Pacific Highway (Australia)
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The Pacific Highway is the coastal highway that goes between Sydney and Brisbane, and is 1,025 km (637 mi) long. It's a pretty drive, with exits to the coastal towns along the way. Slower than the inland route.
Between Sydney and Newcastle, and between Ballina and Brisbane, Queensland, this highway becomes the Pacific Motorway (see for more info]). Everywhere else in between Newcastle and Ballina is the Pacific Highway and it is possible to hitch directly on the highway in many places where there is room for cars to stop.
Sydney to Brisbane
Route Description
This is an easy route to hitchhike, the following is a rough description of the major servos along the route:
- Follow the directions on the Sydney page to get out of Sydney
- Servo near Wyon on the highway about 20kms after the Gosford turnoff, is a big servo with many cars. There is a northbound servo and a southbound servo here across the highway.
- BP Beresfield servo Ask drivers filling up with fuel or infront of the restaurant, or if there servo is quite it is possible to thumb it on John Renshaw Drive where there is space for cars to pull over. Its an 80km/h zone so the traffic is not too fast and the is plenty of space for cars to pull over. North or South-bound possible.
- 'The Rock' is no longer the rock - it burnt down, but there is a temporary replacement servo here. This is not a good spot to find a ride north, but ok for going south. A few kms north of the Rock is a small reststop (toilet only) called Station Creek Rest Area which is better for hitching north during the day.
- Caltex Taree is a big servo/reststop with a lot of cars going both north and south bound. When it is really busy here it might be easier to stand at the road exit with a sign rather than asking people.
- 'The Doughnut' near Port Macquarie is a BP servo just off the Highway. If you are going north or south you can ask drivers at the servo. Sometimes there seems to only be local Port Macquarie traffic here so it can be quicker to thumb it on the on ramp to the Pacific Hwy.
- Kempsey Servo is a smaller, but still good, servo that's maybe better for going South than north
- BP Nambucca Heads is a smaller, but still good, servo that's maybe better for going North than south
- Coffs Harbour South Servo is a big servo and restaurant reststop. you can get good rides from here, north or south-bound, but many locals visit here too. You can also hitch on the road near here where its an 80km/h zone and room for cars to stop
- After Grafton there are many small towns along the way where its possible to hitch directly on the road in town i.e. Tyndale, Harwood, Woodburn, and Broadwater etc
- Caltex Murwillumbah is a big (northbound only) servo on the Highway 5kms south-west of Chinderah and the last big reststop heading north before Tweed Heads and the Gold Coast, and its about 100km from Brisbane. This is a great spot to get a ride to Tweed, Goldy or Brisy mate.
- BP Connect Chinderah (southbound only) is a big servo a couple of kms south of the Tweed River. This is a great servo for finding a ride South.
