Sydney
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Sydney is Australia's biggest city.
Hitchhiking out
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South towards Melbourne
There are two options.
- The Princes Highway is more scenic and mostly not a freeway, but it's 200 km longer. Take a train on the illawarra line to ¨Heathcote¨. Cross the railway bridge and walk to the highway. There is a large petrol station on your left, a 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, passed 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. Louisa and Liam caught a train to Dapto on the Woolongong line (about $5 concession). Its about a 2 hour train ride and you end up an easy 200m walk from the highway. There's a shopping centre ("Dapto Mall") near the train station that's on the highway, if you walk about 600m south from here you'll find a bus stop with a long line of site for drivers to see you, and room for them to pull over. Louisa and Liam waited here for 15 minutes until they got a ride to Nowra.
- Take the Hume Highway if you're in a hurry (which you shouldn't be). It takes 10 hours to get to Melbourne if you are lucky enough to get a truck going all the way. It's less easy to get out than on the Princes Highway. Joy caught the train to Casula and hitched from the service station 10 min walk away (waited 10 mins). Check out multimap.com.au to see where to go, or just ask someone.
- Alternatively, catch a train to the end of the Campbelltown line to Macarthur Station, walk north to Narellan road and try to find a car there. If you want to increase traffic, follow Narellan Road to the intersection of Hume Hwy. Note: don't try to cut through the university from the train station directly to the intersection of Hume and Narellan - unless you are happy to climb a fence.
North towards Byron Bay
- Catch a Bus to Hornsby ( 2,50$ - Student Fare ), head towards the Pacific Highway the traffics slows in the area in the morning.
Update: 6 March 2010 by Roux: I would not suggest Pacific Highway. Freeway 1 is faster, got a ride in 10 minutes. Pacific Highway is the old highway and doesn't have much traffic.
- Catch a train to Newcastle and another to Hexham ($11.5 one-way for both). Cross the foot bridge and stand near the bus stop. The traffic is fast moving but there is room for people to pull off. 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 going with a German backpacker all the way to Byron Bay on a 2 day roadtrip!
- Catch a train to Warhoonga station (Northshore line) walk out of the station to your right, past the shops and servo, to the highway follow it down to where it passes over the highway, you can climb off the road you are on and down to the highway or try to walk down the onramp to the road. There is a space where cars/trucks can stop right where you get to, be careful though!
