Supercharger - Heatherbrae NSW

[MangroveMike]

Excellent @math2999, we haven't organised anything official but there is enough of us to start something I think, @MangroveMike?? I certainly be keen for a coffee when I pop down to Newcastle (I am currently travelling up and down the coast for the next two months).

Let us know a timeframe when you are settled and we'll have a lunch or coffee catchup. Sounds great!

 

[NovoCasGreeny]

Let us know a timeframe when you are settled and we'll have a lunch or coffee catchup. Sounds great!

Maybe a drive up the valley to somewhere with a destination charger for lunch?

 

[stphw]

In the last few days, they have started to gut (or tear down) the buildings to the left of the Heatherbrae supercharger - probably related to the DA quoted at the start of this thread.

 

[malcolmpurvis]

I was wondering if the servo next to the supercharger is up and running? I'll be travelling that way over Christmas and I was wondering what food options are available there.

 

[ND100]

I was wondering if the servo next to the supercharger is up and running? I'll be travelling that way over Christmas and I was wondering what food options are available there.

It wasn't last week. Looked identical to back in July/August, surrounded by temporary fencing.

 

[Shock-On-T]

It wasn’t on Sunday, dammit.
That’s my least favourite, and most used supercharger. Nothing to do, no toilets. Grrrr.

 

[Mark E]

It wasn’t on Sunday, dammit.
That’s my least favourite, and most used supercharger. Nothing to do, no toilets. Grrrr.

Toilets are in the motel - what time are you talking about?

 

[Shock-On-T]

Toilets are in the motel - what time are you talking about?

I always feel bad using the motel toilets, don't know why. Just feels strange walking into a motel I'm not staying at.
Does everyone use the toilets in there? Do they do food? What are the normal hours? So many questions!

 

[stphw]

We had sit down coffee the first time at the motel. Now we walk the 5-10 minutes to maccas/subway up the street a bit.

 

[smithy]

Yep, that's what we do too. It does look like the servo will be open soon though

 

[rohan_aus]

Thanks to @Mick_Molloy for the update, the Caltex service station is now open next to the supercharger and so is the driveway entrance, making it easier to access when heading north. Been a long time coming!

 

[Hovean]

rohan3au mentions that "the Caltex service station is now open". It seems not everyone is convinced of the near demise of the ICE. Multi millions has been spent on several new/revamped servos along the main highway east out of Perth - Great Eastern Highway. All in a 40km stretch from Ascot to the Lakes Roadhouse at the Great Southern Highway turnoff.

 

[raynewman]

rohan3au mentions that "the Caltex service station is now open". It seems not everyone is convinced of the near demise of the ICE. Multi millions has been spent on several new/revamped servos along the main highway east out of Perth - Great Eastern Highway. All in a 40km stretch from Ascot to the Lakes Roadhouse at the Great Southern Highway turnoff.

My investment dollars stay firmly in my pocket on that topic.

 

[Vostok]

We had sit down coffee the first time at the motel. Now we walk the 5-10 minutes to maccas/subway up the street a bit.

If I get my Model 3 in the first week of the 2-week window I have been given for delivery, then I'll be able to drive it up to the mid North Coast (from Sydney) on a long-planned weekend away. What a way to have my first Tesla experience! But I have a few noobie questions about the Heatherbrae supercharger:

1. Have the stalls there been upgraded to CCS2?
2. The motel seems to have a cafe attached - is it any good as a place to stop for lunch?
3. I thought about walking up to the food outlets near the roundabout as an alternative, but it is a bit of a round trip, and with 2 kids, it seems like there is nowhere safe to cross what is a multi-lane national highway!
4. Does the new servo next door have a cafe? Not that I'd ever really want to eat at a servo cafe, but you never know. Some are better than others.

I also note NRMA has a 50kW charger at Nabiac now, which could be really handy for the return trip depending on how much driving we do. Has anyone here used it?

Thanks for any assistance!

 

[ARMARM]

1. Have the stalls there been upgraded to CCS2?
2. The motel seems to have a cafe attached - is it any good as a place to stop for lunch?
3. I thought about walking up to the food outlets near the roundabout as an alternative, but it is a bit of a round trip, and with 2 kids, it seems like there is nowhere safe to cross what is a multi-lane national highway!
4. Does the new servo next door have a cafe? Not that I'd ever really want to eat at a servo cafe, but you never know. Some are better than others.

I stopped there twice during the last school holidays.
1. Yes ... all the stalls there have CCS2.
2. The motel is a bit run down, I'd only go there to use the bathrooms.
3 & 4. The servo does have a small eatery with a few tables, with an assortment of hot food, it was OK ... you're right there's nowhere to safely cross, you could drop the family off at Subway or Maccas etc., plug in and walk back yourself.

 

[smithy]

My choice to eat on the way up/back from mid north coast is the Salty Dog at Coolongolook (about an hour north of heatherbrae and right on the highway). They do great fish and chips, and I've been stopping there for the past 10 years

 

[Shock-On-T]

If I get my Model 3 in the first week of the 2-week window I have been given for delivery, then I'll be able to drive it up to the mid North Coast (from Sydney) on a long-planned weekend away. What a way to have my first Tesla experience! But I have a few noobie questions about the Heatherbrae supercharger:

1. Have the stalls there been upgraded to CCS2?
2. The motel seems to have a cafe attached - is it any good as a place to stop for lunch?
3. I thought about walking up to the food outlets near the roundabout as an alternative, but it is a bit of a round trip, and with 2 kids, it seems like there is nowhere safe to cross what is a multi-lane national highway!
4. Does the new servo next door have a cafe? Not that I'd ever really want to eat at a servo cafe, but you never know. Some are better than others.

I also note NRMA has a 50kW charger at Nabiac now, which could be really handy for the return trip depending on how much driving we do. Has anyone here used it?

Thanks for any assistance!

Where abouts on the mid-north coast? Do you have charging where you are staying?

 

[Vostok]

Where abouts on the mid-north coast? Do you have charging where you are staying?

Taree. Where we are staying does not have a destination charger, but there does appear to be one hotel in Taree that does (on the highway though). Maybe we should change hotels although it's a long shot that I'll have the car by then so this might all be academic. A charge overnight on a destination charger would be sufficient for that trip to get there and back with a LR AWD.

Another alternative is to forget about Heatherbrae and have a 1 hour lunch at a cafe in Nabiac and use the slower NRMA charger there (assuming it is in working order!)

 

[Anubis]

I have a few noobie questions about the Heatherbrae supercharger:

1. Have the stalls there been upgraded to CCS2?
2. The motel seems to have a cafe attached - is it any good as a place to stop for lunch?
3. I thought about walking up to the food outlets near the roundabout as an alternative, but it is a bit of a round trip, and with 2 kids, it seems like there is nowhere safe to cross what is a multi-lane national highway!
4. Does the new servo next door have a cafe? Not that I'd ever really want to eat at a servo cafe, but you never know. Some are better than others.

I also note NRMA has a 50kW charger at Nabiac now, which could be really handy for the return trip depending on how much driving we do. Has anyone here used it?

Thanks for any assistance!

3. Way too long to walk to the roundabout, your car will be charged well and truly and you may run up idle fee's

I've used Nabiac twice. It's free! One stall. Nice park with tables and shade. OK toilets. They were installing public BBQ's a week ago. Could be a good spot for a lunch time sausage sandwich when they are working.

Funny story around the Nabiac charger. On the trip north on Friday, I had to wait for a Kona to finish charging. The owner and I talked and swapped stories. He was going south.
On the trip back South on the following Monday I started charging. The same Kona turned up (going North) 15 minutes later and had to wait for me.
What a coincident!!!

Also, don't discount the Wallsend (Newcastle) NRMA chargers. It's near a small shopping mall and there are two stalls.

 

[Vostok]

Way too long to walk to the roundabout, your car will be charged well and truly and you may run up idle fee's

I've used Nabiac twice. It's free! One stall. Nice park with tables and shade. OK toilets. They were installing public BBQ's a week ago. Could be a good spot for a lunch time sausage sandwich when they are working.

Funny story around the Nabiac charger....

The Heatherbrae SC would have been much better if it was installed in the food quarter up the road - that would have been perfect. It currently is in a bit of nowheresville, maybe Tesla can move it to a better location one day.

When I checked out Nabiac in Plugshare the most recent check-in referred to having another EV turn up on 4/11. Was that your check-in?