G'day mates

Here's what we've got planned for a one week drive from Adelaide to Sydney

Day 1 Pick up rental car in Adelaide and drive to Port Fairy (via Mt Gambier). Overnite Port Fairy.
Day 2 Great Ocean Road . Overnite Apollo Bay
Day 3&4 Melbourne
Day 5 Melborne in AM then drive to Lakes Entrance or Merimbula. Overnite Lakes Entrance or Merimbula.
Day 6 Drive Lakes Entrance or Merimbula to Bateman's Bay. Overnite Bateman's Bay
Day 7 Canberra. Overnite at Bateman's Bay
Day 8 Bateman's Bay to Sydney to drop off rental car.

What do you think? reasonable? enjoyable?

Capt

Hi, CaptKangaroo!
I think that Canberra is worth a little more time than you are allotting to it. My suggestion would be to spend a day and a half there, instead of doubling back to the coast for a second night... go straight from Canberra to Sydney (a three-and-a-half-hour trip) on the second afternoon, before returning the car.
Frankly, I like Canberra so much that I think I would be taking one of those Melbourne days and adding it to the Canberra time... but, of course, in saying this I don't know what you have planned for your two-and-a-half days in Melbourne!

Hi, I agree with Alan and you should think about staying in Canberra overnight as there is a lot to see there (Ishould know as I live there) plus the road from canberra to sydney is heaps better than from batemans bay to sydney.
Hope this helps

Alan & Nylbrain

High praise for Canberra, indeed. Our itinerary is still pretty flexible so can you give me some specifics of what to see/ do in Canberra?

BTW, we're staying in Bateman's Bay because we were able to get accomodations for next to nothing --- a relative of a friend of a friend sort of thing.

How long is the drive from Bateman's to Canberra?

Thanks
Capt

You should be able to drive Batemans Bay to Canberra in about two hours.
In Canberra, there is a new museum, the National Art Gallery, the portrait gallery in Old Parliament House, and our new Parliament House is pretty spectacular. Check out the view over Canberra from either the Telstra tower or Mount Ainslie. The Botanical Gardens has an interesting section on native plants. The War Museum is excellent. If you are going to be in Canberra Sept/Oct, the Floriade will be on - masses of flowers and displays.
Hope you enjoy your stay.

Marg

Thanks for all the great recommendations for Canberra. Unfortunately, we'll miss the Floriade -- we'll be there mid December.

Thanks
Capt