Your Itinerary
Five scenic legs, each with plenty of time for coffee stops, galleries and wildlife.
A
Leg 1: Sydney – Murramarang
Depart Sydney, drive through Royal NP, the second oldest National Park in the world. Stop at Bald Hill lookout, watch the hang-gliders. Drive across Sea Cliff Bridge, continue via the quaint coastal villages to Wollongong. Stop in at Five Islands Brewery right on the beach in Wollongong for beer tasting. Continue south via the Gerringong and Gerroa then along the Shoalhaven River for lunch. Stop at a supermarket in Nowra for supplies if required before continuing to Jervis Bay. Visit the Lady Denham Heritage Complex at Huskisson then enjoy an aft ernoon Dolphin Watch Cruise. Travel on to Murramarang National Park, South Durras and check into your accommodation for the night.
B
Leg 2: Murramarang – Merimbula
After breakfast travel to Central Tilba. Stop in Central Tilba for cheese tasting at the ABC Cheese Factory, morning tea, shopping for gift s and local specialties, or visit Foxglove Spires Garden at Tilba Tilba. Continue via Bermagui south to Tathra calling in on the way at galleries and the Tathra Pickle Factory Plus.
C
Leg 3: Merimbula – Lakes Entrance
Depart Merimbula and continue on to Eden. Visit Eden’s Killer Whale Museum and then travel across the border into Victoria and continue on to Gipsy Point in Croajingolong National Park for morning tea on the river. Picnic lunch at Cape Conran National Park (East Cape) or on the banks of the Snowy River between Marlo and Orbost or if inclement weather, lunch at the kiosk at Marlo, where the Snowy River empties out into Bass Strait, or the Orbost pub in the historic town centre. Continue on to Lakes Entrance, seafood capital of Australia or the peaceful hamlet of Metung on the shores of Bancroft Bay. Visit nearby Nungurner for displays by local artisans including a glass blower and gold & silver smith to watch them at their work. Have a seafood platter for dinner in Lakes Entrance.
D
Leg 4: Lakes Entrance – Walhalla
Take a breakfast cruise between Lakes Entrance & Metung or around the Gippsland Lakes before departing Metung and travelling back to the Princes Highway and onto the graceful regional town of Bairnsdale for morning tea. Visit St Mary’s Cathedral with its hand-painted ceilings and murals and continue on to Sale for lunch. Continue to the historic gold mining town of Walhalla at the base of Baw Baw National Park. Explore the town by foot. Take a tour into the long tunnel extended gold mine or a 4WD tour of the historic sites. Dinner in Walhalla.
E
Leg 5: Walhalla – Melbourne
Leave Walhalla to travel towards Melbourne and stop off in Yarragon where local specialties include washed rind cheese, quince paste and Gippsland pickled asparagus before travelling in to Melbourne to arrive late afternoon.
Distances Between Cities (km)
Handy for planning longer Australian road trips.
| Distance /km | Adelaide | Brisbane | Cairns | Canberra | Darwin | Hobart | Melbourne | Perth | Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | – | 2127 | 2845 | 1212 | 3225 | 1007 | 755 | 2713 | 1422 |
| Alice Springs | 1693 | 3064 | 2435 | 2905 | 1532 | 2700 | 2448 | 3772 | 2960 |
| Brisbane | 2127 | – | 1826 | 1331 | 3582 | 1927 | 1675 | 4427 | 1027 |
| Cairns | 2845 | 1826 | – | 3157 | 2953 | 3753 | 3501 | 4727 | 2853 |
| Canberra | 1212 | 1331 | 3157 | – | 4233 | 903 | 651 | 3925 | 304 |
| Darwin | 3225 | 3582 | 2953 | 4233 | – | 4232 | 3580 | 4283 | 4095 |
| Hobart | 1007 | 1927 | 3753 | 903 | 4232 | – | 252 | 3720 | 1145 |
| Melbourne | 755 | 1675 | 3501 | 651 | 3580 | 252 | – | 3468 | 893 |
| Perth | 2713 | 4427 | 4727 | 3925 | 4283 | 3720 | 3468 | – | 4135 |
| Sydney | 1422 | 1027 | 2853 | 304 | 4095 | 1145 | 893 | 4135 | – |
A
Sydney
Royal National Park & Bald Hill
B
Murramarang
C
Merimbula
D
Lakes Entrance
E
Walhalla
F
Melbourne
The Hume
3 - 4 Berth
From
$110
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3 – 4 Berth
From
$100
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The Princes
2 – 3 Berth
From
$90
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2 – 3 Berth
From
$80
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Things you need to know
Australians drive on the left . However, it does take only a small amount of time to adjust – just remember, passenger on the kerb side! Observe the law and drive safely
You must be licensed and carry your licence with you when you are driving in Australia, or you will incur an on-the-spot fi ne. If your licence is not in English, you must carry an English translation.
All passengers must use seatbelts at all times. Baby capsules or child restraints must be used for all children.
You must not drive at a speed over the posted limit (check signs along the roads). In most towns the limit is 50 km per hour and on freeways it will vary between 60-110km.
For fully licensed car drivers the legal limit is 0.05 g/100ml. Australian Police are authorised to stop any vehicle and breath test the driver at any time
It is illegal to drive or ride a vehicle while using a hand-held mobile phone. It is also illegal to perform these activities when your vehicle is stopped but not parked, such as when you are waiting at traffi c lights. Th e penalty is a signifi cant fi ne.
It is recommended that for every two hours of driving you stop and rest for 15 minutes – distances between towns and cities may be far greaterthan you are accustomed.
Constantly be on the alert for dangerous situations and drive at a speed that suits the conditions. Watch for:
- Potholes and rough surfaces
- Soft or broken road edges
- Single lane bridges
- Road surfaces changing without notice
- Livestock or wildlife crossing the road (particularly near sunrise or near sunset)
- Very large trucks (road trains)