2nd Sydney/NSW XC drive - lets pick a date!

[myzomela]

Starting in Mittagong sounds good to me. I don't have a complete proposed route, but there are a few spots north of the Hume Highway which I'll throw in for consideration:
Joadja - a ghost mining town;
Wombeyan Caves Road has a small tunnel which could provide some good pics for the forum
In Nattai National Park, there's Mt Jellore and Wangaderry Lookout.
You can see these on Google Earth or www.bonzle.com.au. Any more suggestions out there?

[PJ810]

Starting in Mittagong sounds good to me. I don't have a complete proposed route, but there are a few spots north of the Hume Highway which I'll throw in for consideration:
Joadja - a ghost mining town;
Wombeyan Caves Road has a small tunnel which could provide some good pics for the forum
In Nattai National Park, there's Mt Jellore and Wangaderry Lookout.
You can see these on Google Earth or www.bonzle.com.au. Any more suggestions out there?

Sound like a solid proposal. Lets lock down a route in the next day or two. It's been a while since I've been to Joadja so I'm keen and I love tunnels!

We've got three confirmed (including Matters, a silver 2009 XC70). And I think there was another maybe out there, one for afternoon tea and a few I haven't heard back from.

[Matters]

Pat, I will drive down to Mittagong with you.

[PJ810]

Starting in Mittagong sounds good to me. I don't have a complete proposed route, but there are a few spots north of the Hume Highway which I'll throw in for consideration:
Joadja - a ghost mining town;
Wombeyan Caves Road has a small tunnel which could provide some good pics for the forum
In Nattai National Park, there's Mt Jellore and Wangaderry Lookout.
You can see these on Google Earth or www.bonzle.com.au. Any more suggestions out there?

I've also been looking at the Morton National Park, but that's in the other direction. The road to Wombeyan Caves is great. Happy if someone wants to throw a complete route in there or part of a route and we can piece it all together. There's another Sydney XC70 coming, hopefully for all of the day but maybe only for the first few hours. So considering a route with an early stop for some photos, and an easy bailout point might make sense. Just as a thought.

[PJ810]

Edit: Nattai seems good (much closer to Mittagong than Morton NP) but appears to be one way in and out (unless Matters is keen to take his '09 down a fire trail and across the river!). Sheehy's Creek Road is shut, but we'll be approaching from the South anyway.

So I suggest:

1. Meet Mittagong 9:30am
2. Run into Nattai NP (morning tea somewhere in the NP) - 1hr 15mins (11am)
3. Cruise to Joadja (lunch) - 2 hours from furthest point in Nattai (1:30pm)
4. Sealed relaxed run to Wombeyan (is the last part still unsealed???) - 2hrs30mins from Joadja (4pm)
5. Wombeyan to Big Hill -1hr 40mins (5:30pm)
6. Big Hill to Marulan -40 mins (6:30pm)
7. Marulan to Mittagong -45 mins (7:45pm)
8. Home 10:30pm

Doing the number crunching, it looks like it might be sensible to cut Joadja out of the itinerary. Or one of the others. Thoughts?
'Roos at dusk is another consideration. Prefer to wrap up and be near a freeway before 6pm.

[PJ810]

OK, Joadja in or out doesn't make much difference. The killers on time (not km) are Nattai and in particular Wombeyan Caves. I reckon we need to choose one or the other so we can relax.

Doing them both will involve 8 hours of driving plus getting to and from Mittagong (although it's less than 300km).

[myzomela]

Thanks for the detailed planning, Patrick! More than I've been able to do over the last few days.
I think you're right: drop either Nattai or Wombeyan. I have a slight preference to do Wombeyan Caves Rd, as a reccy for a future family trip. The Marulan stop also suits me, as I'd probably head back to Canberra from there.

Should be a good day. Look out for me in an ash gold MY01 XC70, with an old numeric rego plate.

[PJ810]

Thanks for the detailed planning, Patrick! More than I've been able to do over the last few days.
I think you're right: drop either Nattai or Wombeyan. I have a slight preference to do Wombeyan Caves Rd, as a reccy for a future family trip. The Marulan stop also suits me, as I'd probably head back to Canberra from there.

Should be a good day. Look out for me in an ash gold MY01 XC70, with an old numeric rego plate.

OK, unless there's an overwhelming vote FOR Nattai and against Wombeyan...

I'm easy.

[PJ810]

Revised suggested itinerary:

Meet Mittagong 9:30am, depart 10am.

Drive to Joadja, 40mins.

Arrive Joadja for morning tea, 10:40am

Depart Joadja 11am

Drive to Wombeyan Caves, 2h 30mins

Arrive Wombeyan Caves 1:30pm

Lunch

Depart Wombeyan Caves 2:30pm

Drive to Big Hill 1h 40mins

Depart Big Hill 4:30pm

Arrive Marulan 5:10pm

Say goodbyes at Marulan and leave 5:30pm

Marulan to Canberra 1h 30mins
Marulan to Mittagong 45mins
Mittagong to Sydney 1h 30mins

Note 1: Deleting Joadja would save only 10 mins of driving time.
Note 2: Starting a little earlier can push lunch back to 1pm.

Does this itinerary seem reasonable?

[Matters]

Fire trail is fine. River crossing, in three years time, yes but as for now, no. Although if I see Patrick's XC cross successfully I might be persuaded. But if he floats down the river I am turning around.

Sounds like you have put a great deal of effort into this! Thanks a bunch Patrick.

We could also double it up as a Windows 7 launch party....only joking.