Hey all,

For those who have travelled from Melbourne to Sydney are there many speed cameras?

Apart from that how is Humes Hwy ? Is it smooth or does it have a lot of bumps like South Gippsland Hwy ( :rant: )?

The only reason i'm asking is because i will be going to NSW soon and would like to know what type of fuel consumption can i expect.

I've got a stock manual TJ VRX and assuming i'm gonna be travelling at 100-110km/hr i'm guessing aroung 8L/100km with only me in the car. Is that too much to ask?

I've just changed the fuel filter, had the injectors cleaned (not ultrasonic but on car)

BTW I will be using Shell Optimax I've been feeding it Optimax for the past 2 weeks now so that i can get the best out of it when i to the trip ! Or do ya thing Shell Premium Unleaded (95 RON) would suit the car better.

Would like to hear from people who have actually done the trip from Melbourne to Wagga Wagga or Sydney.

Cheers

the road is smooth, nothin bumpy or anything to worry about. Some parts are noisier than others.. thats all..

as for the fuel, u most probably wont find any difference using 98ron, id stick with premium95.. save your 5-8 cents/litre.

Speed cameras, there are 2/3 fixed cameras, all with Massive signs warning you. BUT when i drove down to sydney, there was a cop hiding in the middle with his little detector..

With cruise control its an easy drive, and easy on the fuel, just try not to fall asleep...:D

The road is pretty good - almost freeway all the way through now. All fixed speed cameras in NSW are signposted THREE TIMES before you get to them, along with the correct limit. You cannot get done unless you are just stupid.

There is a listing of fixed camera positions on the NSW RTA website.... www.rta.nsw.gov.au

As for the Mexican side of the border (si, I am a Mexican by birth) I cannot tell you. Treat it like the Monash..... possibly a camera behind every bridge.

The highway is very good in Vic, but a bit bumpy in places once you get over the Murray. It is one of the highest trafficked roads in the country, and is kept in fairly good nick. Dunno about the Gippy anymore, it's been a while.... Tooradin area is where I spent my very young years.

You should get good economy....especially if you set the cruise control. Try and find another car going at a comfortable speed and go with them.

Speed tolerance by Police is generally +10%. I am sure Steve_R (NSW's resident copper) will correct me, but in a 110 zone, keep it below 120 and you will have no problems. The Cameras are set to about +4/+5kmh sensitivity. As I said, They are well signposted, when you go back to Victoria you will feel like you live in the revenue-raising state........

Once you get to 20kms before Goulburn, stick as close to the limit as you can. The Police Academy is there and they love to ping people along that massive straight that bypasses the town. Someone got done for 200+ there about 12 months ago.

Good idea to take the UHF if you have one, if not buy one. Will keep you informed on what's happening on the roads.

Best of luck for your trip

I travelled from Geelong to Canberra on one tank... And admittedly i was running on fumes when i arrived! Try and find a petrol station in Canberra!

Get ya self a UHF radio.

Sit on channel 40 and listen. The truckers will be telling each other where the cops are, they will also let "newbies" know as well.

I know of a fixed cam at Craigieburn on the new part of the freeway.
Under the Pascoe Vale Rd overpass northbound.
Between the Hume and Pascoe Vale Rd southbound.
Western Hwy/Ring Rd intersection has speed cameras on the Ring Rd.

Set the Cruise for about 5 kms above the limit and ya should be safe.

Dont want to be a nerd here... But you wouldnt have to know where they are if you stuck to the speed limit.. Cruise control is the best...

Also i made it in 1 tank but had enough to actually find a petrol station.. lol

yeah its a good drive, the roads good, cept those damn weird line thingys:confused: u drive on em n they make the loadest noise, cant be good for ya tyres. but yeah if u get done at the fixed camera ur a mooron, there are 3 huge signs that say its there. i drove to canberra for summernats n dont remember seein any cops n i got there on a tank too!

I went back to my folk's house 3 weeks ago out past Shepparton so I was on the Hume prior to the Shepparton Exit. I'm not sure on the distance but I think its about the first 100-150ks heading out of Melbourne. One thing I noticed was fixed speed cameras everywhere, at least 3-4 in he first 100ks, they're pretty visible which I think they've done on purpose. I'd avoid speeding if you can.

I reset my trip computer when on the Hume and was able to get 6.7-7litres per 100ks on a TJ Auto. I haven’t been up to Sydney so I don’t know what the rest of the road is like. Hope this helps.

there are i think 2 speed cameras on the Hume Hwy, can't remember under which bridge, but its on the Craigeburn bypass side and its located on your right hand side

BTW I will be using Shell Optimax I've been feeding it Optimax for the past 2 weeks now so that i can get the best out of it when i to the trip ! Or do ya thing Shell Premium Unleaded (95 RON) would suit the car better.
Each to their own, but every time I've used Optimax I feel that the car is more sluggish/not as good on economy than what it is when I run Mobil 6000/Vortex/BP's 96ron. Actually I go out of my way not to use Shell fuel.

As for cameras, what everyone else said, except when you get to Sydney, many of our tunnels only have one sign warning for speedcameras. Those tunnels being M5 east, ED, Crosscity and Harbour. You'll probably notice that all the cars go slower in the tunnels for this reason.

PS - usually a tonne of highway cars around Goulburn and Campbelltown. Speed camera cars have traditionally been Falcon wagons, some marked, others not.