where are the best drivers roads in australia?

Question

im from the U.S., and coming for a visit. only enthusiasts answer please(they will know what im looking for). also, where can i rent a good enough car to use on those roads.

Answer 1

Speed limit in the Northern Territory is now 160kph, not 120.

Performance car rentals here are like hen's teeth - most rentals are to companies and companies look for the cheapest. A credit card is essential to rent a car. Search "performance car rentals" Australia on the net. I looked but found mostly people with stretch limos and wedding cars which I somehow don't imagine you want. Alternately buy a 5 year old Merc or Beemer in one place and sell it elsewhere, might be cheaper than renting.

If desperate I'd go for the Holden or Falcon sedans which are actually fairly good by world standards. You might find a V8 for rental. They are no match for a Subaru WRX though.

Speed cameras and traps all over the main highways, but some good driver's roads between say Yass, Parkes, Dubbo, Bathurst - check a map but the region is west of Sydney and traffic is relatively light on some of these.

Be prepared to find flocks of sheep or mobs of cattle on these roads, rarely but it happens. Wait patiently, if you start blowing your horn you might get a stockwhip or a stirrup through the window. Actually worse are unfenced roads with the odd beast scattered here and there. This is pretty unusual too.

Night driving is not really advisable because of kangaroos which have the intelligence of chickens and even less road sense.

The Great Ocean Road is probably the best in Australia but unsuitable for spirited driving as it is heavily touristed.

Want to go north from Sydney in a hurry but not to the Gold Coast or Brisbane? Take the western hwy to Dubbo and turn north on the Newell. Set the cruise control and point car at horizon. Speed traps exist but are not common - specially not in the more northerly areas. The rumour that I have travelled at 200plus kph there is false and unjust and I'm upset that you should mention it.

Food - Avoid roadside restaurants, the food, coffee and tea are usually foul. Best to drive into the main street of a small town, park and look for a coffee shop sometime marked "Cafe". Look inside and if they have an expresso machine you will probably get something at least half decent. Australian hamburgers come with salad.

Sorry, your radar detector is illegal and is just about a hanging offence. I guess it's OK if it's not seen but many traps are lidar so the sensor has to be on view somehow.

Warning. This is a fact. Something like 40% of head on crashes on Australian highways involve drivers from countries where people drive on the right.

The following ute website is as slow as treacle but will give you some idea of some of the crazy vehicles you may find in AU land. Also look for "road trains", but these inhabit the Northern Territory and western parts of Queensland and New South Wales and are the largest truck - trailer units in the world. Not around Sydney or the east generally..

http://www.beaututes.com/portal.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_train

http://outbacktowing.tripod.com/

Answer 2

I probably don't meet your definition of an enthusiast, but I would never buy a car with an automatic transmission and always detour along quiet twisty roads whenever I can. The best supply of these that I've found is the mountains to the north-east of Melbourne, closely followed by the Great Ocean Road area to the south-west (on the GOR itself timing is important due to tourist traffic, and beach users crossing the road). Whenever I see the "Motorcycle High Risk Area" sign I know I'm in the right place. Western Tasmania is also good, but more remote (and I'd expect your only chance of driving a suitable car there would be to hire one ex-Melbourne and take it across on the ferry).

For a journey you could weave your way from Sydney to Melbourne on a series of suitable roads, e.g. Macquarie Pass, Kangaroo Valley, Alpine Way, Bright-Mansfield-Marysville (side trips to nearby mountains).

For rental I believe at least one of the majors offered BMW roadsters a few years back, and there are a few little performance rental companies around (some with astronomical prices). Can't name any for you though, so it's up to you and Google. Two vehicles you may not have heard of are the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon. These are 4-door family sedans that are also available in hot versions, and a racing series is built around them (picture NASCAR on a Formula 1 circuit). Depending on what you like they may be a little big and heavy to throw around in tight corners but they're great on moderate or gentle bends, and in terms of performance-per-dollar they're unbeatable here.

Have fun trying to operate a gearstick with the wrong hand!

Answer 3

I can really only comment on Melbourne.
The drives I would do are the Great Ocean Road, which is a costal drive.
Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, which is a day trip from Melbourne, through the Mount Dandenong Ranges, beautiful views and always somewhere nice to stop for lunch (from Melbourne you would drive down Toorak Road, which turns into Burwood Hwy and follow that all the way to Upper Ferntree Gully and then turn off at the Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, it's a beautiful area just to drive through, lots of Australian Fauna to look at. I would suggest going to "Sky High" and having a look at the view of the city from the mountains, on a really clear day you can see the bay and cargo ships in the bay - a beautiful view.

This website may be able to help a little more:
http://www.oztourism.com.au/

Answer 4

There are good roads in every State with many that are great fun to drive. Be aware that there are speed limits in Australia that are backed up by hidden speed cameras as well as police with radar. The Northern Territory has a maximum limit of $120km/h while it is 110km/h in South Australia , on most motorways and freeways, and on long roads in western New South Wales. Everywhere else it is 100km/h. Particularly windy roads, even on major highways, will have a posted limit of 80km/h. Most towns and cities are 50km/h unless posted for a higher speed (60, 70, or 80). If you haven't seen a sign telling you the speed limit in a town or city, presume 50km/h.

Some other points about driving in Australia.
We keep to the left.
Seat belts are compulsory for all drivers and passengers. No exceptions. You get in the car, you put your belt on. This applies to passengers in taxis as well.
The blood alcohol limit is 0.05 and we have random breath testing. You can be stopped and breath tested at any time by any police officer. Refusing to do a test is an offence.
You may not use your mobile phone while driving unless it is hands-free.

Answer 5

maximum states require you to have a license to holiday a 2 wheeler greater suitable than 50 cc. Your companion the two desires to take a street attempt with DMV or a 2 or 2 and a million/2 bike safety commencing up approved course to end the licensing standards. so some distance as i be conscious of, in case you have a learner's enable in basic terms, you elect a qualified motive force interior a million/4th mile of you (the two pillion or driving alongside).

Answer 6

Victoria has the best roads. You can find all the major US car rental companies in Australia.

Answer 7

we got gr8 roads...not so gr8 drivers! lol...not to worry mate...i'm sure u'll survive!