Driving from Melbourne to Sidney
Apr 27th, 2005, 05:40 PM
#2
There are two main routes, either inland or along the coast road. The coast road will take longer but I think it's nicer. It depends on how long you have and what you would like to see and do along the way.
Kay
Kay
Apr 27th, 2005, 06:41 PM
#3
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First, a point of spelling: it's SYDNEY.
Second: the coast road is more scenic but longer and slower. The inland route, the Hume Highway, is largely now a four to six lane freeway with a top speed of 110kph. It bypasses all towns in Victoria, and quite a few in New South Wales. It is the quickest and easiest way to drive the 892 kilometres between the two cities. The most difficult driving is likely to be within the urban area of each city. Each is about 4 million in population, and Melbourne in particular is very spread-out, covering an area of about 80k by 60k. It's all well-signposted, as long as you know exactly where you want to go. Best of luck!
Second: the coast road is more scenic but longer and slower. The inland route, the Hume Highway, is largely now a four to six lane freeway with a top speed of 110kph. It bypasses all towns in Victoria, and quite a few in New South Wales. It is the quickest and easiest way to drive the 892 kilometres between the two cities. The most difficult driving is likely to be within the urban area of each city. Each is about 4 million in population, and Melbourne in particular is very spread-out, covering an area of about 80k by 60k. It's all well-signposted, as long as you know exactly where you want to go. Best of luck!
Apr 27th, 2005, 08:01 PM
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Recently I took the day train from Sydney to Melbourne. About 1/2 of the time it did run alongside the highway. If you are looking for scenery, you will NOT find any on this route. It's mostly sheep and cattle ranches with some rolling hills. It gets boring very quickly.
The ocean drive may be more exciting, or you may want to consider flying.
The ocean drive may be more exciting, or you may want to consider flying.
Apr 28th, 2005, 12:31 AM
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jacylou, "the best" is a very subjective concept - we need to know more about your likes and dislikes.
I second AAFrequentFlyer - the Hume Highway is as boring as batshit, and if you just want to get from A to B, fly. If you have an interest in learning something about our country outside of the major cities, there are plenty of choices.
There are two major highways, true, but there's a wealth of options that take in parts of those roads and everything in between - beautiful coastal, mountain, dairying and grazing country, with non-touristy country towns - not to mention the national capital, Canberra, which IMHO deserves a good two days on its own - depending on what turns you on.
So, how much time have you got, and what interests you?
I second AAFrequentFlyer - the Hume Highway is as boring as batshit, and if you just want to get from A to B, fly. If you have an interest in learning something about our country outside of the major cities, there are plenty of choices.
There are two major highways, true, but there's a wealth of options that take in parts of those roads and everything in between - beautiful coastal, mountain, dairying and grazing country, with non-touristy country towns - not to mention the national capital, Canberra, which IMHO deserves a good two days on its own - depending on what turns you on.
So, how much time have you got, and what interests you?
Apr 28th, 2005, 06:38 PM
#6
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Thank all of you for your great answers. Sorry about the typo.
We will fly into Melbourne, spend three or four days there and then drive towards Sydney. Since we are still in the planning stages, we can devote as many days as we like getting to Sydney. That's one of the great parts of being retired!
We will spend a week in Sydney and then fly to Cairns. We plan to spend 3 or 4 days there and then fly on to New Zealand for two weeks.
We are interested in seeing the beauty of Australia. We like back roads and discovery. But we love the shore, too.
Which road should we take?
We will fly into Melbourne, spend three or four days there and then drive towards Sydney. Since we are still in the planning stages, we can devote as many days as we like getting to Sydney. That's one of the great parts of being retired!
We will spend a week in Sydney and then fly to Cairns. We plan to spend 3 or 4 days there and then fly on to New Zealand for two weeks.
We are interested in seeing the beauty of Australia. We like back roads and discovery. But we love the shore, too.
Which road should we take?
Apr 28th, 2005, 07:35 PM
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Hi Jacylou,
Forget the Hume. It's boring and full of very large trucks. I'd definitely recommend the coast road. If you've got a couple of days, you can see some of the best scenery in southern Australia by cutting up through the High Country towards Canberra and then heading east from Canberra back to the south coast of NSW. Have a great trip, Pumblechook.
Forget the Hume. It's boring and full of very large trucks. I'd definitely recommend the coast road. If you've got a couple of days, you can see some of the best scenery in southern Australia by cutting up through the High Country towards Canberra and then heading east from Canberra back to the south coast of NSW. Have a great trip, Pumblechook.
Apr 29th, 2005, 02:10 PM
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Pumblechook has it right. From memory a good way to do that trip would be to head east from Melbourne and turn north at Cann River, which will take you up through Cooma to Canberra. After Canberra you can head east again, through Braidwood to Batemans Bay on the South Coast, then take the Princes Hwy north to Sydney. OR you could take the Princes Hwy north as far as Nowra, stopping off at Jervis Bay, then track inland through Kangaroo Valley to the Southern Highlands, picking up the Hume Highway to Sydney at that point.
There's quite a few variations on this theme, some of which could have you on the Coast further south than Batemans Bay - say Merimbula.
Bear in mind that the north-south Great Dividing Range runs just west of the coast, and west of the mountains you have drier tableland country (this is where Canberra is situated). On the east (coast) side, almost any road you take will involve a twisty road down the escarpment. They may slow you down, but they're well-trafficked roads, not at all dangerous and well worth seeing for the lush vegetation including tree ferns and cycads that grows on the wetter side of the range facing the ocean. And occasionally you'll have stunning views.
If you're an AAA or equivalent member, or even if you're not, while you're in Melbourne you can get some good touring maps from the RACV (Royal Automobile Club of Victoria) and
Whichever route you select, just make sure you're on a sealed road and you can't go wrong.
Reminds me - recently I think I told a poster in relation to the Snowy Mountains that it wasn't practicable to drive past the ski town of Thredbo if heading towards Melbourne. A friend has now told me that I was hopelessly out of date - there's now a decent sealed road running beyond Thredbo to Khancoban, and it makes for a great drive. I wouldn't be making any plans to drive that way in winter, though.
There's quite a few variations on this theme, some of which could have you on the Coast further south than Batemans Bay - say Merimbula.
Bear in mind that the north-south Great Dividing Range runs just west of the coast, and west of the mountains you have drier tableland country (this is where Canberra is situated). On the east (coast) side, almost any road you take will involve a twisty road down the escarpment. They may slow you down, but they're well-trafficked roads, not at all dangerous and well worth seeing for the lush vegetation including tree ferns and cycads that grows on the wetter side of the range facing the ocean. And occasionally you'll have stunning views.
If you're an AAA or equivalent member, or even if you're not, while you're in Melbourne you can get some good touring maps from the RACV (Royal Automobile Club of Victoria) and
Whichever route you select, just make sure you're on a sealed road and you can't go wrong.
Reminds me - recently I think I told a poster in relation to the Snowy Mountains that it wasn't practicable to drive past the ski town of Thredbo if heading towards Melbourne. A friend has now told me that I was hopelessly out of date - there's now a decent sealed road running beyond Thredbo to Khancoban, and it makes for a great drive. I wouldn't be making any plans to drive that way in winter, though.
Apr 29th, 2005, 04:20 PM
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The alpine way has been sealed for quite a while...great trip.The upper Murray is a very scenic.
Combine the alpine way with places like beechworth and the Kelly country or perhaps the omeo highway and then up to Canberra and down to the south coast of NSW can make a very interesting drive ...sydney - mel.
Doing coast,australian alps,canberra and a taste of the monaro and sheep wheat country.
Combine the alpine way with places like beechworth and the Kelly country or perhaps the omeo highway and then up to Canberra and down to the south coast of NSW can make a very interesting drive ...sydney - mel.
Doing coast,australian alps,canberra and a taste of the monaro and sheep wheat country.
Apr 29th, 2005, 09:56 PM
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jacylou, all the aussies on this board have given you excellent advice. There are some wonderful ways to getting to Melbourne from Sydney, and the South coast road is one, also consider cutting away from the coast road, to see the alpine regions enroute, and the Murray Valley.
My preferred way would be as follows:-
Leave Sydney via the Hume Highway, going through Liverpool, then down the Hume h/way and turnoff to mittagong, then go through the southern highland towns, and head towards Robertson, enroute visit Barwang, then across the Fitzroy Falls, then down into Kangaroo Valley (lunch at Friendly Inn), then up out of the valley via Camberwarra mountain, then down to Kiama.
Now stay on the Princes Highway south of Kiama, visiting enroute places like Jervis Bay, Batemans Bay.
At Batemans Bay you can take the Highway across Cooma, and Snowy Mtn. region, then follow the map down into Victoria, to the township of Bright (stay a night or two and visit places like Mt.Buffalo, Mt.Beauty)
From Bright, you can take various ways across to the Albury and the Murray Valley, right out to Eucha (Where all the rivers run...paddleboats that is)
Have fun touring, just get a map of NSW & Victoria, and wander the highways and smaller roads, make it a discovery trip, not a highway trip.
My preferred way would be as follows:-
Leave Sydney via the Hume Highway, going through Liverpool, then down the Hume h/way and turnoff to mittagong, then go through the southern highland towns, and head towards Robertson, enroute visit Barwang, then across the Fitzroy Falls, then down into Kangaroo Valley (lunch at Friendly Inn), then up out of the valley via Camberwarra mountain, then down to Kiama.
Now stay on the Princes Highway south of Kiama, visiting enroute places like Jervis Bay, Batemans Bay.
At Batemans Bay you can take the Highway across Cooma, and Snowy Mtn. region, then follow the map down into Victoria, to the township of Bright (stay a night or two and visit places like Mt.Buffalo, Mt.Beauty)
From Bright, you can take various ways across to the Albury and the Murray Valley, right out to Eucha (Where all the rivers run...paddleboats that is)
Have fun touring, just get a map of NSW & Victoria, and wander the highways and smaller roads, make it a discovery trip, not a highway trip.
