1968 Route

ROTHMANS INTERNATIONAL SOUTHERN CROSS RALLY

The 1968 Southern Cross Rally was the third to run from Sydney into Victoria and back, but like the 1966 edition, this one stopped midway in Melbourne with additional stops in Canberra and Albury. Unfortunately weather played a big part in the event with a large proportion of the competitive sections in Victoria being cancelled due to horrendous weather that brought down many fallen trees.

Click on the image above to see a detailed Google Maps trace of the entire route

As with the previus two years, a day was called a "Stage". Each stage was broken into two "Divisions", which presumably had separate late time limits. Within each division there were a number of "Sections". By 1968 the instructions did usually (but not always) identify that a section was "Transport". Some sections were designated "Special Sections" and were timed to the quarter minute. The instructions were almost entirely in the form of locations and features on the maps of the day. However all sections had route charts, which the organisers designated as "advisory" and they were often somewhat incomplete. Although the event used miles, the distances below are in kilometres for comparison with later events.

Summary:

	Special Stages	Other Competitive Sections	Special Stage	Other Competitive	Transport	Total	Longest Competitive
Stage One	2	14	42 km	251 km	415 km	708 km	68.7 km
Stage Two	0	17	0 km	570 km	350 km	920 km	80.1 km
Stage Three	0	13	0 km	393 km	337 km	730 km	58.9 km
Stage Four	0	20	0 km	439 km	704 km	1143 km	127.2 km
Event	2	64	42 km	1653 km	1806 km	3501 km	127.2 km

Stage 1 - Sydney to Canberra

The event started at 12:30 pm in Martin Place in the centre of Sydney then transported to Annangrove for two short sections at the Amaroo Raceway, one on the hillclimb and the second around the dirt circuit. A long transport then took crews soth the Wollongong with one short competitive at Mount Keira. The serious competition commenced south of Nowra with three competives before a division break at Milton. Six more competitives in the hills behind Batemans Bay, one of which was cancelled, took crews to a refuel at Moruya. Two more competitives headed north to Braidwood, including the fast but unrelanting Araluen Road and a special section across Mongo Mountain. One more competitive across the Tallaganda State Forest was followed by a short competive on the outskirts of Queanbeyan. After breakfast at the Queanbeyan Leagues Club crews headed into the Stage end parc ferme in Canberra.

Section details

Division	Section	Place(s)	Special Stage	Competitive	Transport	Time Allowed
1	Assembly	Martin Place			1.3 km
1	1	Amaroo			50.2 km	1 hr 20 mins
1	2	Hillclimb		1.4 km		4 mins
1	3	Dirt Circuit		1.3 km		2 mins
1	4	Kieraville			114.7 km	2 hrs 15 mins
1	5	Mt Kembla		2.1 km		3 mins
1	6	Wollongong			13.1 km	24 mins
1	7	Bamerang			84.8 km	1 hr 24 mins
1	8	Turpentine Ridge		26.5 km		21 mins
1	9	Cassia Road			7.4 km	7 mins
1	10	West Wandandian		9.2 km		8 mins
1	11	Sussex Inlet Road			9.6 km	10 mins
1	12	Conjola Forest		17.9 km		15 mins
1	13	Milton			15.1 km	29 mins
2	14	Morton South		28.6 km		23 mins
2	15	Tumblebar Rd (canc)		10.7 km		9 mins
2	16	Shallow Crossing		17.3 km		15 mins
2	17	Nelligen		29.4 km		26 mins
2	18	Runnyford Road		22.9 km		22 mins
2	19	Mogendoura	28.1 km			23 mins
2	20	Moruya Refuel			9.7 km	22 mins
2	21	Araluen Road		68.7 km		62 mins
2	22	Monga Falls	13.7 km			11 mins
2	23	Braidwood			47.3 km	38 mins
2	24	Rossi		14.2 km		13 mins
2	25	Queanbeyan			39.7 km	32 mins
2	26	Queanbeyan Climb		0.9 km		1 mins
2	27	Queanbeyan			3.9 km	7 mins
2	28	Canberra			17.2 km	30 mins

The route instructions are available here.

Stage 2 - Canberra to Melbourne

The second night headed south from Canberra with a short stage crossing the Murumbidgee River then down Boboyan Road almost to Adaminaby. A meandering transport took crews fo Berridale for a short break. The run south to Dalgety and across to Jindabyne, while not a transport, was not competive. But downthe Barry Way from Ingebra to Wulgumerang certainly was. This road would be used in the opposite direction in the London-Sydney Marathon a couple of months later. A long section along Tulluch Ard Road to east of Buchan was very tricky. However the section after Buchan was eventually cancelled because of fallen trees. After a break at Nowa Nowa the route travelled across to the Omeo Highway. The remainder of the division to Melbourne was to travel through Deptford, Wuk Wuk, Seaton, Walhalla, Tanjil Bren and Noojee to Powelltown but was cancelled due to the extreme weather conditions.

Section details

Division	Section	Place(s)	Special Stage	Competitive	Transport	Time Allowed
1	29	Williamsdale			39.6 km	41 mins
1	30	Gudgenby River		10.0 km		9 mins
1	31	Glendale Crossing		16.0 km		13 mins
1	32	Bobeyan Road		46.6 km		36 mins
1	33	Berridale			57.9 km	46 mins
1	34	Jindabyne South		49.5 km		39 mins
1	35	Ingebyra			36.4 km	29 mins
1	36	Willis		32.5 km		30 mins
1	37	Suggan Buggan		19.6 km		18 mins
1	38	Wulgulmerang		12.4 km		10 mins
1	39	East Buchan		80.1 km		1 hour 3 mins
1	40	Buchan South			21.9 km	21 mins
1	41	Tostaree (canc)		30.2 km		27 mins
1	42	Nowa Nowa			6.4 km	8 mins
2	43	Kenny Road			7.1 km	7 mins
2	44	Omeo Hwy		24.7 km		21 mins
2	45	Mt Baldhead (canc)		50.2 km		42 mins
2	46	Wuk Wuk (canc)		23.8 km		19 mins
2	47	Seaton (canc)			89.3 km	1 hour 21 mins
2	48	Walhalla (canc)		44.4 km		37 mins
2	49	Erica (canc)		11.5 km		9 mins
2	50	Tanjil Bren (canc)		52.0 km		45 mins
2	51	Noojee (canc)		33.6 km		29 mins
2	52	Powelltown (canc)		32.6 km		26 mins
2	53	Light Car Club			88.7 km	1 hour 50 mins
2	54	Parc Ferme			3.3 km	1 hour 10 mins

The route instructions are available here.

Stage 3 - Melbourne to Albury

The third night was run entirely in Victoria. After a long transport to north of Buxton, a muddy section in the northern Murrundindi Forest took crews to Alexandra then up Maintoongan Road to Bonnie Doon. Back in 1968 the run to Whitfield was very competitive as the road was then all gravel. A long stage then wandered across through Carboor Upper and Bread and Butter Gap and into the Merriang Plantation, followed by a loop through Running Creek Plantation and a run up Slaughteryard Creek Road. A loop over Mount Porepunkah was deleted due to fallen trees. After Bright, the competitive sections over Trappers Gap to Mitta Mitta then up to Cravensville and down the powerlines to Tallangatta Valley were all deleted. Only the run over Jarvis Creek and a short sprint near Bethanga remained intact before the crew reached Albury.

Section details

Division	Section	Place(s)	Special Stage	Competitive	Transport	Time Allowed
1	55	Taggerty			127.2 km	2 hours 40 mins
1	56	Crystal Creek		28.2 km		23 mins
1	57	Alexandra			20.1 km	20 mins
1	58	Maintoongan Road		30.9 km		26 mins
1	59	Barwite			33.2 km	26 mins
1	60	Whitfield		50.4 km		40 mins
1	61	Merriang		58.9 km		46 mins
1	62	Running Creek Loop		14.6 km		13 mins
1	63	Slaughteryard Creek		7.6 km		6 mins
1	64	Porepunkah			31.8 km	30 mins
1	65	Mount Porepunkah (canc)		32.8 km		27 mins
1	66	Bright			13.4 km	15 mins
2	67	Tawonga		28.5 km		23 mins
2	68	Trappers Gap (canc)		43.3 km		38 mins
2	69	Buckeen Creek (canc)		42.7 km		38 mins
2	70	Cravensville (canc)			15.2 km	16 mins
2	71	Tallangatta Valley (canc)		36.2 km		32 mins
2	72	Old Tallangatta			20.4 km	18 mins
2	73	Jarvis Creek		17.6 km		16 mins
2	74	Kurrajoong Road			30.2 km	28 mins
2	75	Kurrajong Lookout		1.2 km		1 min
2	76	Hume Weir			16.1 km	20 mins
2	77	Albury Parc Ferme			29.0 km	40 mins

The route instructions are available here.

Stage 4 - Albury to Sydney

The final night was long and intense and almost none of it was deleted! After a run around the Hume Weir racing circuit crews transported to Tumbarumba abd then completed a series of loops to the south and the east of the town. Anotehr long transport took crews to east of Batlow for some challenging sections up to Adjungbilly then a quick run up to Jugiong for a refuel and mealbreak. Some easy section too the event east through Crookwell and into the forests south of Oberon where the final six sections were held. After breakfast on Katoomba there was a spectator special at a motorcycle scramble track at Bilpin then a transport to the official finish at Bondi Beach.

Section details

Division	Section	Place(s)	Special Stage	Competitive	Transport	Time Allowed
1	78	Hume Wier			17.7 km	22 mins
1	79	Circuit		1.6 km		2 mins
1	80	Circuit (canc)		1.6 km		2 mins
1	81	Tumbarumba			164.2 km	2 hours 4 mins
1	82	Tumbarumba Creek			4.7 km	9 mins
1	83	Mannus		6.4 km		6 mins
1	84	Mannus South			0.9 km	2 mins
1	85	Mannus Loop		10.1 km		8 mins
1	86	Tumbarumba			6.1 km	8 mins
1	87	Sue City Road			18.8 km	20 mins
1	88	Marangle East		6.9 km		6 mins
1	89	Granite Mountain		42.7 km		34 mins
1	90	Hardy's Mill		36.9 km		29 mins
1	91	Tumbarumba			8.6 km	21 mins
1	92	Mannus South			6.1 km	8 mins
1	93	Mannus		14.2 km		11 mins
1	94	East of Batlow			95.0 km	1 hour 20 mins
2	95	Argalong		15.3 km		13 mins
2	96	Adjungbilly		48.2 km		38 mins
2	97	Jugiong		48.6 km		38 mins
2	98	Bevandale		127.2 km		1 hour 39 mins
2	99	Narrawa		14.8 km		12 mins
2	100	Wombeyan Road			95.1 km	5 mins
2	101	Mount Werong		27.3 km		21 mins
2	102	Jerrong Road			13.6 km	12 mins
2	103	Jaunter Road		5.5 km		5 mins
2	104	Shooters Hill Road South			8.7 km	10 mins
2	105	Shooters Hill Road North		6.8 km		6 mins
2	106	Black Springs		11.3 km		9 mins
2	107	Black Springs Track		5.9 km		5 mins
2	108	Black Springs Loop		3.4 km		3 mins
2	109	Oberon			25.5 km	24 mins
2	110	Katoomba			79.8 km	1 hour 15 mins
2	111	Bilpin*			62.0 km	1 hour
2	112	Scramble Track*		4.0 km		4 mins
2	113	Haberfield*			81.0 km	1 hour 20 mins
2	114	Bondi*			16.0 km	30 mins

* We do not have instructions for these sections so the distances and times are a guess.

The route instructions are available here.