Difficulties with the conduct of rallies on shire roads in NSW in 1969 following the Bianchi incident in the 1968 Marathon forced the NSW CAMS State Council to enforce and effctive ban on rallying in NSW. However, the administrative control of CAMS NSW did not include the Northern Rivers shires and so the event was able to be conducted in the areas around the NSW/Queensland border with the start and finish at Surfers Paradise. It would have been a huge challenge for Director, Allan Lawson, having to survey an event so far from the event's home base in Sydney, although Lawson hails from Toowoomba. Some areas had very limited scope of competitive sections (as was found, for example, by the Rally Australia organisers in 2009), but on the plus side, the event used some roads that had never been used before in a rally and have probably never been used since!
The route instructions identified sections as A, B or C, with A being the most difficult and C being a transport (liaison). In practice, Type B sections were just transport sections that were "tight". Many sections had advisory or no route charts. Some distances were stated as approximate and subsequent plotting of the route found some significant discrepencies, especially on Day 3 when apparently many "Supplementary Instructions" were issued on the night. While the route instructions were in miles, the following tables have converted all distances to kilometres for consistency with later editions.
| Competitive Sections |
Competitive | Type B Sections |
Type B | Transport | Total | Competitive | Longest Competitive |
|
| Day One | 13 | 252 km | 4 | 237 km | 265 km | 805 km | 31% | 59 km |
| Day Two | 13 | 268 km | 4 | 175 km | 370 km | 813 km | 33% | 84 km |
| Day Three | 6 | 209 km | 5 | 301 km | 255 km | 766 km | 27% | 68 km |
| Day Four | 18 | 437 km | 2 | 117 km | 622 km | 1180 km | 37% | 73 km |
| Event | 50 | 1166 km | 15 | 831 km | 1513 km | 3563 km | 33% | 84 km |
A plot of all competitive stages on rally-maps.com
Further details are provided below for each day.
Day One
From the Surfers Paradise start, crews travelled south to two special sections, the first at Ocean Shores, then a new resort development at Brunswick Heads, and the second a short sandy stage north of Pottsville. The night stages began with a short section at Reedy Creek then a blast up the tight Springbrook Road. A long transport into NSW was followed by a fast loop north of Murwillumbah before the first visit to the towns showgrounds. A loop of two stages to the west included a gruelling 58 km stage, the night's longest, through the Brays Creek forest area. After another visit to Murwillumbah was a very rough section through banana plantations up against the border then to a refuel in Tweed Heads. A section east of Murwillumbah used some roads used in the 2009 WRC event then a nice run across the mountains to Uki. The long transport through Kyogle was followed by two stages over the Richmond Range and back, again roads mostly used in the 2009 WRC event. A final easy blast took crews across to the stopover at Lismore.
Section details
| Section | Control Location | Highly Competitive |
Other Competitive |
Transport | Time Allowed |
| 1 | Ocean Shores | 86.9 km | 90 | ||
| 2 | Ocean Shores | 1.6 km | 2 | ||
| 3 | Pottsville | 25.8 km | 25 | ||
| 4 | Pottsville Sand | 1.1 km | 1 | ||
| 5 | Surfers Paradise | 49.9 km | 60 | ||
| 6 | West Burleigh Heads | 15.3 km | 20 | ||
| 7 | Reedy Creek | 3.9 km | 3 | ||
| 8 | Neranwood | 15.5 km | 18 | ||
| 9 | Wunburra | 8.5 km | 7 | ||
| 10 | Dungey | 60.1 km | 47 | ||
| 11 | Bilambil Loop | 30.9 km | 27 | ||
| 12 | Murwillumbah Showgrounds | 3.9 km | 6 | ||
| 13 | Tyaglum | 22.3 km | 20 | ||
| 14 | Brays Creek Forest | 59.3 km | 47 | ||
| 15 | Chillingham | 16.8 km | 16 | ||
| 16 | Murwillumbah Showgrounds | 15.6 km | 20 | ||
| 17 | Border Gate | 12.1 km | 12 | ||
| 18 | Banana Plantation | 16.1 km | 15 | ||
| 19 | Condong via Tweed Refuel | 46.7 km | 58 | ||
| 20 | Cudgera | 28.8 km | 23 | ||
| 21 | North Billinudgell | 11.7 km | 11 | ||
| 22 | Billinudgell Stock Route | 2.0 km | 2 | ||
| 23 | Uki | 31.4 km | 24 | ||
| 24 | Afterlee via Kyogle Refuel | 88.6 km | 69 | ||
| 25 | Capeen | 24.4 km | 19 | ||
| 26 | Peacock Creek | 30.6 km | 32 | ||
| 27 | Iron Pot Creek | 27.4 km | 22 | ||
| 28 | Tuncester | 58.0 km | 45 | ||
| 29 | Lismore Parc Ferme | 9.7 km | 25 |
Day Two
The second night began with a lengthy transport through Casino and a short competitive to the south-west before heading up to another competitive west of Bonalbo. Through Woodenbong and into Queensland eventually lead to the event's longest competitive, 84 km through the border ranges to near Killaney. After a refuel in Warwick were two competitives to the south, back in NSW, the first with 6 gates and the second a short "roughie". Back into Queensland and the route picked up a number of short competitives near Queen Mary Falls before meandering northwards through Grandchester, Hatton Vale and Murphys Creek to the stopover in Toowoomba.
Section details
| Section | Control Location | Highly Competitive |
Other Competitive |
Transport | Time Allowed |
| 30 | Busby Flats via Casino | 70.8 km | 60 | ||
| 31 | West Busby Flats | 11.3 km | 10 | ||
| 32 | North Bonalbo | 44.6 km | 37 | ||
| 33 | Pretty Gully | 36.1 km | 28 | ||
| 34 | Paddys Flat | 23.2 km | 18 | ||
| 35 | Woodenbong | 40.3 km | 36 | ||
| 36 | Mt Lindesay Hwy | 22.5 km | 18 | ||
| 37 | Maroon School | 37.0 km | 29 | ||
| 38 | Acacia Creek | 83.7 km | 65 | ||
| 39 | Warwick Mealbreak | 45.1 km | 42 | ||
| 40 | Cullendore Gate | 40.3 km | 35 | ||
| 41 | Cullendore | 21.8 km | 17 | ||
| 42 | Maryland | 1.6 km | 2 | ||
| 43 | Browns Falls | 53.5 km | 42 | ||
| 44 | Queen Mary Falls | 5.1 km | 4 | ||
| 45 | The Head | 14.6 km | 12 | ||
| 46 | Loop | 5.5 km | 5 | ||
| 47 | Carneys Creek | 18.5 km | 20 | ||
| 48 | Grandchester | 106.3 km | 83 | ||
| 49 | Long Gully | 12.9 km | 10 | ||
| 50 | Murphy's Creek | 66.0 km | 52 | ||
| 51 | Perseverence | 10.8 km | 16 | ||
| 52 | Toowoomba Parc Ferme | 20 km |
Day Three
The third night ran generally to the west and south of Toowoomba beginning with a meandering "tour" to the north west to an unmanned control at Yamsion before a refuel in Dalby. The real competition was in forests and station country to the south, with a break in Texas and a refuel at The Summit north of Stanthorpe. The competitives were challenging but limited in distance. The route briefly crossed into NSW to use a reverse of much of the Cullendore Gate section from the previous night. After Warwick there was only one real competitive, a nice slippery run over East Egypt Road to the south east of Toowoomba.
Section details
Click on the section name to see the map.
| Section | Control Location | Highly Competitive |
Other Competitive |
Transport | Time Allowed |
| 53 | Harlaxton | 6.4 km | 10 | ||
| 54 | Yamsion | 118.4 km | 93 | ||
| 55 | Dalby Refuel | 45.0 km | 35 | ||
| 56 | Dunmore Station | 76.1 km | 59 | ||
| 57 | Western Creek | 20.0 km | 16 | ||
| 58 | Paddys Creek | 12.4 km | 10 | ||
| 59 | Bringaliliy | 68.4 km | 55 | ||
| 60 | You You Homestead | 69.2 km | 60 | ||
| 61 | Fish Hole Mtn | 35.4 km | 28 | ||
| 62 | Texas Mealbreak | 25.2 km | 25 | ||
| 63 | Rosedale Homestead | 20.5 km | 20 | ||
| 64 | Arsenic Mine | 40.2 km | 33 | ||
| 65 | Dalveen viaThe Summit Refuel | 65.0 km | 60 | ||
| 66 | Cullendore Gate | 29.8 km | 25 | ||
| 67 | Warwick | 35.4 km | 28 | ||
| 68 | Mt Whitestone | 52.0 km | 65 | ||
| 69 | Egypt | 15.5 km | 12 | ||
| 70 | Toowoomba Parc Ferme | 31.0 km | 60 |
Day Four
The fourth night was not only the longest but the most competitive. Two runs on a stage at the Echo Valley Autocross Circuit provided plenty of entertainment for spectators. A good forest section at Nanango broke up a fairly uncompetitive tour up through Goomeri to a refuel in Maryborough and a run back south to near Amamoor. Then followed a series of challenging forestry stages in traditional "Rally of Queensland" territory around Jimna, Imbil, Kenilworth and Kilcoy. Conditions were wet and challenging in places and one stage had to be rerouted after much of the field became stuck. However the long stages across the ranges provided a great test for drivers, including the final 68 km stage from Imbil to Monsildale. After dawn the route took crews to a special at Lakeside, then a transport through Brisbane to another special at the Surfers Paradise circuit and the finish on the Surfers Paradise Esplanade.
Section details
Click on the section name to see the map.
| Section | Control Location | Highly Competitive |
Other Competitive |
Transport | Time Allowed |
| 71 | To Echo Valley Circuit | 8.1 km | 10 | ||
| 72 | Echo Valley 1 | 1.6 km | 1 | ||
| 73 | Echo Valley 2 | 1.6 km | 1 | ||
| 74 | Nanango | 151.3 km | 118 | ||
| 75 | Nanango Forest | 27.7 km | 22 | ||
| 76 | Goomeri Mealbreak | 69.2 km | 54 | ||
| 77 | Rocklands | 40.3 km | 32 | ||
| 78 | Aramara | 64.4 km | 42 | ||
| 79 | North Miva via Maryborough Refuel | 88.6 km | 69 | ||
| 80 | Miva | 18.5 km | 15 | ||
| 81 | Langshaw | 67.3 km | 52 | ||
| 82 | The Pocket | 18.4 km | 15 | ||
| 83 | Amamoor Creek | 15.3 km | 12 | ||
| 84 | Gallangowan | 43.3 km | 34 | ||
| 85 | Jimna | 32.2 km | 25 | ||
| 86 | Monsildale | 35.0 km | 29 | ||
| 87 | Kilcoy Mealbreak | 31.3 km | 75 | ||
| 88 | Ten Mile Road | 3.9 km | 3 | ||
| 89 | Bellthorpe Forest | 17.4 km | 14 | ||
| 90 | Little Yabba Creek | 51.1 km | 40 | ||
| 91 | Kenilworth | 20.7 km | 17 | ||
| 92 | Obi Obi (cancelled) | 3.6 km | 3 | ||
| 93 | Mapleton Forest | 22.6 km | 18 | ||
| 94 | Imbil | 49.9 km | 39 | ||
| 95 | Back to Monsildale | 73.2 km | 55 | ||
| 96 | Lakeside Raceway | 93.4 km | 87 | ||
| 97 | Lakeside Special | 4 km | 3 | ||
| 98 | North Nerang | 99.8 km | 103 | ||
| 99 | Railway Tunnell (Cancelled) | 3.2 km | 3 | ||
| 100 | Surfers Paradise Raceway | 9.7 km | 12 | ||
| 101 | Surfers Paradise Raceway Special | 3.2 km | 2 | ||
| 102 | The Esplanade | 10.0 km | 15 |
