Pick and choose what you want to see from the suggested itineraries based on what interests you. How much you want to explore will determine how long the trip will take.

Option 1 (Scenic) – 3 to 5 days

  • Head south of Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula. A gorgeous area on the Eastern Side of Port Phillip bay that is home to awesome scenery, wineries and more. Drive or take the Gondola to the top of Arthur’s Seat for views of the coast before heading to Ashcombe Maze and lavendar gardens to get lost in the winding gardens. from there you can head to Sunnyridge strawberry farm to pick your own strawberries before ducking around the corner to T’Gallant winery. The hot springs are a popular spot to visit, just make sure you book in advance especially on weekends or on holidays. At the very bottom of the peninsula is Sorrento’s beautiful beaches as well as Point Nepean national park which offers a great walk to the mouth of the bay. Depending on how much you see it’s advisable to stay overnight in the area.
  • 1 and a half to 2 hours south east of Mornington peninsula is Phillip island. Home to more than 70,000 of the worlds smallest penguins and plenty of beautiful scenery. After crossing the bridge onto the island chocolate lovers can visit the chocolate factory for a tour and some sampling. Afterwards head to the heritage farm of Churchill island for charming views, sheep sheering and working dogs followed by a trip to Woolamai Surf Beach. Head further west into the island where you can stop off at the Koala Conservation centre before heading to the small coastal town Cowes for a bite to eat. Nearing Sunset visit the Nobbies boardwalk to hopefully see some penguins and Seals on the seal rocks while enjoying stunning views. About an hour before the sun sets on the day head to the famous Penguin Parade where you can sit on the Grandstand on the beach and watch 200 to 2000 penguins return to their homes right past you from the ocean. A nights rest is adviseable here especially in Summer when you will be done at the penguin parade later than 10pm.
  • Continue on another hour and a half to the south east of Phillip island and you’ll arrive at Wilson’s Promontory national park. This is one of Victoria’s hidden gems with 50% of Australia’s Bird wildlife, Wombats, Emu’s and Kangaroos as well as awesome hiking and Flora and Fauna. Hike up the top of Mt Oberon for spectacular views or down to the squeaky beach for a swim!
  • Head further East towards Lakes Entrance on the Gippsland highway and enjoy a drive through the Gippsland Lakes Coastal park on the way. Lakes entrance is a great place to spend the night so that you can check out the sunset or sunrise on the beach. From here you can continue with the scenic itinerary or continue with option 2(coastal) itinerary.
  • Head north of Lakes entrance past the Snowy mountains national park towards Thredbo. There’s lots of Mountain bike trails here in the summer and great snowboarding and ski-ing trails in Winter. It’s also home to Australia’s highest peak – Mount Kosziuszko. You can take the chair lift up part way and then hike to the top of the mountain in a few hours for some epic snaps of the summit.
  • Head north from here towards Canberra.
  • Arriving in Canberra a visit to Parliament house as well as the war museum is a must.  You can also visit Embassy Drive where all the embassy buildings are built in the style of the country they represent.
  • From Canberra it’s a 3 and a half to 4 hour drive to Sydney along the Hume Freeway. You can turn off early and head to Jervis Bay or Woollongong along the Coastal Route before making your way into Sydney itself.

Option 2 (Coastal) – 3 to 5 days

  • Do the first 4 bullet points from Option 1(Scenic) before continuing with the below!
  • Head East from Lakes entrance to the coast where Eden Awaits. A lovely town on a bay that boasts pristine beaches, friendly people and whale watching September to November. Visit Rotary lookout for awesome views of Two Folds Bay.
  • Continuing north to Merimbula Bay, Horseshoe bay or the more popular Jervis bay and Batemans Bay for more beautiful pristine white sandy beaches and lookouts. Nearby Jervis bay you can explore Jervis national park and Booderee national park.
  • Wollongong is the last stop before Sydney where you can checkout Lake Illawarra and maybe go for a skydive if you organise in advance. There’s many rock pools and some good surf beaches close by to checkout as well before you make your way into Sydney.

Option 3 (Quickest) – 2 to 4 days

  • Depart Melbourne City Heading north on the Hume Freeway.
  • Those keen on Ski-ing or snowboarding in winter(June – August) can exit the highway after only 2 hours and head east for another hour to Mt Buller. Alot of people will do this as a day trip from Melbourne though if travelling to Sydney there is accommodation on the mountain or cheaper alternatives in bonnie doon or mansfield on the way to the mountain.
  • Further north on the Hume Highway stop off in Glenrowan where the infamous Ned Kelly made his last stand in his iconic Armour. This is a great opportunity to learn a bit about a famous Australian icon. There’s a Statue of Ned Kelly, The Ned Kelly Memorial mueseaum and Kellyland – a 40 minute animated theatrical portrayal of the last stand(contact the Glenrowan tourist centre on +613 5766 2367 for viewing times)
  • Shortly after Glenrowan you can can exit the Hume highway for some scenic country driving towards Beechworth. A small historic town where you can visit Beechworth honey and sample some of Australia’s best craft beer at Bridge Road Brewers. The area here is popular for Cycling for those that bring along the bike.
  • An hour further east of Beechworth along the great alpine road is the cool town of Bright. There’s good cycling and walking trails here including Mt Buffalo national park as well as Falls Creek and Hotham for ski-ing in winter.
  • From Bright you can travel further East along the Great Alpine road to Link up with the Scenic or Coastal route or head back to the Hume Freeway and continue north.
  • Enjoy the changing landscape as you head north along the hume. A stop off at Gundagai for a feed along the way at the semi-famous Dog on the Tuckerbox will break up this leg of the journey on the way to Canberra.
  • Arriving in Canberra a visit to Parliament house as well as the war museum is a must.  You can also visit Embassy Drive where all the embassy buildings are built in the style of the country they represent.
  • From Canberra it’s a 3 and a half to 4 hour drive to Sydney along the Hume Freeway. You can turn off early and head to Jervis Bay or Woollongong along the Coastal Route before making your way into Sydney itself.

Related article: What’s Between Melbourne and Sydney?

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