Road tripping in Australia is an excellent way to explore the coast and Outback. There are however great distances involved so you will want to plan ahead. You can take a short road trip with overnights in a nice hotel or you may want to take a long road trip and do some backcountry camping. Most likely you will want to rent a vehicle for your road trip exploring Australia and its variety of terrain. Here are our favorite road trip routes, from Sydney to Melbourne and definitely worth spending a few days to a week completing these routes, perhaps go on one route then return on the other!. Both routes give you a different view of Australia with new sights, nature and landmarks you wouldn’t have seen if you took the plane or train to get between the cities.
Sydney to Melbourne on the Grand Pacific Drive
The Grand Pacific drive takes you from Sydney to Melbourne. It starts at the Royal National Park, in the south of Sydney, along the coast to Wollongong. The drive goes through Stanwell Park, Kiama and Wollongong, and as a side trip it is possible to venture to the Southern Highlands. Royal National Park is the second oldest park in the world. While you are there you may want to go canoeing, boating, or swimming, there are also places to picnic and BBQ. On your road trip you will also want to stop at Nan Tien Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere. In Kiama there is a blowhole that you will surely want to see along with the Kiama Village where you can do some unique shopping and find some interesting arts and crafts. Next you will want to stop at Jervis Bay to do some whale and dolphin watching. It is highly recommended that you stop at the Southern Highlands to experience the elevated canopy walk through a rainforest. There are also many other attractions and outdoor experiences you do not want to miss if you go on this road trip.
Sydney to Melbourne via the Greater Blue Mountain National Park
You may also want to take a road trip through the Greater Blue Mountains. These mountains are ten times older than the Grand Canyon and contain over 1,500 species of plants and animals across an exceptional range of habitats- mountains, cathedral caves, deep gorges and valleys of water cascading into rain forests. The Greater Blue Mountains comprise a World Heritage site, eight national parks and protected areas, four internationally significant wetlands and the cultural traditions of six Aboriginal groups. Some things you do not want to miss while you are road tripping through the Blue Mountains are the 400 different animals species you could see including the spotted-tailed quoll, and glow worms, and the beautiful trails throughout the different habitats.
Going through the Greater Blue Mountain route will add a few hours to the length of your road trip so ensure you make adequate plans for rest and stop while facilities are still available before entering the National Park.
Before setting off
Before you get started there are some things that you will want to do first. You will want to plan an itinerary and driving route, and make sure the weather is going to nice for your trip. You should make any hotel or camping reservations if you are planning on spending a few days or more making the road trip and get travel insurance. Once you do all of these things pack your bags and get ready for a once in a lifetime experience in Australia.
