It is bypassed by a tunnel now and the old windy duel lane road has been reduced in width with a generous bike path. But it still offers a terrific series of linked uphill bends that are nicely cambered for cornering. You don't need to break the speed limit and it is a great hill climb. (And only 10 minutes from my office...) This 8 kilometres or so was always included in the old Grand Prix Rally circuit.
The other great one drive is the Lobethal Road through Basket Range. Unfortunatly this is also a favourite ride of the two wheel set. There is always a Ninga up your **** on a Sunday afternoon.
Like I said, I'm looking for a road you don't have run the risk of being arrested to enjoy. So where's your favourite drive and why? It might make for a interesting touring list for a road trip interstate.
So, to the reason for this thread. Where are your favourite drives in the 8? What roads do you travel to unwind your soul and the soul of your 'twin rotor'? Where the streatch of road that makes you smile?
I am not interested in breaking the law. I'm talking about the 'right kind of road' for a Mazda RX8. I'm not interested in 'best times point to point'. I just want to start a list the great driving roads of Australia.
To start the ball rolling, I love the old streatch of highway from Devil's Elbow to Eagle on the Hill in Adelaide. It is bypassed by a tunnel now and the old windy duel lane road has been reduced in width with a generous bike path. But it still offers a terrific series of linked uphill bends that are nicely cambered for cornering. You don't need to break the speed limit and it is a great hill climb. (And only 10 minutes from my office...) This 8 kilometres or so was always included in the old Grand Prix Rally circuit.
The other great one drive is the Lobethal Road through Basket Range. Unfortunatly this is also a favourite ride of the two wheel set. There is always a Ninga up your **** on a Sunday afternoon.
Like I said, I'm looking for a road you don't have run the risk of being arrested to enjoy. So where's your favourite drive and why? It might make for a interesting touring list for a road trip interstate.
06-05-2007, 11:09 PM
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Gorge Road, ftw!!!
A trip up norton summit road, down marble hill road and back up again to Lobethal for breakfast early Saturday morning (sausage sizzle outside the markets ). Lobethal to Cuddly Creek and down Gorge Road to Adelaide.
Just have to dodge those damn cyclists who insist on riding in the middle of the road.
A trip up norton summit road, down marble hill road and back up again to Lobethal for breakfast early Saturday morning (sausage sizzle outside the markets ). Lobethal to Cuddly Creek and down Gorge Road to Adelaide.
Just have to dodge those damn cyclists who insist on riding in the middle of the road.
06-05-2007, 11:25 PM
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That was a great run in my old RX3, 20 odd years ago - however when the plugs were off a bit it used to backfire something shocking going past the Kangaroo Creak Dam wall - that steep bit as you drop back to creek level - I used to loosen rocks on those cliff walls. I have not been up there with the new car. (Note to self... holiday Monday comming up would be good time...)
06-06-2007, 12:22 AM
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Sorry, no offence intended but I don't share my favourite roads for the same reason I don't share surf spots.
Knowledge requires effort and an individual spirit of exploration - not merely the ability to read a car forum thread.
Knowledge requires effort and an individual spirit of exploration - not merely the ability to read a car forum thread.
06-06-2007, 12:37 AM
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No offence taken. Some of the roads I've listed were results of wrong turns around the Gorge Road / Lobethal area. It's helpful to know a few good places to start though!
06-06-2007, 12:59 AM
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Hmmmmmm.........
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Dave you big bully lol
harpo, you promised the other day to stop taking things so personally. Revolver has a belief and its his perogative.
SO far I have 2 favourites but both can be soilt by traffic. First it the black spur around Kinglake, the other is Colac to Great Ocean Road.
Andrew
harpo, you promised the other day to stop taking things so personally. Revolver has a belief and its his perogative.
SO far I have 2 favourites but both can be soilt by traffic. First it the black spur around Kinglake, the other is Colac to Great Ocean Road.
Andrew
06-06-2007, 01:28 AM
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06-06-2007, 02:35 AM
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My wife says that if she was taken on more drives (hint to me) she would tell you where the good spots were...and she agrees on another point...
Isn't it the case that most people learn about things through word of mouth.. i.e. where the best restuarants are, where the best hotels are, where the best hairdressers are.....mostly its through word of mouth.
Theres some great locations posted already in this thread, and I hope someone else feels sorry for you and gives you more good country directions.
P.S. Mt Mee to Daybora north of Brisbane is a great country drive!
06-06-2007, 03:24 AM
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I think I'll just keep my ideas to myself for a while. I find it tiring to sift the destructive comments from the constructive. As an 'outsider', when the second post on a tread is a snipe at your idea you do think 'why bother?' Most of you know each other and have history. It seems to me that the tone an manner of these forums is to point score off each other. Great. Go to it. But it's not for me.
06-06-2007, 11:06 PM
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Gawd! What a bloody whinger you're turning out to be. 
I deliberately sought to mollify you by ensuring you knew I intended no offence and yet you still willfully misinterpreted my post as a 'snipe'.
I'm not trying to score points off you mate. I just didn't think much of your idea and said so. This is a discussion forum after all, not a 'me too' palace where we all fawn over one another.
You've got to remember that those of us who live in Sydney have a hard time getting any road nearby to ourselves, so I for one aren't about to advertise my preferred blat roads.
So dry your eyes and participate like an adult or don't let the door hit you on the way out. It's your choice.
I deliberately sought to mollify you by ensuring you knew I intended no offence and yet you still willfully misinterpreted my post as a 'snipe'.
I'm not trying to score points off you mate. I just didn't think much of your idea and said so. This is a discussion forum after all, not a 'me too' palace where we all fawn over one another.
You've got to remember that those of us who live in Sydney have a hard time getting any road nearby to ourselves, so I for one aren't about to advertise my preferred blat roads.
So dry your eyes and participate like an adult or don't let the door hit you on the way out. It's your choice.
06-06-2007, 11:24 PM
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ON TOPIC:
My favourite piece of road would be the F3. I can perform 0-100km/h tests with room for error (like 10km/h of error) before I hit the speed limit. :D
I thought I should share.
My favourite piece of road would be the F3. I can perform 0-100km/h tests with room for error (like 10km/h of error) before I hit the speed limit. :D
I thought I should share.
06-07-2007, 12:29 AM
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I love driving around the roads just east of where I live.
Harpo, stop being such a ****! Pull your head in a bit! You don't have to post if you don't want to!
Harpo, stop being such a ****! Pull your head in a bit! You don't have to post if you don't want to!
06-07-2007, 12:32 AM
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I drove from Seattle to San Fran. on that road many, many years ago (mid 70s) on a motorcycle on a vacation. I loved the redwood forest, not so much for the turns but for the atmosphere, but the drive thru it was great. The coast road in California was some tight-*** blind turns that had me very nervous about oncoming traffic and loose rocks. But is was a very nice, memorable ride that took longer than I thought it would.
06-07-2007, 12:36 AM
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06-08-2007, 01:07 AM
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Shifty Devil... Is the blind curve road you talk about down the coast? Highway 101 or did you go past San Fan towards Big Sur on Highway 1? The Big Sur area looks grand.