The 1974 event followed a similar pattern with a Sydney start (Opera House) with the remainder looping from Port Macquarie. The second night looped west to Armidale, the third night north almost to Coffs Harbour and the final night south to Stroud. Daylight stages were used on the first afternoon and on the last morning.
The distances and number of stages was as follows:
| Special Stages | Special Stage | Touring | Total | Competitive | Longest Stage | |
| Day One | 9 | 501.62 km | 412.69 km | 914.31 km | 54.9% | 115.64 km |
| Day Two | 12 | 297.13 km | 460.32 km | 757.45 km | 39.2% | 73.01 km |
| Day Three | 11 | 550.10 km | 258.24 km | 808.34 km | 68.1% | 145.43 km |
| Day Four | 16 | 570.75 km | 455.52 km | 1026.27 km | 55.6% | 108.75 km |
| Event | 48 | 1919.60 km | 1586.77 km | 3506.37 km | 54.7% | 145.43 km |
Further details are provided below for each day.
Day One
Click the map to go to a Google Maps trace of the route. |
Two lengthy touring stages took crews from the Sydney to near Bulahdelah were interrupted only by the short special stage at Jewels Beach south of Newcastle. The remainder of the division through the night to Port Macquarie was intensely competitive with two stages over 100 km in length and two others of 80 and 90 km. After the second daylight special stage in Nerong Forest came the long run through the Craven-Myall Forest to a mealbreak at Craven, north of Stroud, then a mostly fast run north-west of Gloucester with a more challenging section through the Barrington Tops forest. After a refuel at Gloucester were two fast stages on shire roads then a long stage through Dingo Tops across to another refuel at Taree. A short stage in the Yarrat Forest preceded the night's final long stage through Kerewong, Lorne and Broken Bago Forests, including a run along the challenging Rollover Road. |
Stage details
Click on the special stage name to see the map.
| Stage | Name | SS Distance | Touring Distance | Time Allowed | First Car |
| 1 | Tollway | 148.61 km | 150 mins | 3.00 pm | |
| 2 | Jewells | 4.00 km | 3 mins | 3.03 pm | |
| 3 | Newcastle | 98.23 km | 90 mins | 4.33 pm | |
| 4 | Nerong | 21.69 km | 17 mins | 4.50 pm | |
| 5 | Bulahdelah (Service) | 18.07 km | 20 mins | 5.10 pm | |
| 6 | Purgatory | 89.97 km | 68 mins | 6.18 pm | |
| 7 | Craven (Service/Mealbreak) | 22.89 km | 60 mins | 7.18 pm | |
| 8 | Thunderbolts | 115.64 km | 100 mins | 8.58 pm | |
| 9 | Gloucester (Refuel/Service) | 31.76 km | 35 mins | 9.33 pm | |
| 10 | Bakers | 32.38 km | 25 mins | 9.58 pm | |
| 11 | Belbora (Service) | 6.46 km | 10 mins | 10.08 pm | |
| 12 | Bundook | 31.44 km | 24 mins | 10.32 pm | |
| 13 | Wyoming | 3.44 km | 5 mins | 10.37 pm | |
| 14 | Dingo | 81.04 km | 61 mins | 11.38 pm | |
| 15 | Taree (Refuel/Service) | 46.45 km | 50 mins | 12.28 am | |
| 16 | Yarrat | 12.76 km | 10 mins | 12.38 am | |
| 17 | Lansdowne | 13.30 km | 15 mins | 12.53 am | |
| 18 | Lorne | 112.70 km | 90 mins | 2.23 am | |
| 19 | Wauchope (Service/Parc Ferme) | 23.48 km | 35 mins | 2.58 am |
Route instructions are available here.
Day Two
Click the map to go to a Google Maps trace of the route. |
The second night looped far to the west but was the shortest division and also with the lowest proportion of competition, just under 40%. Nonetheless, a number of the lengthy touring stages were on twisty gravel roads and were "tight". The night began with three challenging special stages in the Doyles River Forest either side of the Oxley Highway out west from Port Macquarie. Then a series of short stages were linked by long touring stages through Uralla for a refuel and Armidale for a publicity mealbreak. The competition resumed in earnest with two stages in the Styx River Forest then a lovely hillclimb up part of the Armidale-Kempsey Road. The night's final two stages returned to traditional Cross country through the Thumb Creek Forest and the Collombatti Forest. |
Stage details
Click on the special stage name to see the map.
| Stage | Name | SS Distance | Touring Distance | Time Allowed | First Car |
| 1 | Oxley | 65.95 km | 60 mins | 6.15 pm | |
| 2 | Doyles | 73.01 km | 55 mins | 7.10 pm | |
| 3 | Tobins | 5.48 km | 8 mins | 7.18 pm | |
| 4 | Seaview | 25.97 km | 20 mins | 7.38 pm | |
| 5 | Myrtle Scrub (Service) | 8.95 km | 15 mins | 7.53 pm | |
| 6 | Copper | 14.65 km | 11 mins | 8.04 pm | |
| 7 | Tia | 47.85 km | 36 mins | 8.40 pm | |
| 8 | Apsley | 9.37 km | 8 mins | 8/48 pm | |
| 9 | Emu | 52.4 km | 40 mins | 9.28 pm | |
| 10 | Mihi | 6.06 km | 5 mins | 9.33 pm | |
| 11 | Uralla (Refuel/Service) | 36.08 km | 40 mins | 10.13 pm | |
| 12 | Arding | 9.73 km | 8 mins | 10.21 pm | |
| 13 | Armidale (Mealbreak) | 22.47 km | 50 mins | 11.11 pm | |
| 14 | Eastwood | 2.60 km | 2 mins | 11.13 pm | |
| 15 | Wollomombi | 59.33 km | 45 mins | 11.58 pm | |
| 16 | Hyatts | 21.14 km | 16 mins | 12.14 am | |
| 17 | Serpentine (Service) | 13.88 km | 15 mins | 12.29 am | |
| 18 | Styx | 37.46 km | 29 mins | 12.58 am | |
| 19 | Raspberry | 8.17 km | 7 mins | 1.05 am | |
| 20 | Big Hill | 15.50 km | 12 mins | 1.17 am | |
| 21 | Nulla | 62.38 km | 48 mins | 2.05 am | |
| 22 | Kilprotay | 50.24 km | 38 mins | 2.43 am | |
| 23 | Hickeys (Service) | 10.80 km | 15 mins | 2.58 am | |
| 24 | Briggs Tower | 31.40 km | 24 mins | 3.22 am | |
| 25 | Kempsey (Service/Parc Ferme) | 66.58 km | 70 mins | 4.32 am |
Route instructions are available here.
Day Three
Click the map to go to a Google Maps trace of the route. |
The third night was more compact and with the highest proportion of competition, 68 percent. After the short opener through Cairncross, crews tackled the grueling 145 km through the Kippara Forest and then east finishing in the Kalateenee Forest just south of Kempsey. After a refuel there was a long stage starting through Collombatti and ending close to Taylors Arm, then two more stages through the Horseshoe Forest Road area before the touring stage that includes the Gordonville ford. A shortish stage through part of Tuckers Knob Forest (subsequently used by the WRC) took crews east to the Pacific Highway and refuel at Bonville, just south of Coffs Harbour. A relatively short run through Newry (also WRC territory) preceded a long stage back through the Horseshoe Road area, then a short stage along shire roads to a service at Bowraville. Then came a stage through Tamban and Collombatti, re-using some of the roads from earlier in the night, before a final short run through Yarrahapinni and the touring stage back to Port. |
Stage details
Click on the special stage name to see the map.
| Stage | Name | SS Distance | Touring Distance | Time Allowed | First Car |
| 1 | Hibbard | 28.96 km | 35 mins | 5.50 pm | |
| 2 | Cairncross | 21.23 km | 16 mins | 6.06 pm | |
| 3 | Rollands Plains (Service) | 17.30 km | 15 mins | 6.21 pm | |
| 4 | Wilson River | 145.43 km | 115 mins | 8.16 pm | |
| 5 | Greenhill (Kempsey Refuel) | 16.06 km | 25 mins | 8.41 pm | |
| 6 | Collombatti | 74.40 km | 57 mins | 9.38 pm | |
| 7 | Taylors Arm (Mealbreak) | 9.16 km | 45 mins | 10.23 pm | |
| 8 | Kosekai | 39.64 km | 32 mins | 10.55 pm | |
| 9 | Upper Nambucca | 1.00 km | 3 mins | 10.58 pm | |
| 10 | Horseshoe | 65.24 km | 50 mins | 11.48 pm | |
| 11 | Gordonville | 10.38 km | 10 mins | 11.58 pm | |
| 12 | Valery | 20.00 km | 15 mins | 12.13 am | |
| 13 | Bonville (Refuel/Service) | 22.20 km | 25 mins | 12.38 am | |
| 14 | Newry | 22.04 km | 17 mins | 12.55 am | |
| 15 | Scotchman | 20.79 km | 20 mins | 1.15 am | |
| 16 | Rickerbys | 81.18 km | 65 mins | 2.20 am | |
| 17 | Argents Hill | 1.02 km | 3 mins | 2.23 am | |
| 18 | Bendinni | 11.32 km | 9 mins | 2.32 am | |
| 19 | Bowraville (Service) | 26.03 km | 25 mins | 2.57 am | |
| 20 | Allgomera Creek | 52.18 km | 42 mins | 3.39 am | |
| 21 | Warrell Creek | 11.71 km | 10 mins | 3.49 am | |
| 22 | Yarrahapinni | 17.44 km | 14 mins | 4.03 am | |
| 23 | Frederickton (Service/Parc Ferme) | 93.63 km | 90 mins | 5.33 am |
Route instructions are available here.
Day Four
Click the map to go to a Google Maps trace of the route. |
The final night and subsequent morning were the longest in the event with over 1000 kilometres of distance including 570 km of competitive stages. The route covered a broad area from north of Port Macquarie to as far south as Stroud for breakfast and a refuel at Booral. The first part of the night included a final run through Cairncross, a meandering stage through Kerewong to Comboyne, a monster stage around Dingo Tops and a blast along Black Flat Lane before a mealbreak at Wingham. The second half of the night took in traditional forests to the south of Taree - Kiwarric, Wollomba, Wang Wauk and Craven-Myall. The final four daylight stages meandered back towards Port Macquarie and included Middle Brother and the famous Rollover Road. |
Stage details
Click on the special stage name to see the map.
| Stage | Name | SS Distance | Touring Distance | Time Allowed | First Car |
| 1 | Telegraph Point | 26.02 km | 30 mins | 6.15 pm | |
| 2 | Molly Milligan | 33.90 km | 26 mins | 6.41 pm | |
| 3 | Ballengarra | 17.01 km | 15 mins | 6.56 pm | |
| 4 | Waterfall | 18.66 km | 14 mins | 7.10 pm | |
| 5 | Pembroke (Refuel/Service) | 23.94 km | 30 mins | 7.40 pm | |
| 6 | Kerewong | 90.67 km | 68 mins | 8.48 pm | |
| 7 | Comboyne (Service) | 14.89 km | 20 mins | 9.08 pm | |
| 8 | Collings Pass | 16.00 km | 12 mins | 9.20 pm | |
| 9 | Elands | 1.69 km | 5 mins | 9.25 pm | |
| 10 | Pole Dump | 108.75 km | 72 mins | 10.37 pm | |
| 11 | Mount George | 1.50 km | 3 mins | 10.40 pm | |
| 12 | Black Flat Lane | 10.37 km | 8 mins | 10.48 pm | |
| 13 | Wingham (Mealbreak) | 31.90 km | 60 mins | 11.48 pm Depart 12.20 am |
|
| 14 | Kiwarric | 29.73 km | 23 mins | 12.43 am | |
| 15 | Nabiac | 18.52 km | 15 mins | 12.58 am | |
| 16 | Wollomba | 16.00 km | 12 mins | 1.10 am | |
| 17 | Herivals | 16.80 km | 15 mins | 1.25 am | |
| 18 | Kennedys Gap | 14.62 km | 11 mins | 1.36 am | |
| 19 | Willina | 17.06 km | 15 mins | 1.51 am | |
| 20 | Wang Wauk | 53.13 km | 40 mins | 2.31 am | |
| 21 | O'Sullivans Gap (Service) | 22.96 km | 25 mins | 2.56 am | |
| 22 | Cabbage Tree Mountain | 50.66 km | 38 mins | 3.34 am | |
| 23 | Rosenthal | 13.18 km | 15 mins | 3.49 am | |
| 24 | Manning Hill | 68.42 km | 52 mins | 4.41 am | |
| 25A | Stroud (Service/Breakfast) | 27.82 km | 30 mins | 5.11 am Depart 7.10 am |
|
| 25B | Booral | 52.98 km | 50 mins | 8.00 am | |
| 26 | Lookout | 4.00 km | 3 mins | 8.03 am | |
| 27 | Cooloongolook | 46.24 km | 45 mins | 8.48 am | |
| 28 | Breakneck | 20.00 km | 15 mins | 9.03 am | |
| 29 | Coopernook | 47.57 km | 60 mins | 10.03 am | |
| 30 | Middle Brother | 18.49 km | 14 mins | 10.17 am | |
| 31 | Kendall | 20.64 km | 20 mins | 10.37 am | |
| 32 | Rollover | 17.35 km | 13 mins | 10.50 am | |
| 33 | Camden Haven | 54.80 km | 60 mins plus regroup |
12.00 midday |
Route instructions are available here.
