Build it and they will come

The rumours are true. I’m an infrastructure geek. I love learning about major civil engineering works. Over the years, I’ve blogged about structures like the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the world’s longest single-span suspension bridge, the Panama Canal, and Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

Currently, a couple of construction projects in New South Wales are firm favourites. That is, the Coffs Harbour bypass and the M1 Motorway Extension to Raymond Terrace. Once completed you’ll be able to drive from Sydney to Brisbane without encountering a single stop sign or traffic light. In fact, following the recent completion of the Northconnex tunnel in northern Sydney, you’ll be able to do the same from Melbourne to Brisbane.

Last December, Garry and I drove past both projects on our way to our holiday in Ballina. I was surprised (and delighted) to see an elevated roadway rising on the Raymond Terrace bypass. It’s part of a 2.6-kilometre viaduct across the Hunter River and surrounding floodplain. The scale of this roadway was impressive, to say the least.

Once completed, this 15-kilometre motorway extension will remove five sets of traffic lights and cut 15 minutes or more from travel time during peak periods. For years, we’ve dreaded this section of road as traffic slows to a crawl for kilometres in the run-up to the existing river crossing.

Likewise, the Coffs Harbour bypass will involve 14 kilometres of dual carriageway and three tunnels, diverting traffic around this north-coast city. Last December, massive earthworks were underway at either end of the bypass. The Coffs Harbour bypass is scheduled to open in late 2027, while the M1 extension at Raymond Terrace will open in 2028.

However, I won't force Garry to make a special trip to experience the roads when they open. In 1998, I recall taking a detour while driving to the Hunter Valley with my friend Michele to see the recently opened M1 motorway extension to Tomago. Years later, she drove me across Hong Kong's recently opened Tsing Ma Bridge in her employer's convertible simply because she knew I'd relish the experience. Halfway across the bridge, its presentation floodlights timed out for the night, leaving us in total darkness.

 Lake George Dual Carriageway: Shutterstock

When I relocated to Australia in 1990, things were very different. Back then, the Pacific Highway was considered one of Australia's most deadly roads thanks to horrific head-on collisions, including the Kempsey bus crash that killed 35 people and injured 41 the year before I arrived. 

The equally busy Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne was also incomplete, with lengthy sections lacking a dual carriageway. I recall the opening of bypasses at Goulburn and Mittagong in 1992, as well as the final section of the missing road near Holbrook, which opened in 2013.

Likewise, a dual carriageway on the Federal Highway between Goulburn and Canberra was well underway, including an elevated roadway along the shores of Lake George. Fast forward 35 years, and the dual carriageway is now progressively extending south along the Pacific Highway towards Batemans Bay. I love it all. Sad but true.

Riviera Living

Last year Garry and I stayed a night at the Ramada Resort Hotel in Ballina while on a short business trip to Mullumbimby. We loved the venue so much it was the obvious choice for a return visit during our Pacific Highway road trip. It was also a convenient place to base ourselves again as we had a follow-up meeting scheduled with the previous owner of our thriving toy company. 18 months into this venture we'd agreed to sell back a small product category that's no longer core to the business.

We spent three nights in Ballina.  This gave us ample time to spend a full day in Mullumbimby meeting the former owner of Artiwood.  The 42km journey had improved significantly since our last visit.  A new dual carriageway section of the Pacific Highway had opened a few weeks before our arrival making the journey easier than ever.  Then, with our paperwork signed and a review of the business completed, we finally headed back to Ballina in the last afternoon.

The last night of 2016 was spent enjoying delicious local fish and chips while looking over the Richmond River. Sadly there were no fireworks scheduled in Ballina so midnight passed without celebration.  However, the following morning during my leisurely breakfast on our riverfront balcony I was entertained by a pod of dolphins chasing a school of fish up the river.  It was magical moment!

We then spent two nights staying with friends on their lifestyle block near Alstonville.  It was a delight to catch up with Adam and Liz. We kicked back with a leisurely stroll around their property and a refreshing walk along the local beach. Adam and Liz really are living the dream. Before we knew it, the time had come to head back south. I also had to be back in Sydney by Friday as I had flights booked for a business trip to Hong Kong the following morning.

We decided to drive as far south as we could then stop for a couple of nights to rest and relax before tackling the traffic heading into Sydney. On a whim we decided to book ourselves into the Ibis Styles at Harrington Waters near Forster. This proved to be a clever decision. It took more than six hours of driving before we finally reached the venue in the early evening. Garry and I were both over it by the time we arrived.

However, the long day meant we'd put behind us all of the Pacific Highway that's yet to be converted to dual carriageway.  We were also excited to watch the car's odometer click over 4000kms.  We drove the vehicle off the lot 15 months ago with less than 5km on the clock. We still think its the best vehicle we've ever owned.

Harrington Waters was truly idyllic. Our hotel room looked out over the Manning River where pelicans and other bird life spent their time fishing directly opposite our first floor balcony. Harrington Rivers was a hidden gem.  Its been quietly transformed into a upmarket retirement community with some superb facilities and features some amazing waterfront homes. Our hotel was next door to a lively Irish Pub where we ate a complimentary breakfast.  A compact nine hole golf course was also within walking distance.

We loved the location so much we actually spent time talking with the local real estate agent about investment properties in the area. We're clearly use to Sydney house prices.  The cost a very decent homes in the area was barely a fifth the cost of our Sydney apartment.  While we're not in the market for a retirement property just yet, the location and its facilities have probably set the benchmark for anything we might consider in the future.

My way or the Pacific Highway?

In 1996 the New South Wales State Government announced plans for converting the heavily used Pacific Highway into a dual carriageway highway between Sydney and Brisbane.  The original plan called for completion of the upgrade by 2016.  Twenty year later less than 70% of the route has been upgraded.  However, construction on the remaining 230kms is finally underway.

The completed works have dramatically transformed the highway.  A once hair raising drive along the nation's Pacific coast has been transformed into a relatively relaxing long distance journey.  I last drove the highway to Brisbane in 1991.  It was an exhausting experience. Sections of the highway were truly terrifying. An endless procession of large articulated trucks crowded the road and swept past in the opposing lane with a proximity that left your heart pounding.

For the New Year period Garry and I decided to take our "new" car on a road trip. We mapped out an itinerary that took us as far north as Ballina and Mullumbimby.  Our trip saw us make two overnight stops while going north (and one extended stop when we head south again).

We began our journey on Boxing Day. Garry decided an early departure was critical if we were to avoid being caught up in post-Christmas traffic chaos.  As a result, we found ourselves on the road shortly after 7am.  Garry's strategy proved the right one. Our passage through Sydney's northern suburbs passed faster than expected.  In fact we didn't encounter a single line of crawling traffic until we reached the inevitable bottleneck crossing of the Hunter River near Hexham.

Our first night was booked into the delightful Eco Cottages at Bombah Point in the Mydall Lakes National Park. This place was a real gem. The complex consists of a series of brilliantly designed boutique eco-friendly cottages nestled among gum trees on a sunny hillside. It a luxurious bush escape that made it the perfect place for resetting our watches to vacation time.

Despite the remote location we found plenty to do.  We enjoyed brunch on the water's edge at the Tea Gardens Boatshed before heading further up the coast to spend an afternoon walking to the Seal Rocks Lighthouse. At dusk we ventured out to watch bush wallabies bounding around the cottage complex's small orchard.  However, this wasn't the only wildlife on show.  We also received daytime visits from a very fat, happy goanna and a bush turkey.

Our second night was spent in Coffs Harbour. We booked ourselves into the Big Windmill Comfort Inn. This was another highlight. We enjoyed dinner in beer garden at the motel's German themed restaurant. The food was excellent but the portions were small for the price we paid. We walked the boat harbour and climbed to the summit of Muttonbird Hill for a wonderful vista along the Pacific Coast.

The following morning we spent a couple of entertaining hours at the local Marineland complex. Where else can you practice playing "catch" with a dolphin?  It then time for a classic photo at the Big Banana before we headed for Ballina, our northernmost destination.

Click here for highlights from our New Years Eve in Ballina.