First Trip Down Under
 

Hi Everyone

I'll be visiting Australia for the first time in September. I'm attending a conference in Adelaide and then have a week to myself.
My thoughts are to leave Adelaide on the saturday morning and spend the weekend driving to Melbourne on the Great Ocean road, then flying to Sydney where I'll spend the rest of the week.

My questions are:
1. Is 2 days enough time to drive the GOR?
2. Which is the best part of the route to drive - Adelaide/Melbourne, or Melbourne/Sydney?
3. Should I spend a day in Melbourne or just head for Sydney?

Can't wait to read your suggestions!
Annie

Hi Annie,

To do the GOR you have to drive from Adelaide to Melbourne and yes two days is ample to allow you to do some sightseeing along the way.

Forget driving from Melbourne to Sydney and just take a cheap Virgin Blue flight. There is little to see going up the Hume HWY as it bypasses most of the towns these days.

Some here will suggest you spend a day in Melbourne but not me, I would head for Sydney ASAP in order to enjoy some of the surrounding places close to Sydney like the Blue Mountains and of course the wonderful sights of Sydney itself.

Cheers

Paul_S

Annie, The GOR connects Adelaide and Melbourne. There is a coastal route between Melbourne and Sydney as well, but this not part of the GOR, nor is it the Hume Hwy that Paul referred to.

I agree 2 days should be good for the GOR, though you could easily make it 3 and spend time looking around the Otway Ranges, Cape Otway, etc.

The Sydney Melbourne coastal road, is less immediately scenic than the GOR but there are still some very nice places to see with short side trips. Wilson's Promontory National Park, off the coastal Sydney-Melbourne route (about 250 km SE of Melbourne)would certainly be worth the effort - beautiful coastal walks and lots of wildlife. Jervis Bay also comes to mind. Awesome beaches - the whitest in the world.

SO what you do will depend on your interest and dislikes. You could consider spending 4-5 nights driving Adelaide-Melbourne-Sydney along the coast. Quite a lot of driving for sure. But I think it would be a nice way to get a feel for what Australia is like outside the cities and usual touristy areas. You should also see some the famous wildlife as well.

Speaking of touristy areas...beware the Blue Mts, Katoomba especially. Fortunately, it's a big area and it's not too hard to get away from most of the maddening crowd.

Thanks Paul, Thanks Ralph

Do you have any suggestions for a great stop over place between Adelaide and Melbourne?

Annie

Hi Annie, my suggestion for a nice place, approximately half way between Melbourne & Adelaide....would have to be the little coastal town of Robe, famous for its seafood, especially, lobster or crayfish.