Melbourne to Brisbane in GTV6

[barts]

G'day All,

I have sold my GTV6 track car, stocked up on ear plugs and red bull and have a few days off work so I am about to embark on the farewell / delivery run.

I was planning to get some Kms up early and endure the Hume to Sydney but I'm open to suggestions.
Any recommendations?
- Goulburn to Bathurst via Oberon for a final Bathurst lap?
- Early morning run on Putty road?
- Or should I wait for Bucketts way.
- Am I missing any good 'last drive' spots?

I'm probably going to stick to the highways for the most part but a parting spirited morning run that doesn't take me to far into the sticks (just in case something goes astray) would be good.

Hoping I can find a happy balance between the fastest versus the best.

Cheers

Dan

[Barry Edmunds]

A final lap of Bathurst in the V6 should be top of the list and providing you can avoid/dodge the coal trucks a run up the Putty Road would have to be in second place.

Complete those two and the rest won't matter. Avoid the Hume Freeway if at all possible.

[barts]

Thanks for the advice Barry,

I will have to give Bathurst a miss as I don't think my spine could take the road up there from this point. The suspension (hard mounted fixed seat doesn't help) is surprisingly comfortable on the highway but does remind you every now and that its a bit serious. Will keep Putty Road up my sleeve if I feel more adventurous tomorrow.

Cheers

Dan

[aggie57]

Maybe use the New England rather than the Newell and head down from Glen Innes to Grafton.  Main roads mainly (so easy on the coccyx) but some interesting twists in the middle?

[barts]

Thanks Aggie,

Typing this from Glen Innes so may take your advice to visit a mate in Ballina.

Had the putty pretty much to myself today. Was a most enjoyable drive with a great surface and lots of nicely spaced twisty bits. It seems like nature provided built in overtaking straights and the few cars and bikes I came across waved me by... that's the power of the Alfa brand.

Dan

[aggie57]

Envious!

[hammer]

What a great adventure Dan. Good on you for doing the drive. Glad to hear that the GTV is going to a good home up here and that it's going to be a road car. We'll take good care of it up here in the Qld club.

Cheers,

Brent

[LaStregaNera]

Trying a different method to get this to post...

[barts]

Hi all thanks for the advice,

I did the Tenterfield to Lismore run to visit a mate. Car ran like clockwork the whole way.
Its gone to a great home and I'll be watching on enviously... poised to reclaim it if the owner moves it on.
Brent, I saw your car at the shop when I dropped it off and it brought back many fond memories of QLD raceway. I may be moving back to Brisbane at the end of the year and will be straight back into it if I do.
So after a 1750GTV and GTV6, I am without an Alfa Romeo for the first time since 1994... the search begins.

[Paul Gulliver]

Just to keep this thread alive I have just got back to Melbourne . I just brought a car from Bangalow
( hinterland of Byron Bay ) so have done the drive in reverse.

General observations would be despite millions of dollars spent, mainly on speed camera installations every 10 k's  the Pacific Highway northern rivers section  is not much better than the last time I drove that section about 30 years ago.  Great diversion to South West Rocks north of  Port Macquarie , then to the south a diversion to Foster & the Myall Lakes for an overnight. Then on to the Hunter Valley vineries for a couple of days to visit family favourites Lakes Folly , Brokenwood etc and some great food.

At the top of the lower Hunter Valley is the town of Broke, which is the top of Putty Rd. Really enjoyed Putty Rd, even mid week we saw several groups of what appeared to be larger touring bikes, probably older retied gentlemen filling in their days. Got a bit lost or it seemed a bloody long  way at the bottom of Putty Rad  to get to Bathurst. Once arriving  I knew the track had  had a 60 k speed limit but only realized it was 2 way when a truck came up the hill through the esses !!!. After 6-7 laps of Bathurst trying to stay on the racing line at 60 k's per hour , only to be frightened off by oncoming traffic  we set off late afternoon to get to Wagga Wagga. Personally I thought the country just south of  Bathurst around Young was some of the prettiest on the trip, maybe because it is all so green at the moment .

Pretty uneventful but beautiful country from Wagga Wagga on into Victoria. Almost as soon as we crossed the border it started to rain and remind us of Melbourne's winter. This prompted us to make a quick diversion to the Rutherglen vineyards  Billy Chambers & Stanton & Killen to fill up on the fortified wines. Back on the Hume just before Wang and wouldn't you know it, it was lunchtime , so one last diversion to the Snow Road Cafe  in Milawa then  back on the Hume & home . A great couple of days getting to know the new Alfa . ( Giullietta QV)

Gully

[aggie57]

Ah - that explains the black QV parked outside your place this afternoon Paul. Nice . I wasn't seeing things.