Pacific Highway Memories

Here is a collection of photos of Australia's second most important road between Sydney and Brisbane. We can all remember when this was a goat track with at least 3 vehicle ferries across unbridged rivers. Nothing was done until about 20 years ago when they got themselves into gear. It is 1,000km of the finest road construction in Australia costing billions. No more steep hills, either through them or cut them away. Why are not all major roads built to this standard. Just got to stomp on the Greenies and fix the Coffs Harbour by-pass and it will be perfect. The second half of the Australian East coast, the Bruce Highway, from Brisbane to Cairns still has vast distances of goat track being fiddled with.

Many of the places in these photos arte no longer there or nowhere near the current route of the Pacific Highway. Many are shown as being on local road names long before some bright public servant came up with the Pacific Highway name.

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 







 

 


 

 

 

 






 

 


 

 

 

This is the Long Gulley Bridge (Northbridge) built as a private venture by land developers in 1892. They had a toll on it at one stage. Being developers they had influence and the main north road (Pacific Highway) was designated to go over the bridge but people jacked up on the dogleg going north. The Main Roads took over the bridge in 1935 and as we know it is more of a tourist attraction now

 




 

 

 

 

Not sure if this is Pacific Highway Australia or Pacific Highway USA.
 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 







 

Now the Pymble Hotel

 

Know this area well. Spent time living aboard around Brooklyn / Hawkesbury River. Looking down into Sandbrook Island. Dangar Island and Mullet creek in the background. Regularly commuted to $ydney by train and riding home on the Old Pacific Hwy.

 

Just spent 8 weeks over Christmas house sitting on Dangar Island. Such an interesting place.

Coffs bypass is under construction, however any gains are lost with the increased traffic causing jams at the Qld border. Then there is still the chaos of getting past Newcastle.