Self-drive from SYD to MEL
 

Hi gurus,

I'm planning a drive 3D2N drive from SYD to MEL in May (2 May to 4 May). I have done up a preliminary itinerary and would like to share it on this forum to have a sense check if this itinerary is feasible and if there's any "must-dos" that I've missed out

Btw, I'll be travelling with 3 other adults (25 to 30 year olds)

Thanks very much!

Day 1
Sydney City -> Wollongong (via Royal National Park) -> Kiama -> Shoalhaven -> Batesman Bay

Day 2
Batesman Bay -> Bermagui -> Meriumbula/Eden ->Lakes Entrance

Day 3
Lakes Entrance -> Yarra Vally

Thanks!

Certainly it's feasible. It's Batemans Bay, by the way, not Batesman, but I'm sure you won't get lost.

Perhaps you might want to investigate Jervis Bay, a really nice part of the world with very white sand and very clear water. You can camp there, if that interests you, otherwise it's all national park.

Lakes Entrance is a bit run down and tatty, though I don't know of any particularly great towns in that area anyway. It's fine, but it's not as nice as the towns on the NSW coast.

Wollongong isn't necessarily a place you'd stop as a tourist, it's a fairly dull medium-sized industrial city.

The Royal National Park will add a bit of extra time to your journey. It's a nice national park but it's not that different to a lot of the stuff you're going to be unavoidably seeing further down the coast, so perhaps you could omit it.

By May it'll be getting a bit chilly so don't expect to be swimming at all these beaches. Definitely not as you get further south.

Easy drive, good roads and little traffic most of the way. Pretty and lightly inhabited so don't expect much infrastructure. Personally I would drive further on day 1, to Tilba or Narooma, and maybe drive to Yarra Valley on day 2 instead of stopping at Lakes Entrance overnight. Or detour up into the Alps for an overnight, if that attracts you.

Thanks very much for the advice guys!

I'll probably drop both Wollongong and Lakes Entrance from the itinerary - 2 days sound perfect, we can spend the extra day at the Blue Mountain & Jenolan Caves.

One more thing, could I ask which 2 of the 3 should i visit - Eden, Bermagui and Meriumbula?

Good night!

@number_6 - The drive from Meriumbula/ Eden to Yarra Valley is around 580km. Just as a contingency plan, would you please suggest a town we can stay over for the night (and probably some sight seeing) between these 2 points?

Thanks!

It's an easy drive though the first 200km has twisty bits. Can be done in 8 hours, 10 at most. Nothing really worthwhile for a stop en-route but Sale would have the most accomodation albeit not particularly charming. But there is an amazing variety of climate zones and thus vegetation and wildlife along this route ... much more variety than you would expect. Just don't expect man-made attractions like great hotels or zoos.

As for choosing between Eden, Merimbula and Bermagui, they are much the same (equally pleasant). Merimbula is significantly bigger than the other 2 (which are only a couple of thousand people, so all 3 are small towns). A beautiful part of the coast and quite unpopulated.

Hi guys, I'll be flying off to Sydney tomorrow and will be driving down to Melbourne on Sunday (2 day drive via Narooma and Yarra Valley). Given the torrid weather in Sydney now, would you think it will be too dangerous to go ahead with the drive? Your advice will be much appreciated. Thanks!

Are we talking about the same Sydney here? :confused: Over in the one I live in, tomorrow's distinctly un-torrid forecast is 19/13C high/low, partly cloudy with light rain showers.

Plenty of rain is forecast to fall leading into the weekend - same forecasts indicate it should clear Sunday, leaving a cloudy Monday.

http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/sydney.shtml

The hail on Saturday and the forecast is for possibly another east coast low pressure system. However, the OP should be able to get out of town before the weather hits.

much appreciated. hopefully I can avoid the heavy rain, Saturday to Narooma and Sunday to Yarra Valley. Fingers Crossed!

Weather looks fine, nothing like the storm of last week (no doubt you have seen shots of sydney streets covered white with hail). But be aware that once or twice a year the road can be closed for a few hours due to fallen trees (lots of gum trees along the route and they like to lose big limbs in high wind). So you have small chance of being delayed a day (1% chance if the storm does come on your travel days).

Thanks for all the advice. The weather was mostly merciful except for the tremendously strong winds at the GOR on Wednesday.