About the same.

Indian ocean drive is about the same but its a way more interesting drive, feels half an hour quicker. Brand Highway is so boring.

Yeah, I'd agree its about the same, just drove it two weeks ago on the way to Kalbarri.

Personally I prefer the Brand highway, I reckon its a better road,

And also way too many roos and Emus on indian ocean drive, saw

a boomer that was dead on the road, must have been six foot tall!!!

Yer only thing about new roads, the wildlife take a while to work it out. Dont take that route at night.

Yep. gotta agree, night is asking for trouble. I saw most of the roos about 7.00 - 7.30 in the morning about an hour out of perth.

It is more intersting then brand like cudbfishn has said.

I have been on it heaps, Less hills I know my diesel patrol likes it better hardly any road trains. Plenty of roos at night but take it easy spotties on and there is hardly any traffic at night. I have found it faster every time on the way back you czn cop a big headwind south of jurien to lancelin.
Scenery wise it is fantastic

It all dependes where you are starting from. If its from a coastal suburb it is about half an hour shorter because you don't have the distance to travel east to get on to Brand hwy

thanks lads thats what I wanted. Leaving from NOR so straight up freeway onto wanneroo. Assume it is less hilly and no road trains is a good thing. can't leave til 9am anyway so roos not a biggie. Carnarvonite, staying at best western this thursday evening if you want to come down for a quiet beer. Hoping to be in by 6ish.

From memory I saved about 20 or so minutes from home to the S-Bend but I do find it harder driving up past the new section. A lot of tourists are starting to use that road also, quite understandably, so it can be a bit problematic. The coastal towns are far better equipped with decent stopping points and facilities. Traffic diversion from the Brand must be good for those communities albeit I bet the wine about increased holiday crowds etc.

I drive to dongara alot...Both ways take about the same time but can lose time behind caravans etc on indian ocean drive.I find myself taking brand more often than not as its an easier drive and roads alot quieter now,Just my opinion.

the second time a couple of weeks to Leeman and I can tell you its a good 30 to 40 minutes quicker sitting on a 100klms, no roadtrains, didn't have any caravans or slow traffic, brilliant.  Put on the cruise controll and off we went. we had one stop in Wanneroo for lunch then ate on the road, left 9.45am and got to Leeman at 1.00pm.  Love the new road, plenty of nice scenery.  Think we might have been a bit quicker but got a snail trail 20klms out of Jurien a truck with a caravan and 4 cars, as usal all to close to each other to pass safely, got thru Jurien and they all stayed there but the truck  he was good pulled over just out of Jurien so we could pass.

Love the new road, as no big hills for towing the boat, think there is one but nice gently hill to climb I could hear the cruise control up the speed to compensate for the hill.  Much better road for towing the boat.

Sick of idiots on the Brand, passing you even though you are sitting on the legal speed of 110klms per hour without towing boat or tailgating you while doing the lega speed limit.

Think the new road would be busy with day trippers going to the Pinnacles or such for a scenic drive, especially on the week ends.

the 90km zone on wanneroo road is way too long and chews up any advantage, get to the end of the freeway cross over wanneroo road and ont to neaves rd and head up to muchea then the brand highway. It's the quickest way north i have found. You lot are spoilt to have things to look at, get north of Kalbarri and it's pretty straight and boring, i get excited by paddocks

Head out Wanneroo road then pick up gingin brook road then turn onto orange springs road fastest's way to get onto the brand highway...

Yeah meant to say that Big John.Just got to watch the suicidal motorbike riders out on there sunday arvo rides....Saw some stupid stuff coming back through there today

Will take 30 min off ya trip to gero.....

http://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/BuildingRoads/Projects/CompletedProjects/Pages/indian.aspx

Tailor Marc i think you should read it again, it will take 30 mins off the trip between Lancelin and Cervantes, not Perth to Geraldton, Brand Highway is still the best way to go, less roos, more overtaking opportunities and actually a better road all round. and anything is better than the great northern highway for getting north towards karratha and beyond.

Another supporter of the Brand.  The Indian Ocean bit north of Lancelin is way slow, lots of corners, no where to over take - pretty much kills it for me.