Favorite Victorian Roads...

[kishigae]

So... summer is coming, the car is tuned up and running nice.... where do I go for a nice afternoon drive ?

Initially I thought about heading out to Marysville, rolling through the black spur, or up the reefton spur or even the Achron way. Buuut, thats a big hike.

So then I started thinking about the Great Ocean Road or down the Otways, but I've been there and done that, and again its a fair hike. So, where to go ?

For today, I ended up taking a few hours to loop up through Blackwood. Great afternoon out!

Obviously this question is further compounded when the sunny weekend comes and every other motorist is out at the same time and then you have to share the roads a bit more.

What are your favorite roads/areas in Vic ?

After reading your post I decided to go to Marysville for the day. Drove through Warburton and Acheron Way and returned via the Black Spur. Beautiful drive.

[poli84]

After reading your post I decided to go to Marysville for the day. Drove through Warburton and Acheron Way and returned via the Black Spur. Beautiful drive.

That's a fantastic drive isn't it! I try and get out every couple of months for this loop (in what appears to bea very similar car to yours), I leave my place in Fitzroy at about 7:30 and I'm back at around 1 with a couple of stops and sprints up and down Lake Mountain.
Perfect Saturday or Sunday morning!

[27litres]

Powelltown through to Noojee used to be a great road (upgraded about 20 years ago for Baw Baw snow traffic), but the road has deteriorated quite a bit in the last few years (frequented by logging trucks and unfrequented by VicRoads).
I can remember roaring through there in the thumping VB Commodore 3.3 Trimatic years ago! Can't go as fast in the S8 in the roads current state!

Much the same can be said for Jackson's Track from Neerim South to Labertouche/Tynong.
Cracked the A4's sump the last time I drove along there!

That used to be a great round trip for me for many years (out to Yarra Junction, Powelltown, Noojee, Neerim South, Tynong, Pakenham and home).
Only takes around 2 hours (or 3 in a slow car) round trip from Melbourne's Outer East.

The Healesville - Koo Wee Rup drive is a bit underrated too. Only takes about 45 mins (plus to/from). Only rough bit is the Healesville to Woori Yallock stretch, after that the road's pretty good (minus the dog-legs over the East/West arterials!). It's beautiful through Cockatoo to Pakenham, especially if noone's in your way (rare these days).

[Nigel]

Powelltown through to Noojee used to be a great road (upgraded about 20 years ago for Baw Baw snow traffic), but the road has deteriorated quite a bit in the last few years (frequented by logging trucks and unfrequented by VicRoads).
I can remember roaring through there in the thumping VB Commodore 3.3 Trimatic years ago! Can't go as fast in the S8 in the roads current state!

Marty

Is the Powelltown to Noojee (C425) road sealed or are there sections of gravel.
From Google Maps it was not fully clear.

I was looking to make up a loop a few weeks ago.

[Exie]

Powelltown through to Noojee used to be a great road (upgraded about 20 years ago for Baw Baw snow traffic), but the road has deteriorated quite a bit in the last few years (frequented by logging trucks and unfrequented by VicRoads).
I can remember roaring through there in the thumping VB Commodore 3.3 Trimatic years ago! Can't go as fast in the S8 in the roads current state!

Sounds pretty tempting, I will make an effort to check this one out. I been cycling through Noojee a few times and its a nice area.

That used to be a great round trip for me for many years (out to Yarra Junction, Powelltown, Noojee, Neerim South, Tynong, Pakenham and home).
Only takes around 2 hours (or 3 in a slow car) round trip from Melbourne's Outer East.

The Healesville - Koo Wee Rup drive is a bit underrated too. Only takes about 45 mins (plus to/from). Only rough bit is the Healesville to Woori Yallock stretch, after that the road's pretty good (minus the dog-legs over the East/West arterials!). It's beautiful through Cockatoo to Pakenham, especially if noone's in your way (rare these days).

I lived up Mt D as a kid, so there are a stack of nice roads up/down the mountain. Heading to Powelltown, Noojee, Neerim area will take a bit longer for me as I'm in north-west, so going out east there really is a day trip for me.

Thanks for the ideas!

[kishigae]

Drove to Erskine Falls in the Otways, near Lorne, yesterday. Great Ocean Rd is always nice. Then returned via Winchelsea, where the first section between Lorne and Deans Marsh is actually very nice as well. However I think my next drive will be around the Yarra Ranges again. It also saves me the Geelong to Melbourne nightmare.

[27litres]

Marty

Is the Powelltown to Noojee (C425) road sealed or are there sections of gravel.
From Google Maps it was not fully clear.

I was looking to make up a loop a few weeks ago.

Fully sealed road, but starting to get a bit deteriorated - can still be a great drive!
Fantastic belt up the mountain from Powelltown - great for Quattro, better than Mountain Highway ! Very obvious when you go over the "Hump" at the top, then you decend into the sweeping roads through the Bunyip State Forest.

When you get to the T-junction at the end of the stretch through the Forest, a Lefty will take you towards Noojee. About a kilometer towards Noojee is "Trestle Bridge" where my avatar of the B5 was taken a few years back! Very large, impressive and well maintained structure (part of a walking/riding track - you can walk over it) from back in the old Warragul-Noojee railway days!

A Righty at that same T-Junction takes you to Neerim Junction - Neerim South and ultimately Warragul.
There's a couple of choices for roads back towards Melbourne: Jackson's Track and Main Neerim Road/Old Sale Road.
Jackson's Track can be hard to find, it's to the right just as you leave Neerim South (only town up there with a roundabout) before the 80 zone starts. It's either marked for Jindavick or Tarago Reservoir and starts by decending straight down the valley.
Neerim Main Road on the other hand is well sign posted for Melbourne - just watch the 90 degree bend at Drouin West, and you'll need to turn right again onto the Old Sale Road a couple of clicks further on, or you won't be able to get onto the Freeway!

[Nigel]

Hi Marty

Thanks for the update. I actually drove the road with my "L" plates on as my daughter needed the hours.

Took the ute just in case we hit any gravel!

We are doing a run this weekend to finalise the circuit (including the roads you mentioned)

If all is good will schedule a group "Spirited Drive" shortly there after.

[kishigae]

Farewell to a car that has taken me through amazing Victorian roads, including those below in the West Gippsland region, around Thorpdale and Mirboo North a few weekends ago.

[minstrel]

Anyone interested in voting for your favourite stretch of road?
Along the lines of the thread "Poll: What colour is your 8V?"


We''ve already got some nominations in this thread / forum. Perhaps widen later to a poll for each state / territory?
Of course there'll need to be some brief naming standard for each nominated stretch of road, eg. road location by (town) endpoints, and maybe GPS end coordinates. Any other ideas?
Sort this out and I'm happy to look into setting up the poll.