Damn round-a-bouts

[noelm]

Our local roads are a minefield of roundabouts, the Council has gone mad building them everywhere, and a million traffic lights. Now, before I put on my “grumpy old man pants” let’s be clear, most roundabouts work OK….except when people have no idea which indicator to use, left blinker on to go straight ahead, right blinker on to be straight ahead, left blinker on, but continue right around…….Jesus! Now, not too sure if anyone know the Oak Flats Interchange, it’s a huge roundabout, controlled (and I use that term very loosely) by traffic lights, there is 8 entry/exits, and one, you have to be in the right lane to exit left….yes I know! Add to this, lights badly synchronised, and some lanes banked up, so people use the free lane, then just push in half way around, and it’s a dodgem car trip at best…….I recently saw a guy towing a boat around there, queued up in the “right lane to turn left” entry (clearly signposted to do so, and road markings to suit) green light, off I go, following the traffic, this ninny in a ute, flies up the other lane, gets to the exit and just comes across, and “taps” the car towing the boat, no damage (well minimal) but he proceeds to let fly with language, they stop off the roundabout and I stopped too (being a “witness”) and he tells me/us he was late for work, and the boat was going too slow,  he said “I have a two tonne boat, in the correct lane, what exactly do you want me to do?”  After some words, the guy reluctantly agreed he “might” have been at fault and they started exchanging details, so I left……rant over!

Edited September 29, 2023 by noelm

[Yowie]

Bigger vehicles have right of way, especially fitted with a bull bar. 🤣

[Green Hornet]

You have to sometimes wonder what’s going through their heads when they design these monstrosities.

Driving the Princes Highway through Nowra is a classic, with either roundabouts that seem to give side streets right of way, or unsynchronized traffic lights on every intersection. 

Then there’s this gem where if you drive a manual, you need one hand to stop your indicator from canceling itself, one to change gear and a third hand to steer, along with two heads to keep an eye on everyone that’s trying to ram you.

[noelm]

Yeah, Nowra has got a couple of “gems” too, looking back, the whole highway was done wrong, instead of building the Berry bypass and a new bridge at Nowra, it would have been great to continue straight ahead at Gerringong, along Seven Mike Beach, across the lower Shoalhaven River, east of the town, keep going through around Pyree and end up around the Huskisson turn off, bypassing Berry, North Nowra, Nowra, and South Nowra all in one go!

[Green Hornet]

@noelm funny you sat that because that was actually planned a long time back when they were looking to industrialize Jervis Bay.

If you’re at Culburra driving towards Crookhaven Heads, the houses on the east side are all set back about 30 meters from the road. That was to allow for a 4 lane highway to run through the center of town.

[noelm]

Yep, I heard someone saw a Mosquito or a mouse or something and the entire plan was scrapped! How good would it have been? Build the new freeway without traffic, bypass every town, including that traffic hell hole Nowra, two bridges, East of the existing setup….job done. From Bomaderry all the way to the end of South Nowra is a nightmare, and ten new bridges will not fix it, you just get to the hold up quicker!

[Green Hornet]

The whole thing was scrapped when Billy McMahon became prime minister.

I’m glad it was because Jervis Bay was planned for a steel works at Callala Bay, a commercial shipping port a bit further to the east, along with the infamous nuclear power plant at Murrays Beach.

It came so close to reality it wasn’t funny.

Also, Nowra was bypassed around 1980 just to the east of town and some “genius” allowed commercial development to be built right along it. That’s the disaster we see today and now need to bypass the bypass.

[noelm]

I remember the nuclear power plant thing, we had a holiday house right on Currambine creek and a 36’ trawler tied up there, at the end of the road where a guy named Lockwood had his Oyster setup.

[noelm]

2 hours ago, Green Hornet said:

The whole thing was scrapped when Billy McMahon became prime minister.

I’m glad it was because Jervis Bay was planned for a steel works at Callala Bay, a commercial shipping port a bit further to the east, along with the infamous nuclear power plant at Murrays Beach.

It came so close to reality it wasn’t funny.

Also, Nowra was bypassed around 1980 just to the east of town and some “genius” allowed commercial development to be built right along it. That’s the disaster we see today and now need to bypass the bypass.

Unfortunately as time goes on, more and more houses get built, and building a bypass becomes near impossible without a gigantic “loop” if there is any land left to build the loop. Albion Park is a classic example, the new freeway is miles longer than the old highway, because of urban sprawl, building it took a lot of planning and added distance.

[Green Hornet]

44 minutes ago, noelm said:

I remember the nuclear power plant thing, we had a holiday house right on Currambine creek and a 36’ trawler tied up there, at the end of the road where a guy named Lockwood had his Oyster setup.

Nice, I bet you still owned both, though Huskisson sure is a different place now to what it used to be. Very commercialised and not my scene.

[noelm]

3 minutes ago, Green Hornet said:

Nice, I bet you still owned both, though Huskisson sure is a different place now to what it used to be. Very commercialised and not my scene.

No, it was great back in about 1970 I guess it would have been.

[Green Hornet]

21 minutes ago, noelm said:

No, it was great back in about 1970 I guess it would have been.

I lived there for a while in the mid-late 80’s and it was just starting to lose its appeal then.

[noelm]

Our place was on the corner where the boat ramp is at Wollamia, it’s a car park now……I was young and silly and it was one of those 99 year lease things, but we handed it in…..damn fools, all the other ones got given to the owners for a pittance. Husky was a great place then, a simple life, a few shops and a couple of local pro fishermen that used to beach haul the bay or scallop.

 

[Green Hornet]

I know where you were then. I still head over there and chase blackfish off the rockwall and my brother in law owned the oyster lease you referred to as “Lockwards” for a while.

[noelm]

Yeah a long time family friend Les Lockwood (everyone called him Bon for some reason) originally from Shellharbour, moved down there, probably around the late 60s maybe? he had a couple of hire boats at one time, then the Oyster lease and shed, kind of pioneered Scallop dredging and Prawn trawling in the bay, then passed away and the Oyster lease and his land just kind of went into limbo. His grandson still lives there somewhere, haven’t seen him for years. I wonder if you and I ever crossed paths during our fishing years? 

Edited September 29, 2023 by noelm

[Green Hornet]

I reckon if we’ve ever crossed paths, it would most likely have been out The Banks. I fished out there a fair bit with a mate who was a pro, rod and reel tuna fisherman through the 80’s. He had a blue, 24’ cuddy cabin style, timber boat with a 350 chev inboard. If you didn’t see the boat you would have heard it, it had a sweet note.

 

[BaitDropper]

That word " Ninny " made me chuckle, haven't heard that phrase for many a year.

Since we moved up here, the difference between down town Melbourne and Nowra proper, is like night and day. In fact. I was probably the one in a hurry, having not clicked out of the " rat race" tactics used to drive in Melbourne.  But, having been here for 18 months or more, and having acclimatized to the traffic, I start to see some major planning bungles.

We are out of Nowra itself and really don't need to go in to town much, only for supplies, but school holidays or long weekends, we simply don't bother, it's mayhem.

There nearly done with a by pass, as such, which zips through from Illaroo road to the Camberwarra Rd/ kangaroo valley Rd, which will make getting out of town north, only a 5 minute drive for us.  But yes, some terrible planning or lack of planning is extremely obvious.

Can't believe they aren't going to utilize the old Nowra bridge, apart from being now designated for foot traffic and cycles, a complete waste of time. If it were planned properly and car parking put in, the old bridge would have made a great market type location, which would have been unique and may have prompted others to invest in the river banks, which I believe is also a waste of an opportunity. Everytime I go for a cruise down the river, I find it astonishing no one has pushed on with developing the river banks.

The old camping ground beneath the Nowra bridge, was going to be developed into apartments, restaurants etc etc, the owner thru the towel in after councils pathetic hold ups and delays on approvals, they were ready to go, well backed financially, but our beloved ( wont say it) council simply isnt interested in local development, there to busy with federal causes.......🤐...  Still, we luv driving around Husky and cullbarra and all the other wee towns and villages ( outside of school holidays and long weekends ),  still a beautiful area..

 

[noelm]

Yep, Nowra is the biggest “bottle neck” ever, from north it’s all smooth sailing, until you hit north Nowra, with a dozen round a bouts, multiple lanes parked cars, shops, then it’s the Bridge and the town itself, then on south to countless round a bouts, shops, fast food outlets and traffic turning, entering, stopping and who knows what else for miles, long weekends/holidays it’s just a multi lane parking lot……no idea where or how any kind of bypass is feasible now.

[noelm]

On 9/30/2023 at 8:46 AM, Green Hornet said:

I reckon if we’ve ever crossed paths, it would most likely have been out The Banks. I fished out there a fair bit with a mate who was a pro, rod and reel tuna fisherman through the 80’s. He had a blue, 24’ cuddy cabin style, timber boat with a 350 chev inboard. If you didn’t see the boat you would have heard it, it had a sweet note.

 

Yeah, I fished the Banks a lot for a very long time, “famous” names like “Hunky Too” “Melicent” and the most famous of them all, “Ajax” where common sights (Ajax still is) lots of pros made a living rod and reel fishing for Yellowfin and Kingfish back them. Caught some memorable fish myself, that Kingy in my Avatar was 39KG cleaned, got a Yellowfin 95KG that’s all that was left after a Shark bit it in half, just in front of the sickle fins! I used to stay at the caravan park at the entrance to the Shoalhaven for 3 weeks every year, started with a Seafarer Viking, then an Aluminium cat, then Sharkcats, my mate had a house in Currarong, and had a Sharkcat called “K-Cat”

[Green Hornet]

12 hours ago, noelm said:

Yeah, I fished the Banks a lot for a very long time, “famous” names like “Hunky Too” “Melicent” and the most famous of them all, “Ajax” where common sights (Ajax still is) lots of pros made a living rod and reel fishing for Yellowfin and Kingfish back them. Caught some memorable fish myself, that Kingy in my Avatar was 39KG cleaned, got a Yellowfin 95KG that’s all that was left after a Shark bit it in half, just in front of the sickle fins! I used to stay at the caravan park at the entrance to the Shoalhaven for 3 weeks every year, started with a Seafarer Viking, then an Aluminium cat, then Sharkcats, my mate had a house in Currarong, and had a Sharkcat called “K-Cat”

I fished a bit on the original Hunky with Bluey and his son, they were nice guys, as were most of the “small” boat pros.

Did you stay at the Crookhaven caravan park? I was a longtime member of the Culburra Sportfishing Club back in those days and we held our weigh ins in the park, down by the gantry. We could’ve crossed paths there as well.

Lots of impressive fish caught out there, though unlike yourself, not by me LOL. My mate got a 107kg yellowfin and I can remember being very apprehensive to gaff it. Turned out the fish was spent and didn’t struggle at all.

[noelm]

Yep, stayed at Crookhaven Heads, and at my mates place at Currarong lots of times. Knew Bluey reasonably well, also a guy name Bird built a big Aluminium boat there, called it “Lady Bird” and as it turned out, a friend of mine bought it later and pro fished out of Kiama with it. Had some exciting times at the Banks over the years…one time in the old Seafarer the current was raging, but we thought we would try and anchor, I was up the front in that silly hatch setup, let over the anchor, the second it hit bottom it grabbed and I couldn’t hold the rope, it was flying out, and the Polystyrene ball I had on the end got caught in the hatch lock and the front went down, water came in the hatch, luckily the anchor pulled and I managed to get enough rope in so it couldn’t grab again! The water was knee deep in the boat……they were the days, young and silly!

[Green Hornet]

Small world isn’t it.

The guy that owned the timber boat originally had a Seafarer V-sea and had the front hatch permanently sealed for that very reason.

He used the anchor system with a short rope from the front bollard back to the cabin and a ring tied to the other end. The anchor was dropped from the cockpit, then tied to the ring. I’m sure you know it.

I saw some guys in a cat try to anchor in similar conditions that you describe. They tried the rope off to the back corner, pulling it under and sinking the boat in seconds.

[noelm]

Yep, for a “legendary” boat, they were not that good, poorly made, but very popular, sold lots of them.

[PaddyT]

Drove back from Merimbula on Monday , decided to take scenic route up the coast rather than the sensible way-8 1/2 hours of driving -yep Nowra is a disaster! so were about 4 other spots .

[noelm]

Nowra is a real peach isn’t it? Even if they started a bypass right now, it would still take years to build, as it stands, we have to wait until “they” find a suitable alternative, then wait the years to complete it. Maybe do the straight ahead at Gerringong and finish at the Jervis Bay turnoff anyway, and just forget the old highway?