Australia is not just a country but a continent.Ā Road trips in this country are long drives because distances are large as in the United States. In two weeks, we could see just a small slice of it!
We chose to drive from Sydney to Melbourne, a lovely inland-cum-coast drive that fitted perfectly with our preference for mountains, lakes and sea coasts. Hereās our route.
Sydney
This is where we started our journey but this city had to be explored on foot! We walked and walked, starting from the picturesque Darling Harbour, taking in Hyde Park and the Archibald fountain, to the Opera House and the Harbour bridge.
Climbing the 200 stairs to the Pylon lookout was well worth it for a good workout and for enjoyingĀ the breathtaking views from the Harbour bridge.
In the Botanical Gardens we took a shuttle ride followed by a long walk to Lady Macquarieās chair, a lovely lookout point.
There was more than enough to see in just two days.
On the third day we rented a Toyota Rav-4 and set off on our trip. Australian roads are excellent.Ā We avoided the motorways and drove largely on B and C roads where traffic is quite sparse and speed limits are generous, but careful ā speeding fines are heavy. There are warning signs about wildlife and we frequently saw dead wombats and kangaroos by the roadside. If you hit one of them at speed you are sure to kill it, and your car will be damaged too.
Blue Mountains
First stop ā Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. Two days are barely enough to see the Three Sisters,Ā three sandstone ribs standing in a row against the vast background of the Jamison valley,Ā and many other beautiful spots.Ā The mountains are truly blue due to a faint haze of eucalyptus oil in the air and early mornings and dusk are particularly enchanting. There are many hiking trails of various degrees of difficulty.Ā Blue Mountains is the perfect weekend getawayĀ for busy Sydneyites.
Canberra
Our next stop was Canberra, the capital. We were not enamored by the city, but its design is charming.
The best sights are from the top of a hill – Mount Ainslie – from where you can get a 360-degree view and understand why the city has been laid out the way it is.
After a day in Canberra we drove out south towards Namadgi National Park to see the hidden gems ā the beautiful Gibraltar falls and Corin Dam. The climbing hill road leads to almost a dead end, and the drive was enjoyable.
Snowy Mountains
In Jindabyne (Snowy Mountains) our hotel was by the lake side. It was really relaxing to sit on the open verandah in the evening, watching the colors slowly change at dusk on the Jindabyne lake and the surrounding hills.
We took the hilly drive to Perisher, so named because the intrepid explorer who first ventured there nearly perished. The road up the mountain offers great views of the valleys and lakes around. We had to rent snow chains, due to unseasonal snowfall.Ā Skiers and chair-cars were fully in action at Snowy mountains in Spring!
Lakes Entrance
Our next stop was Lakes Entrance, a coastal town besides theĀ Gippsland Lakes, overlooking a vast system of inland waterways full of stunning beaches, glistening lakes, and water sports and fishing opportunities. The Lakes are separated from the ocean by coastal dunes known as Ninety Mile Beach. We crossed the long footbridge to the Ninety Mile beach and enjoyed long walks.
The lakes can also be explored in a kayak or a paddle-boat, or on a boat cruise. Black swans and pelicans abound making it a beautiful place to visit.
Lakes Entrance is renowned as a seafood capital due to the fishing trawlers operating in the area. There is a big choice of fresh catches in the seafood shops around town.
Lakes entrance is a great getaway location for residents of Canberra or even Melbourne.
We started our drive out of Lakes Entrance and detoured from the Melbourne Road to reachĀ Agnes falls. It is a hidden gem with few visitors because of its remoteness, and the walk to the falls was very pleasant.Ā The cascade waterfall itself is truly worth visiting!
Phillip Island
Next stop wasĀ Phillip islandĀ – a holiday destination with some lovely views, just a 90-minute drive from Melbourne.
Here we saw glimpses of Australian wildlife amongst spectacular landscapes and enjoyed the popular āpenguin paradeā experience. The Koala Conservation Centre let us come face-to-face with koalas in their natural habitat. TheĀ magnificent headland at the Nobbies Centre has views that stretch forever, panoramic coastal views from the boardwalks and aĀ virtual āAntarctic Journeyā at the Nobbies centre that showcases the landscape and stunning wildlife through large multimedia installations.
Mornington Peninsula
Sorrento,Ā at the tip of theĀ Mornington peninsula, was our last destination before Melbourne. We took aĀ long walk at the Sorrento pier and foreshore area. At nearby Portsea we found a grand view of unusual rock formations and a panoramic view of the sea from the ‘London Bridge lookout’.
There is a lot to see and do at Point Nepean National Park.
Fort NepeanĀ is one of the fortifications that protected Melbourne during World War I and II. Located at the very tip of the Mornington Peninsula is an extensive tunnel complex which connects the historic gun emplacements.
We walked from the Quarantine Station to Fort Nepean, via the beach at Observatory Point and Gunners Cottage ā these pretty much covered the many historical highlights of this unique place.
This national park alsoĀ has several coastal trails with expansive views of Port Phillip Bay.
Melbourne
Our last stop was Melbourne – the cultural capital of Australia with the best in museums, parks, art galleries and of course, eclectic dining experiences. South Yarra and Kilda are picturesque tourist places to roam about.
Another unique experience would be the Great Ocean Road trip over a weekend or longer from Melbourne.
We had to drop off our car here after a lovely 2-week drive of 2500 kms.
We stayed here for two days before starting our next adventure in Tasmania.
This looks amazing! I knew Australia had a lot of natural wonders but there are sure a lot of things to pack in! I would love to take the time to do a drive like this some day.
Such an amazing two weeks in Australia. All your photos are so beautiful – especially liked the Blue Mountains and the Snowy Mountains. Both of these destinations are in my bucket list – hope to get there one day.
I would love to travel though Australia, that would be an amazing trip š The landscape through our the country seems to change quite a lot from one part to another.
Amazing road trip & brought back many memories for me. Back in the day I worked a ski season in Australia as a chalet maid & lived in Jindabyne. It was weird to work a ski resort in Australia but I had loads of fun! Since then I’ve visited the country lots but never been back there. My favourite city is Melbourne & I hope you were able to enjoy the food here – the restaurants & choice are fantastic. I have always left Melbourne having gained at least a few pounds!
That’s quite an amazing road trip. What a wonderful way to travel. We’ve only done a couple of road trips during our travel adventures, but I’d like to do more. I always thought these would be best done in vast countries like the States of Australia, but I’m been harboring desires about venturing across Great Britain in a VW van or camper van. Not my usual style, but I hope I get a chance to do it.
What an amazing road trip and one I have done many times. Different routes each time. Australia sure is an amazing place and you captured it in this blog post.
Looks like a great road trip! Although we spent 9 months in the region, we always traveled along the northern end. Saving this for future travels!
Having done so much driving around Australia it was nice to read about a leg that I hadn’t done. Philip Island and the Mornington peninsula look really lovely, I would have liked to visit them. It is interesting that you weren’t enamoured with Canberra, I felt like that about Melbourne. Not sure what it was but it just wasn’t what I expected. I did manage to get to the Blue Mountains, I think they remain a highlight of the 6 weeks we were in Australia.
What an interesting drive from Sydney to Melbourne, Australia! The Blue Mountains look amazing. On the map it looks so close but 21 hours is quite the drive. When I visited Australia we flew from Sydney to Cairns but after reading your post we really missed so much. Maybe next visit.
I love a good road trip! And Melbourne to Sydney sounds amazing! So many great places to see. The Blue Mountains look really blue, no wonder they got this name š These mountains and the Phillips island would be my favourite places on this trip I guess.
WOW! This road trip looks INCREDIBLE! You hit all the different types of landscapes, mountains, ocean, waterfalls, greenery – and then THOSE ANIMALS š talk about cuteness galore.
I have not yet managed to get to this part of the world. It looks very tempting and beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
What an amazing road trip! I love all the tips and recommendations you share. I had no idea there are Snowy mountains in Australia either!
This looks like a perfect drive from Sydney to Melbourne! Beautiful captures!
Although I’ve driven extensively around Australia and have been to all the places you mentioned, I’ve never actually done them all in one go on the drive from Sydney to Melbourne.
Don’t worry, nobody likes Canberra, including the people that live there, haha!
I’ve always found St Kilda to be a great area to find cheap accommodation and food in Melbourne, but I normally end up staying on the Mornington Peninsular because it’s so much more beautiful than Melbourne!
It looks amazing! I have never been to Australia, but this post makes me want to go as soon as I can š Thank you for sharing.
When we finally get to book our trip to Australia, we would love to do the drive from Sydney to Melbourne. Being Canadian, we are used to long road trips. It would be good to see Canberra along the way. Visiting lakes and mountains might slow our road trip but 2 weeks sounds like a perfect trip.
Lovely to read about home! Your description of Australia has made me very homesick š We haven’t driven from Sydney to Melbourne but have always talked about doing it. After reading this, I’ve put it on our ‘Must Do’ list when we get back to Oz.
Wow, this sounds like such an epic road trip! You’ve chosen such a great array of stops showcasing so many diverse landscapes and so much wildlife! Thanks for sharing.
This is such an amazing adventure! I hope to make it out to Australia one day soon!
This is so cool! I never have given Australia much thought until now, and now Iām ready to book my ticket right away! The Blue Mountains are now on my must see for Australia as they looked so pretty! Thanks for sharing!
It’s great that you got to experience so many cool things on the road from Sydney to Melbourne. I’d definitely want to take a similar road trip!