Day 5 – Nambucca Heads To Grafton – 149 Kms

Day 5 – Wednesday 8th May 2013
Nambucca Heads To Grafton – 149 Kms

Turn Right At Front Of Caravan Park

0.7ks Turn Right At Fraser Park

2 Ks Turn Left Into Fraser St

2.9 Ks Turn Right Into Pacific Highway

33.5 Ks Picnic Area With Toilets

40.5 Ks Veer Left Up Ramp And Turn Right Through Roundabouts Into Sawtell Road Towards Sawtell

46.0 ks turn left to Coffs Harbour at Hogbin Drive

Cyclist to go 100 metres and turn onto cycle way on right hand side of road – back up vehicles to keep with packs as best as possible without obstructing traffic.

48.9 ks straight ahead through roundabout

50.4 ks straight ahead through roundabout

52.1 ks straight ahead through roundabout

52.4 ks straight ahead through roundabout

53.9 ks turn right at roundabout into Orlando Street to Coffs Harbour Jetty

54.5 ks after crossing bridge turn right into morning tea near porpoise pool at Coffs Creek Park

Ride Note icon Ride Notes:

The morning run is flat & on the highway until the Sawtell exit.

Hairy down-hill left-hander shortly after leaving highway (approx 2.5k)
The morning tea stop is in a park near the beach.

There are a couple of ordinary, narrow sections of Highway
A 10k section around Urunga & another 6k section shortly after.
Don’t follow closely behind other packs, it causes too much congestion on the Highway.

Traditionally the longest day, this stage has been shortened somewhat.
I don’t think we’ll be arriving at days end feeling any fresher for the shorter distance!

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Return Over Railway Line And Turn Right

55.9 Ks Turn Right At Roundabout Onto Hogbin Rd And Follow To The End

57.7 Ks Turn Left Into Arthur St And Proceed Under Highway And Turn Right To Rejoin The Highway

59.8 Ks Turn Left At Second Turn After Big Banana Into Bruxner Park Rd

62.8 Ks Straight Ahead Into Forest Drive At Top Of Hill

73.5 Ks Turn Left To Nana Glen Care To Be Taken On All Bridges And Blind Corners – Stay On The Left Side Of The Centre Line

87.5 Ks Turn Right To Grafton

98.6 Ks Turn Right Into Sherwood Creek Rd At Glenreagh Sign Also Says Glenreagh Railway Station

Lunch Area 50 Meters On Left In Park

Ride Note iconRide Notes:

Rolling country to hilly.

There is a climb as we leave Coffs Harbour, but it is a lot easier than what is to follow.

It can be a pretty hard stage after morning tea, the country is a bit lumpy in places and things usually hot up after the climb out of town, just after the Big Banana.

This is our first real taste of country roads and it usually gets everybody fired up. The tempo doesn’t usually slacken till we’re near the lunch stop at Glenreagh.

So expect a hard day. It’s very honest country if the pace is on. There are two turns to remember once over the climb leaving Coffs Harbour:

  • First Left at 10 km
  • Second Right, 15 km further on

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Return To Main Road – Turn Right To Grafton

114.6 Ks Bad Bridge

136.2 Ks Turn Right At T Intersection

141.9 Ks Turn Left At Intersection

142.2 Ks Turn Right Through Roundabout

142.7 Ks Straight Through Roundabout

143.8 Ks Cross Clarence River Bridge Cyclists To Use Cycle Way Under The Bridge – Back Up Vehicle To Meet With Pack In Kentucky Fried Chicken Car Park

144.1 ks turn left into Clarence Street

144.3 ks turn right into Victoria St

145.0 Ks turn left into Princes St – Crown Hotel at end of road

Note: Will not be staying at the caravan park this year.

Ride Note icon Ride Notes:

After lunch, everyone is usually spent and happy to get to town.

There is a horizontal plank bridge 16 km from the lunch stop, give yourself a bit of room on approach, it’s quite long and it is in a dip in the roadway.

At the T-junction turn off, 6km from Grafton the pace usually hots up for a few kilometres on the run to town. By then the day is done.

Don’t forget to pull the reins in as you approach the Grafton town limits. We need to arrive into Grafton as a tidy group, not all over the road like a drunken sailor.

Remember hard left before the bridge, we ride into town over the pedestrian walkway.

Check out: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

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Accommodation iconAccommodation

Those tenting will be provided with Hotel accommodation in Grafton as we are not welcome at the Caravan Park

Suggested alternatives in Grafton are:

  • Comfort Inn Fitzroy (Motel) 02 6642 4477
  • Quality Inn Grafton (Motel) 02 6643 3444
  • Grafton Civic Motel 02 6642 4922
  • Key Lodge Motel 02 6642 1446