Theres an inland highway that is a bit faster, or take the coastal road to see the townships along the way. Fishing and boating are some of the most popular activities and a local company in Metung called Riviera Nautic offers a couple of options, including a leisurely cruise around the lakes. Although its been renovated, the 1896 cottage known as Walhalla Mill House is a self-contained property and can sleep up to 4 people. We did this last year on the Hume/Pacific but found all the road works north of Coffs Harbour really frustrating and added a stack of time to the trip. Want to take two days. But, if you do want to stick to the coast, then the alternative option for day 1 is to drive down to Wilsons Promontory instead. For the first part of the drive, youll continue through charming South Coast towns and there are a few that I would recommend for rest stops (and a little exploration). Getting around Croajingalong is not easy and you wont be able to see a lot of it in one afternoon. Traffic in and out of both cities will also play a big part. Nearby Merimbula also makes for a lovely rest. It was built in 1964 to draw attention to a small roadside banana stall. Away from the main town, the luxurious villas of Gipsy Point Lakeside offer views across the water and kangaroos grazing on the grass in front. To find the map for the driving distance from Melbourne to Gold Coast via Newell Highway, Gunnedah, please enter the source and destination and then select the driving mode. A softUsvista Inc. venture! Rejoin the Pacific at Grafton.At Grafton you can also take the Summerland Way to Casino (zero traffic) then cut across through Lismore to Banagalow. From here, you can explore the parts of the park that are easy to access. Stretching more than 800 kilometres, the Hume Highway is the fastest transport route between Sydney and Melbourne. Yes, all in the one (in-adequately sized) car. I did it this way because there are going to be plenty of beaches and water from now on, and a little bit of Gold Rush heritage is important when youre visiting Victoria. The main town in Croajingalong National Park is Mallacoota, and youll find accommodation and restaurants there. Easy to follow itineraries for a Sydney to Melbourne drive There are two main routes between Sydney and Melbourne. We settled for lunch in the Central Coffs plaza and after a little look around we drove to our accommodation for the night. All aboard for a ride on Australia's oldest steam railway, through thick forests and lush fern gullies, or travel first class for olden-times romance. to double check the weather. Find the best spots to stop on the Hume Highway, including the towns of Goulburn, Gundagai, Holbrook, Albury and Glenrown. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-109307494', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Sydney then the Pacific to GC. That goes into M2 and then into the tunnel and M1. Melbourne to Dubbo, then overnight.Then Dubbo to Gold Coast via Casino (via the Bruxner Hwy). With all town detours and bypasses completed in 2013, the route . Although there are lots of places to stop along the Melbourne to Sydney drive, Ive chosen the ones in this itinerary because they offer some of the most interesting activities, with significant national parks or iconic experiences. They also have a second outlet at the Caltex Service station near the second Hume Highway (heading southbound) exit to Holbrook. Read more in our Gold Coast Airport Guide. We did this last year on the Hume/Pacific but found all the road works north of Coffs Harbour really frustrating and added a stack of time to the trip. After two hours driving, stop to stretch your legs, grab a coffee and browse the shops in the lovely town of Berry. If you need to go faster, any of the stops could be skipped and that days drive would still be manageable. Katoomba (11 answers) Our kids got on OK with a laptop and a DVD player to keep them occupied. Couldn't find many reviews since the. FAQ => What is there to do on the Gold Coast? Keep right onto Hume Highway, M31 0h2mn. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the A coastal town with a hippie-chic vibe, Byron Bay is Australias Easternmost town. Its also home to the only Aboriginal-owned botanic gardens in the country. Traveller, Photographer, Content Creator - I've spent the last 20 years actively seeking out new destinations and new adventures. Overnight: After more than 9 hours of driving, we stopped in Goulburn and stayed the night in a 2-bedroom apartment at the Best Western hotel. If you are limited for time or just arent interested in seeing anything along the way, then the Hume highway is the best option. All pretty decent places where u can get a wide variety of food and fuel up. You could just power through until the end, but there are still some wonderful things to see along this stretch. I know I promised a coastal drive, but you may have noticed the first days destination was Walhalla, which is very much inland. It's okay, you can start planning your Earlier this year, at the start of March, we drove from Melbourne to the Gold Coast. If you're going to stop early, then you might as well stop somewhere between the ACT and Sydney. For a significant part of the New South Wales and Victorian border, the Murray River acts as the natural divider between the two states. Welcome to the enormous Croajingalong National Park, which stretches for more than 100 kilometres along the coast. Down the side streets, the chocolate shop and the tea shop are both very popular. You know that Google is notoriously unreliable Yarramar. You can potter around for a quiet afternoon, or do what most people come here for and hit the water! We first went to the foreshore and walked along, viewing the sculptures that were spread about. And, just before you get to Narooma, hop out at Tilba Tilba to explore this gorgeous heritage town. On the Albury side of the river, I would suggest that you look at either The Cottage Motor Inn, Astor Motel or the Atura Albury depending on your budget and how long you are planning on staying. It was built in 1964 to draw attention to a small roadside banana stall. Todays drive is just long enough that youll probably want to stop somewhere to break up the journey and have a rest. Make sure your car is mechanically sound. There are a few historical buildings to explore and plenty of green space to walk around and stretch the legs. If youve got a bit of time, you could do for a bushwalk in the Clyde River National Park, or rent a kayak for a paddle up the Clyde River. Should you be looking for some food, snacks or anything else for that matter, you will also find an assortment of cafes and restaurants along the main road. Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. If youre only planning to stay one night, you wont be able to access the areas that need long hikes in. There are lots of motels in both regions. Just to be clear, the shortest route is via the Hume to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Or, if you want to get a bit more driving in before you stop, then Thirroul is a excellent option for a stop. Start at 4:30 to 5am, 2 drivers, overnight in Gilgandra. Our next stop was a coffee break in Holbrook, where we saw the HMAS Otway Submarine. If you stay at Narrabri and you are hungry I, surprisingly, recommend On Lee Chinese Seafood Restaurant. stay for about 1 hour and leave at 2:27 pmdrive for about 5 hours, 7:22 pm Port Macquarie If you need a meal or a coffee, make sure you check outMoos at Meeniyan, which does some of the best food in town. This route is about 1100 kilometres and takes about 14 hours of driving. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Today it is much more than a roadside attraction, it is part of The Big Banana Fun Park. A Queenslander might suggest a better alternate route. Theres also the famous blowhole, where waves crash through and spray up into the air. I only looked at listings with plenty of feedback and made sure to communicate with the host. That takes about ten hours of driving but its not particularly scenic. Following the coast between the two-state capitals, the Pacific Highway (M1/A1 route) is not only the quickest way to drive between Brisbane and Sydney but arguably the more scenic option as well. Guides and resources. There are lots of places to eat in the main part of town or near the big rock pool. })(document, 'script', '//aff.bstatic.com/static/affiliate_base/js/flexiproduct.js');
. Walhalla is a peaceful place and its easy to relax but the town has also retained the charm of its golden era and theres plenty to see. You can book your motels online via phone but try and do it by 4 pm once you've made up your mind about which town you'll reasonably get to by tea time or so: I got away with booking at 6 pm or later sometimes on my trip but that was in early November, early January with school holidays might be a different story. But its all still beautifully laidback and, with the beaches and cafes, the whole region feels like a constant summer holiday. Trip planners by destination. Although the Wave Oasis B&B is set up like a guesthouse, each small apartment is self-contained and feels quiet and private. Operated by NSW TrainLink XPT and NSW TrainLink, the Melbourne to Queensland service departs from Southern Cross and arrives in Brisbane. As the countryside opens up, youll be driving through the relatively flat agricultural lands of West Gippsland, known primarily for dairy farming but also for a burgeoning gourmet food scene. You can also find the distance from Melbourne to Gold Coast via hume highway, Melbourne using other travel options like bus, subway, tram, train and rail. next trip! Everything west of Circular Quay sucks, most especially Pennant Hills Road. Unless you plan to stay longer (which would be great), I suggest you spend your time seeing a few different aspects of Croajingalong National Park. . more. Im actually driving from sydney to perth on thursday. If you discount the Hume Highway, that leaves you with two main options go along the coast or go inland. I've normally got 4x4, kids, and a caravan, 10+ hours in the car kills me. var s = d.createElement(sc), p = d.getElementsByTagName(sc)[0];
Roughly two hours drive south of Sydney, the Big Merino is the first big thing on the drive down to Melbourne. The best thing abt the M31/Pac Hghwy run is the 110km run between Melb and Syd, then on long stretches after Pennant Hills. I can only remember him ever getting one ticket out of about 10 trips there and back. via Sydney: 1710 km, 18 hrs 6 mins driving, via Young, Wellington, Tamworth: 1686 km, 18 hrs 55 mins. What is the road driving distance between Melbourne to Gold Coast via hume highway, Melbourne? Dooragan National Park is about 40 km from Port Macquarie. Given the choice again, I'd do 2 nights. Lots of motels (Ibis Dubbo is basic, cheap and clean). Don't use the coastal highway (Princes) from Melbourne to Sydney unless you have a spare day to kill. becky from Australia asked:What are fun things to do with a family on Australia's Gold Coast? You may hit a little bit of traffic if you leave during peak hour, but the roads are quite good. To put this in perspective, Edinburgh to Istanbul is 2,280 km and New York City to Los Angeles is 2,780 km. Just keep in mind that the Long Track Pantry is closed on Tuesdays. Take a two-hour direct flight, or make it into a road tripyou can cut through central Victoria and New South Wales or take a somewhat longer (and very scenic) coastal route. Blue Mountains National Park (6 mentions) Although I think the quieter community of Gipsy Point is actually a nicer place to stay, if youre looking for something less busy. We drove uphill to the Cape Byron Lighthouse (note parking must be paid with cash) before leaving to meet Tims parents at our Gold Coast accommodation. trip dates & more! This includes an average layover time of around 1h. I live in the northern suburbs and will NEVER use Northconnex. To break up the journey today, I suggest a stop at Cann River, which youll reach after about two hours. And at Glenrowan and several stations roughly 80-150km out of Melbourne. And that brings us to the end of the itinerary for this Melbourne to Sydney drive along the coast. Also, make sure you check out the travel tools that I use the most to help you save some money when booking your next trip. p.parentNode.insertBefore(s,p);
Closer to Metung, another good rest spot is Bairnsdale, which quite a few people actually use as a base when they visit the Gippsland Lakes (so there are lots of shops here, if you need to stock up on anything). It is about 880 km from Melbourne to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Continue onto Hume Highway, M31 0h3mn. Its almost entirely a motorway between Sydney and Melbourne, making it a really straightforward drive. Report inappropriate content Beach8um Bald Knob, Australia Destination Expert May 18, 2016 at 8:12pm PDT. We simply viewed The Big Banana and walked through the middle of it, which Fletcher thought was pretty cool. The first is Sale, a former port that has an affluent heritage to it. Coffs Harbour (7 answers) If you have cruise control, use it. We filled up just out of Melbourne and that got us to Sydney easy with a long range fuel tank. Most of the accommodation in Metung is aimed a long stays, with lots of self-contained multi-room options. How about a submarine parked in a field? Don't trust energy drinks with your life, if you're at the point of 'not long to go I'll get a red Bull and be right' pull over and have a nap. We've done this trip a few times over the years. The way back we went along the Newell Highway and stayed overnight in Dubbo. For me Google maps says cann river to Canberra then take the Hume to Sydney and then up the coast to gold coast, a total of 18 hours. To get a free "taste" hit the visitor centre instead: http://taronga.org.au/taronga-western-plains-zoo/visitor-information/tips-and-advice/quick-zoo-visit/dont-have-much-time. By Air Duration: 2 hours Newell Highway Distancs Use the calculator or tables provided below to obtain a guide of times and distances between towns and cities along the Newell Highway. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The most popular option in town, Walhallas Star Hotel has an original facade but has been rebuilt with boutique suites and an excellent restaurant. Its off the main highway so doesnt get as much traffic as some other towns although its become popular in recent years. In a relaxing site amongst the gum trees, Bay and Bush Cottages has a series of cool unique accommodation options. The main street is lined with gorgeous buildings and there are plenty of boutique shops with local produce or collections of homewares. If all you want to do is get between Melbourne and Sydney, then flying is both a cheaper and a faster option. Edit: If you're travelling in summer, I suggest not going via the Newell. The Sydney to Melbourne inland drive is a staple road trip that many Aussies have been making since childhood. Quiet and laidback, you can hang at the beach or go cycling along the coast track, and then refresh with excellent dining options like the Whale Inn and the Quarterdeck. 1-day Sydney to Melbourne Hume Highway itinerary Day 1 Distance: 887km Drive time: 9 hours 15 minutes Sydney to Melbourne Start in Sydney early to make the most of your day and drive to Goulburn, Australia's first inland city. But this means there are lots of places to stop, things to do, and towns where you can stay overnight. Yes, its about 10-12 hours in the car (depending on stops) taking the Hume Highway route, but it is a fairly easy drive. We then decided to get back in the car for a short drive to The Forest Sky Pier at The Sealy Lookout, located in Bruxner Park Flora Reserve, Orara East State Forest. If youd like to get more information to help plan your trip to and around AustraliaCheck out the rest of my blog posts. It's a lot of driving. I think this itinerary offers a lovely mix of bush and beach, with national parks, wildlife experiences, and some heritage. He has been a journalist for more than 20 years and loves exploring different parts of Australia. Melbourne to Newell Highway Route via Newell Highway, Gunnedah. Artists submitted their designs and those selected individually hand-painted one Koala sculpture each. Thought it was quite a nice trip, especially leading into Casino, which is through quite a hilly forrest. Built in 1985 and later moved to its current location, it is one of Australias many big things. Disclaimer: links in this post are an affiliate. Keep right onto Hume Highway, M31 1h33mn. Going deep inside an old gold mine one afternoon and then hiking along the coast by morning. Thankyou for any advice. Narooma is a wonderful coastal town and youll immediately see why its such a popular holiday destination. It also passes through the Murray River towns of Albury and Wodonga developed when paddlesteamer trade along the river was the only way of marketing the bounties of the riverland soils. If you just want to get there as quickly as you can, go via (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? There arent too many places worth stopping that are close to the highway. Some only 5 km apart but many only 20 to 30 km. 25 mins), 2922 Km - Distance from Melbourne to Gold Coast via hume highway, Melbourne, FAQ about Distance from Melbourne to Gold Coast, The driving distance from Melbourne to Gold Coast via hume highway, Melbourne is, Directions from Melbourne to Gold Coast via hume highway, Melbourne, map from Melbourne to Gold Coast via hume highway, Melbourne, Travel time from Melbourne to Gold Coast via hume highway, Melbourne, Distance from Melbourne to New York , United States, Distance from Melbourne to Canberra via Albury NSW 2640, Distance from Melbourne to Canberra via Albury New South Wales, Distance from Melbourne to Canberra via Orbost. They go in convoys at 103 kph, and there's a lot of single lane. Its a perfect place for a holiday because the lakes offer plenty of opportunity for water sport, while the beach is just metres away. The Big Merino is a concrete Merino ram that stands at 15.2 metres tall. We wondered if we had made a terrible mistake but it all turned out fine and everyone had a fun holiday. We also took some smaller country roads which are difficult to drive on and stay alert. The back was on the waterfront with a beach area and jetty part of the property. Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, and the Gold Coast in southern Queensland, are 1076 miles (1733 km) apart, but it's quite easy to travel between them. The Jervis Bay accommodation is quite spread out, although theres a lot around Huskisson and Vincentia. There are huge granite mountains, forest, beaches, and rocky outcrops. Youll usually need to book in advance to stay at Tidal River in the national park, but you can check availability here. Recommended option Fly from Gold Coast 5h 12m Fly from Gold Coast (OOL) to Dubbo (DBO) OOL - DBO $304 - $582 Cheapest option Leaving Port Macquarie, we drove 159km to Coffs Harbour. Don't know how my dad did it, driving 95% of the way himself. The main attraction here is Old Gippstown, a recreation of Gippsland in the 1850s. With the upgrades, the Pacific Highway now bypasses almost all the towns that used to line the route, Coffs Harbour being the notable exception. . Take it easy and dont speed. I like the long drives particularly when I know the alternative is being at work! drive for about 3.5 hours, 1:27 pm Katoomba However, to get away from the regular road trip junk food procession there are a couple of nicer cafes in the same area. If you are limited for time or just aren't interested in seeing anything along the way, then the Hume highway is the best option. Leaving Melbourne, the first station is 30km after Epping. With that in mind, its worth trying to avoid arriving in Sydney during peak hour because the last stretch can get very slow with traffic. It's direct, it's fast..and it's fantastic, and is far cheaper in tolls than the petrol you waste travelling through half o Continue Reading 4 2 Lawrence C. FinTech Enthusiast, Expert Investor, Finance at Masterworks Updated Feb 6 Promoted But feel free to change things as you go there are lots of other options, particularly along the NSW South Coast. Then via G'windi, Warwick & Logan Motorway. It takes about 11 hours and the cheapest adult tickets start at $78. Continue with Recommended Cookies. But if you are looking for the best custard tart that youve ever had, and a really good coffee, then a bit further down the road through Holbrook is the Holbrook Bakery. The total drive time was around 21 hours each way. But you can definitely just stay a night or two and you may appreciate the facilities on a long road trip. In total, this coastal route between Melbourne and Sydney is 1200 kilometres long and will take a total of about 15 hours driving. Most people probably do it in 11 hours assuming pennant hills road doesn't block them (because you probably don't want to stop in Sydney, it's expensive). I once drove in heavy fog at night and it was very scary. Built in 1890, Windsor House is one of the last original properties in Walhalla and offers five rooms for B&B accommodation. Note: Even though most people do the inland drive via Hume Highway within one day, because there's not as much to stop at . ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-109307805', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Sydney anymore. Check, (29 hrs Melbourne Attractions absolutely for free. Alot of people will do this as a day trip from Melbourne though if travelling to Sydney there is . This year we plan on going on the Newell. You can do it in a day if you leave super early, but make sure you get your timings right to skip peak hour in Sydney. We did both directions in one hit, and whilst one driver can make it with ample rest stops, its always nicer to break it up with two drivers. Every second night there's a new report of break-ins etc. Your email address will not be published. Gold Coast airport to Brisbane cruise terminal, We are 2 pensioner couples looking for an apartment, Small layover before international flight, Accommodation with good block out blinds & late checkout, What's a good hotel near Metricon Stadium. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. That said, my gut still tells me the Newell is better option and to give Sydney the widest berth as is possible. Two very solid days of driving. Spoke to my dad and he said we used to drive from Melbourne to Goondiwindi every year then Gold Coast from there. Set amongst bushland but with easy access to the beach, the Shady Gully Caravan Park has cabins that can sleep up to six. Press J to jump to the feed. Just definitely don't stop in Moree when you go via the Newell, lol. The house was in Mermaid Waters. Here, There & Gone! The park also features a small museum and a few other Naval displays. According to local Aboriginal legend, North Brother Mountain is the resting place of Dooragan, the youngest of three brothers. You still have about 15 hours of driving from Albury. The Newell has been receiving a lot of upgrades lately, more overtaking lanes etc. Are you spending some time in Melbourne? The town pays tribute to this history with a number of monuments, the biggest being the gigantic statue of Ned Kelly attached to the local post office. By far preferred the Hume route. Enjoy! Wagga Wagga (4 answers) Sydney to Melbourne: The coastal drive via the Princes Highway. This route is about 1200 kilometres long and takes about 15 hours of driving. Option 3 (Quickest) - 2 to 4 days. Thanks all for the feedback, I'm really looking forward to the trip. If you cant make it that far, for either fuel or caffeine dependancy related reasons, Suttons Forest has a Shell service station and McDonalds about 50ks closer to Sydney. The short drive up winds through forest and passed banana plantations. As the primary connection between Australia's two biggest cities, the Hume is well-used by travellers journeying between Melbourne and Sydney. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Oh, and Fletcher had a cup of ice-cream from the cafe, it wasstrawberry! It is one of Australias best national parks and a very popular destination for people from Melbourne particularly during school holidays. this small town was once a booming gold mining settlement in the middle of the 19th century. We only ever really stopped for lunch and the occasional toilet or fruit stall break. Zoo is a bit more problematic. Probably 8 hours driving time plus stops. Cities Distance; RACV online stripmaps : Melbourne to Sydney via Hume Highway and Olympic Highway / RACV; RACV online stripmaps : Melbourne to Sydney via Princes Highway / RACV; RACV online stripmaps : Goondiwindi to Bruce Highway (Cooroy) / RACV; R.A.C.V. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Many were established to supply the miners on their trek north to the gold fields. We'd stop at Coonabarabran for the night and arrive later the next day. Http iframes are not shown in https pages in many major browsers. And youll also be able to spend a couple of hours wandering the streets, exploring the bushland around town, and hanging at some of the local businesses. A short little detour off the Hume Highway, this little town features a history of Australian Naval Submarining that you can find out all about when you get there. Day 1: Melbourne to Walhalla Option: Melbourne to Wilsons Promontory Day 2: Walhalla to Metung Day 3: Metung to Mallacoota Day 4: Mallacoota to Narooma Day 5: Narooma to Jervis Bay Day 6: Jervis Bay to Sydney. Two days solid days isnt too hard. Three Sisters (4 mentions) travelers and answer their questions about Melbourne! Popular search terms by destination. Dating back to 1877, the Albury Botanic Gardens are an idyllic slice of history. Show only these on map. And if you have a travel-related question, you would like me to answer, head on over to mycontact pageto get in touch and let me know. Theres a supermarket in Meeniyan or you could ask Marty at Moos to fix you up a dinner pack to cook on the barbeque (thats what I did). Practicalities. I can remember the cruise control would be set to 125 the whole way, just enough not to lose your licence. Driving from Melbourne to Sydney by car is not the most scenic route either. (Although new trains are coming in 2023, which look much better!). FAQ => What 5 star hotels are on the Gold Coast? Maybe stay somewhere on the outskirts of Sydney, near the motorway, or around Gosford. 6. was created to inspire you to travel to places youve never been before. The towns along the way are nicer to stop in too, IMNSHO :), If you smoke enough meth and buy a V8 you can do it in one. I'm looking at moving from the Gold Coast to Melbourne for work and driving as I can take more stuff with me, including thing I'm hesitate to trust to movers.