Sydney

Sydney is a city in New South Wales, Australia.

Hitchhiking out

South-West towards Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra via the Hume Highway

Option 1

Single off-peak train fare from Sydney Central = $3.40

Catch a train to Glenfield station on the Cambelltown line and from there you can either walk down the private road Roy Watts road all the way to Cambelltown road and then turn right, a option which requires you to squeeze through a hole in a fence. This private road also has "no trespassing" signs at the start of it! Otherwise just walk down Glenfield road, it takes longer but has no fences to squeeze through or high fenced private property to traverse. At the end of Glenfield road turn left on to Cambelltown road and walk up to the truckstop called 'Uncle Leo's Roadhouse'. Ask drivers at this truckstop for a ride down the Hume Fwy, and try to get a ride that will take you at least to 'Pheasants Nest' which is the next large gas station about 60 kilometres down the road.

If you get asked to leave the gas station by the Uncle Leo's Roadhouse staff, or if you prefer to just thumb it, 100m further on down Cambelltown road there is good place for cars to pull over just after the traffic lights. The road is busy here and the traffic moves fairly fast, but its easy to catch a ride.

Option 2

Single off-peak train fare from Sydney Central = $4.50

Catch a train to to Macarthur Station at the end of the Campbelltown line, walk north to Narellan road and try to find a car there. If you want to increase traffic, follow Narellan Road to the intersection of Hume Hwy and try on the onramp. Note: don't try to cut through the university from the train station directly to the intersection of Hume and Narellan - unless you are happy to climb a fence.

South towards Melbourne via the coastal Princes Highway

Slower than the Hume but more scenic

Option 1

Single off-peak train fare from Sydney Central = $3.40

Take a train to Heathcote station on the Illawarra line. Cross the railway bridge and walk to the highway. There is a large petrol station on your left, Caltex I think. This is the last petrol station for quite a way so lots of cars heading south stop here. If you get tired of waiting at the petrol station then walk up the highway for 5 minutes heading south - past the caravan park there is a good spot with a stopping lane, and the cars are only just coming out of 50km speed limit here.

Option 2

Single off-peak train fare from Sydney Central = $5.80

Catch a train to Dapto station on the Woolongong line. It's about a 2 hour train ride and the highway is about 200m from the station. There's a shopping centre ("Dapto Mall") on the highway near the train station, if you walk about 600m south from there you'll find a bus stop with a long line of sight for drivers to see you, and room for them to pull over. Louisa and Liam waited here for 15 minutes until they got a ride to Nowra.

North towards Byron Bay, Brisbane

Option 1

Single off-peak train fare from Sydney Central = $5.80

Catch a train to Hexham station on the Hunter line, it brings you about 200 kms north of Sydney where the Pacific Highway begins. This train journey takes 3 hours, so if you prefer to start closer to Sydney and probably hitch faster than the train would take to get to Hexham, follow options 2 or 3.

To get to Hexham catch a train on the Newscastle and Central coast line and get off at Hamilton Station to switch trains to the Hunter line for the last few stops til Hexham. From the station cross the foot bridge and hitch near the bus stop. The traffic is fast moving but there is room for people to pull over. Peacehead got a ride from a truckie all the way to Byron from here. Blink0 (CET) got offered several rides from here, and finally accepted a ride going with a German backpacker all the way to Byron Bay on a 2 day roadtrip

Option 2

The two main roadways out of Sydney come to a junction around Hornsby.

Single off-peak train fare from Sydney Central = $

• The Pacific Highway is the name shared by a number of roads which form a chain going up the East coast of Australia. Between Sydney and Hornsby, it is the main arterial road, but between Hornsby and Gosford it has been, for the most part, superceded by The "F3" Freeway (logically marked "National 1" on street signs), and is only one lane in each direction for good stretches, twisty, turny and doesn't get much traffic (unless the F3 is closed, in which case, you start seeing massive trucks trundling down tiny roadways). Due to the low traffic volumes, unless you are wanting to stop between Hornsby and Gosford (and you can get a lift all the way), it is recommended that you look at the F3.

Option 3

Single off-peak train fare from Sydney Central = $3.40

Catch a train to Wahroonga station on the Hornsby/Berowra line. Exit the station, walk south to the Pacific Highway, then turn right and walk west up the Pacific Hwy for about 600m. Just across a bridge over the Pacific Motorway you will see the onramp leading to the north down to the Motorway. Hitch at the onramp where there is a small but suitable space for cars to stop. The Pacific Motorway (M1), formally the "F3 Freeway", is the main roadway going North from Sydney, catering for a lot of traffic. There isn't a lot of time for drivers to see you and most traffic follows the double lane righthand turn from the Pacific Hwy, but even considering this, you shouldnt wait long for a drivers to stop. If you are hitching to Gosford it should be very easy and quick to get a ride. If you want to go further north up the coast (Byron Bay etc) dont take a ride offer to Gosford, instead try and get a lift at least to the next big gas station, which is about 20kms past the Gosford turn off, on the way to Doyalson or Morisset.

Other options for getting a lift north up the M1:

• Catch a train to Turramurra station ($3.40) on the Hornsby/Berowra line, exit the station, walk to the west about 200m and you arrive at the Pacific Highway. Cross the road and ask drivers for lift north on the M1 at the 7-eleven service station there.

• Catch a train to Thornleigh station ($3.40), exit the station and walk north east up Pennants Hills road. There are 3 service stations and a 24 hour McDonalds in the direction of the M1 within a kilometre walk from the station. This road services a lot of interstate and heavy traffic, and as these are the last fuel stops for anyone headed North, so most people stop here. You could try asking drivers at any of these places for a lift north up the M1.

North-West towards Bathurst via the Great Western Highway

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