| Special Stages | Special Stage | Liaison | Total | Competitive | Longest Stage | |
| Day One | 7 | 139.79 km | 409.77 km | 549.56 km | 25.4% | 57.18 km |
| Day Two | 9 | 306.11 km | 352.28 km | 658.39 km | 46.5% | 114.03 km |
| Day Three | 10 | 289.59 km | 372.84 km | 662.43 km | 43.7% | 103.96 km |
| Day Four | 9 | 363.05 km | 382.76 km | 745.81 km | 48.7% | 138.94 km |
| Event | 35 | 1098.54 km | 1517.65 km | 2616.19 km | 42.0% | 138.94 km |
Further details are provided below for each day.
Day One
Click the map to go to a Google Maps trace of the route. |
After a publicity start and Sydney's Bankstown Square, the event officially began with two runs, one in each direction, over a special stage at Amaroo, including the infamous jump. The remaining special stages for the afternoon and early evening were cancelled due to withdrawal of approval from the Newcastle Forestry District because of a very high fire danger. To make up for some of the lost competition, two special stages (Cowarra and Bonny Hills) were brought forward from the end of Day 4 to the end of Day 1. The other three specials used traditional Southern Cross territory in Kiwarrak Forest south of Taree and then the Coopernook, Lansdowne, Kerewong and Lorne Forests. |
Stage details
Note that because elapsed timing was used on special stages, the time allowed is a notional time for scheduling purposes. Click on the special stage name to see the map.
| Stage | Name | SS Distance | Liaison Distance | Time Allowed | First Car Start |
| 1 | Amaroo | 2.23 km | 5 mins | 12.00 pm | |
| 2 | Annangrove | 2.22 km | 5 mins | 1.30 pm | |
| Newcastle | 165.70 km | 150 mins | 1.32 pm | ||
| Mealbreak | 4.02 pm | ||||
| Karuah - Nabiac | 154.70 km | 150 mins | 5.00 pm | ||
| 9 | Kiwarrak | 30.62 km | 25 mins | 7.30 pm | |
| Purfleet | 32.35 km | 50 mins | 7.53 pm | ||
| 10 | Juhles Mountain | 21.29 km | 20 mins | 8.45 pm | |
| Stewarts River | 21.00 km | 30 mins | 9.03 pm | ||
| 11 | Lorne | 57.18 km | 50 mins | 9.35 pm | |
| Bago Road | 10.05 km | 20 mins | 10.23 pm | ||
| 12 | Cowarra | 12.14 km | 10 mins | 10.45 pm | |
| Pacific Highway | 0.47 km | 5 mins | 10.54 pm | ||
| 13 | Bonny Hills | 14.11 km | 15 mins | 11.00 pm | |
| Port Macquarie | 25.50 km | 60 mins | 11.12 pm | ||
| Division End | 12.12 am |
Route instructions are available here.
Day Two
Click the map to go to a Google Maps trace of the route. |
Day 2 began with four daylight specials, including the first run through a short stage near to Port Macquarie. The remaining stages took crews south to a refuel and mealbreak at Taree-Wingham. Five long night stages followed, taking crews generally north through the Lansdowne and Kerewong Forests again, to a refuel at Wauchope. Concerns over damage to roads in the Hastings Forest area to the west resulted in a long transport out the Oxley Highway to Yarras then north before the long 114 km stage north east through the Mount Boss and Kippara Forest to another refuel at Kempsey. Two more stages to the north traversed the Collombatti and Tamban Forests before the long liaison back to Port. |
Stage details
Note that because elapsed timing was used on special stages, the time allowed is a notional time for scheduling purposes. Click on the special stage name to see the map.
| Stage | Name | SS Distance | Liaison Distance | Time Allowed | First Car Start |
| Livingstone Road | 7.85 km | 20 mins | 2.00 pm | ||
| 1 | Dam I | 2.08 km | 5 mins | 2.20 pm | |
| Lake Cathie | 19.65 km | 25 mins | 2.22 pm | ||
| 2 | Queens Lake | 14.16 km | 10 mins | 2.50 pm | |
| Kew | 16.80 km | 25 mins | 3.00 pm | ||
| 3 | Middle Brother | 17.18 km | 15 mins | 3.25 pm | |
| Moorland | 27.00 km | 35 mins | 3.38 pm | ||
| 4 | Lansdowne | 4.79 km | 5 mins | 4.15 pm | |
| Jones Island | 35.95 km | 35 mins | 4.19 pm | ||
| Meal Break | 4.54 pm | ||||
| Cundletown | 34.33 km | 40 mins | 5.50 pm | ||
| 5 | Big Nellie | 33.75 km | 30 mins | 6.30 pm | |
| Hannam Vale | 24.05 km | 30 mins | 6.57 pm | ||
| 6 | Kerewong | 57.17 km | 50 mins | 7.30 pm | |
| Yarras | 68.80 km | 70 mins | 8.17 pm | ||
| 7 | Bellangry | 114.03 km | 100 mins | 9.30 pm | |
| Kempsey | 44.90 km | 60 mins | 11.07 pm | ||
| 8 | Collombatti | 29.95 km | 25 mins | 12.10 am | |
| Eungai | 4.80 km | 15 mins | 12.32 | ||
| 9 | Tamban | 33.00 km | 30 mins | 12.50 am | |
| Port Macquarie | 68.25 km | 75 mins | 1.14 am | ||
| Division End | 2.29 am |
Route instructions are available here.
Day Three
Click the map to go to a Google Maps trace of the route. |
Day 3 began with a reverse run over the short special near Port Macquarie then three more daylight stages north of Kempsey in the Yarrahapinni (Way Way), Newry and Pine Creek Forests. After a refuel and mealbreak in Coffs Harbour came a long stage through Wedding Bells Forest then a shorter one through Bucca before passing through Coffs once again. Heading southwards the crews tackled two short specials in the Bundagen and Hydes Creek Forests. Then came the night's longest stage, 104 km along the Horseshoe Road, finishing down Mackays and Kosekai Roads to Utungan. The night's final special was a fairly direct run through the Ingalba and Tamban Forests to Kempsey then down the highway to Port. |
Stage details
Note that because elapsed timing was used on special stages, the time allowed is a notional time for scheduling purposes. Click on the special stage name to see the map.
| Stage | Name | SS Distance | Liaison Distance | Time Allowed | First Car Start |
| Kennedy Drive | 7.85 km | 20 mins | 1.00 pm | ||
| 1 | Dam II | 2.08 km | 5 mins | 1.20 pm | |
| Stuarts Point | 99.75 km | 90 mins | 1.22 pm | ||
| 2 | Yarrahapinni | 7.92 km | 10 mins | 2.55 pm | |
| Macksville | 42.75 km | 50 mins | 3.02 pm | ||
| 3 | Newry | 27.30 km | 25 mins | 3.55 pm | |
| Bellingen | 29.73 km | 35 mins | 4.17 pm | ||
| 4 | Pine Creek | 15.93 km | 15 mins | 4.55 pm | |
| Coffs Harbour | 23.20 km | 35 mins | 5.08 pm | ||
| Mealbreak | 5.43 pm | ||||
| Park Beach | 17.15 km | 20 mins | 6.30 pm | ||
| 5 | Wedding Bells | 50.47 km | 45 mins | 6.50 pm | |
| Lower Bucca | 6.30 km | 15 mins | 7.32 pm | ||
| 6 | Mount Coramba | 12.00 km | 10 mins | 7.50 pm | |
| Bruxner Park | 31.42 km | 50 mins | 7.59 pm | ||
| 7 | Bundagen | 16.10 km | 15 mins | 8.50 pm | |
| Bonville | 13.20 km | 25 mins | 9.02 pm | ||
| 8 | Valery | 21.18 km | 20 mins | 9.30 pm | |
| Dorrigo Road | 17.22 km | 35 mins | 9.47 pm | ||
| 9 | Horseshoe | 103.96 km | 90 mins | 10.25 pm | |
| Utungun | 16.02 km | 30 mins | 11.52 pm | ||
| 10 | Ingalba | 32.65 km | 30 mins | 12.25 am | |
| Port Macquarie | 68.25 km | 75 mins | 12.50 am | ||
| Division End | 2.05 am |
Route instructions are available here.
Day Four
Click the map to go to a Google Maps trace of the route. |
The final day began with three short daylight stages southwards to a refuel and mealbreak at Taree-Wingham. The first was a traditional run along Rollover Road, then Burrawan Forest (the exact reverse of the stage run at the end of the first night) then Coopernook Forest (the reverse of the short stage run on Day 2). The night stages began with the traditional run along Black Flat Lane then a long 114 km stage northwards through Dingo Tops and some little used roads near Yarrowitch to the Oxley Highway at Myrtle Scrub. The next short (18 km) stage around Seaview Road was cancelled due to fallen trees following a bush fire. However, there was plenty more competition to follow with the event's longest stage (139 km) taking crews southwards again through the Bulga and Dingo Forests back to another refuel at Wingham. After a lengthy liaison northwards to Comboyne was the night's final stage back through Kerewong Forest to a breakfast break back in Port Macquarie. Two daylight stages remained on the Wednesday morning - Rollover Road (the reverse of the stage run earlier) and Bird Tree (the reverse of the stage run on Day 2). The final two stages through Cowarra and Bonny Hills were not run again as they had been used at the end of Day One as well as at the start of Days 2 and 4. |
Stage details
Note that because elapsed timing was used on special stages, the time allowed is a notional time for scheduling purposes. Click on the special stage name to see the map.
| Stage | Name | SS Distance | Liaison Distance | Time Allowed | First Car Start |
| Herons Creek | 42.75 km | 60 mins | 2.00 pm | ||
| 1 | Broken Bago | 16.10 km | 15 mins | 3.00 pm | |
| Bago Road | 8.05 km | 20 mins | 3.12 pm | ||
| 2 | Burrawan | 12.28 km | 10 mins | 3.35 pm | |
| Langley Vale | 47.68 km | 55 mins | 3.44 pm | ||
| 3 | Coopernook | 4.80 km | 5 mins | 4.40 pm | |
| Taree | 34.35 km | 40 mins | 4.44 p, | ||
| Mealbreak | 5.24 pm | ||||
| Wingham | 17.85 km | 25 mins | 6.20 pm | ||
| 4 | Black Flat Lane | 10.64 km | 10 mins | 6.45 pm | |
| Mount George | 1.82 km | 15 mins | 6.53 pm | ||
| 5 | Terrabanella | 113.79 km | 100 mins | 7.10 pm | |
| Tobins Camp | 19.00 km | 55 mins | 8.47 pm | ||
| 7 | Knodingbul | 138.94 km | 120 mins | 9.45 pm | |
| Comboyne | 73.00 km | 80 mins | 11.42 pm | ||
| 8 | Bulls Ground | 35.11 km | 30 mins | 1.05 am | |
| Oxley Highway | 35.00 km | 50 mins | 1.20 am | ||
| Rest Break | 2.20 am | ||||
| Wauchope | 31.60 km | 50 mins | 9.30 am | ||
| 9 | Rollover | 16.11 km | 15 mins | 10.20 am | |
| Kendall | 28.86 km | 40 mins | 10.32 am | ||
| 10 | Bird Tree | 15.28 km | 15 mins | 11.15 am | |
| Port Macquarie | 42.80 km | 43 mins | 11.27 am | ||
| Division End | 12.10 pm |
Route instructions are available here.
