Brand hwy

livin in carnarvon do the drive a bit and never go ocean road

too windy top end narrow and no overtaking lanes

plenty of them on brand hwy

jmo

good luck

 Would go the Brand Hwy as the coast road feels bloody narrow towards the top end and is fairly windy as well.

 Ive towed a caravan up the coast road a couple of times and found it quite comfortable.  Its true its a bit windy at the top end, and no overtaking lanes, but there wasnt the same volume of traffic as on Brand hwy and didnt really notice any problems.

Coast Rd is great for driving/towing in the middle of the night towing. Most people towing boats or grey nomads don't seem to like being out past 10pm. Great for me :-). Done it 7 times late at night now and only ever seen one Kanga out that late and that was just past the two rocks turn off.

Definitly crap between Leeman and Dongara if you get caught behind a slow vehicle. Mainly happens during the day.

Coast Rd coming south when a strong seabreeze is in in the afternoon can toss the boat (if its big) around a bit and increase the fuel use. In that situation I prefer Brand Hwy.

 Definetly Brand hwy, coastal road is a pain in the arse, too many bends and when  I last drove it there where roos everywhere. Took the Brand hwy to Shark bay just before Easter last year, left Perth at 2.30am and got a great run with very little traffic, only had to watch for animals near Eneabba and after Northhampton.

 Guaranteed to be an old smokey patrol towing a way to big caravan at 85 clicks somewhere along coast road. I did it in a supercharged monaro last time...there's heaps of spaces to overtake...

i wish there was a like button...lol havent been on coast rd for a while well since i finished working on shark boat. have always enjoyed brand hwy as you sort of get coastal driving when up leeman greenhead way just ducks in abit till you get to dongara.

jmo but hey which ever way suits you just do it, either way both are scenic esp if you wanna have pit stops

 The fastest way is the Brand. The coast drive is littered with lengthy go slow 90 and 80km/hr zones. Added to this is the tight and curved leeman end.

go the way the pros go. Big trucks take the Brand for a good reason. It's quicker and cheaper.

i haven't decided which way has the most kangaroo areas. Someone else might be able to pinpoint the roo issue with more detail than I.

I prefer Brand, Especially at Night..... Done plenty of trips to S-bend and have been both ways..... Seen more roo's on the coast road, and as said the leeman end gets a bit narrow and limits your options when skippy wants to commit suicide. One thing that also Pi$$es me off about the coast road is when your heading South all the overtaking lanes have been conveniantly placed so that they are going UP the biggest hills that they could find.

 Thanks for the input, I'll give brand a go on the trip to shark bay this time. Sounds better to me even if it doesn't hae the ocean views. Cheers

havent bothered with Brand since IOD opened.

Ive towed up it several times and driven it countless.

Jurien vs Badgingarra for a midway stop, I'll take Jurien.

I just enjoy the drive with something interesting to see.

In a n/a td42 patrol, towing anything , I get the spirit level out , and since the coastal drive opened havent done brand either.

I find the brand hilly, and boring , and as we are usually going on holiday, I like the views, the coastal way.

I still find its easy to sit on 100-110, and must have been lucky with traffic , as never really been stuck behind anyone .

 I live in the swan valley which is closest to the brand.  But I still prefer the coast road.  I only do about 90 - 95 towing the boat and hate the road trains that thunder past.  No rush for me so i prefer the peacefulness and scenary of the coast.

Depends what side of Perth youre living on I reckon...

If youre coming from Roe Hwy Just I just use Brand, but if Im coming up from Kwinana/Mitchell Ill use the Ocean Drive...

As above, night time is best!

Before the coastal road was extended, our convoy of heavy loaded cars and boats would travel late morning on the Brand to Denham every year, average speed on flats 95km, but very slow up and down many hills. Traveled the coastal road last year for the first time (heavy load again)and it seamed to have less hills to climb and less traffic,95km to 100km most of the way on the coast, we did hit the wind on the way back and were down to 80km an hour along the coast. Coast Rd will be my first choice when towing again unless the traffic has changed or the wind is howling, its a nice change if you've done the Brand a 100 times already. If not towing I'd take either.