Miss Clinique

We are flying into Sydney on 3rd April, my husband is attending a conference in Melbourne so we thought we would drive there.

Any suggestions on routes, best car hire, good quality hotels that dont cost an arm and a leg, would be much appreciated.

We have looked at tourist sites but would like to know if there are any MUST see places, I think we would like to do coast and mountain?

Astronaut

We've done this trip a couple of times. There's two routes. If you've got a week to do it go the coast route. I wouldn't suggest you go this route if you've got less than 4 days because at least 2 days will be solid driving.
From Sydney we drove down to Merimbula in a day and stopped 3 nights, Meribula is just a lovely place and I recommend you stay on the peninsula part, we stayed at http://www.nautilusapartments.com.au which were great, then drove round to Lakes Entrance for 2 nights, then on to Phillip Island for 2 nights before arriving in Melbourne. We did 2 nights in each because the driving days were full on driving with stopping for the odd half hour en route, so arrived late afternoon, had the evening and the whole of the next day before departing the following morning.

If you drive across land it's a 13 hour drive, easy enough to do, but not exactly exciting.

We didn't go into the mountains but from the coast route it's easy enough to do.

Alfresco

Drive on the LHS of the road.

Just kidding. I would do the coastal route and see the sights. Have fun.

Miss Clinique

Thanks for your replys. Looks like the coastal route it is then.

MartinLuther

Places to see.

Tilba Tilba in NSW

Mallacoota at night in Vic. (the stars at night and the estuary in the morning)

Victoria lakes

From Bairnsdale you might want to divert down to Wilson's Prom and then onto Phillip Island.

bezzanbob

Have done this route twice and agree the coast is the way to go ....

having said that we did stay in a Tudor style motel in Albury which really was quite strange and passed a huge Merino sheep but little else ....

Malacoota Lakes is most certainly a must do - we stayed in apartments there about 15 years ago and it really was magical.

Bezza

quoll

There is, of course, a third way! Come down the coast to Batemans Bay then across to Canberra (the national capital = now you really must not miss that one!) then down the Monaro Hwy to Cooma then through Bombala down to Cann River and along the Princes Hwy through Orbost, Lakes Entrance etc to Melbourne. Or if you are feeling particularly adventurous after Cooma you could go through the mountains and along the Alpine Way through to Albury and then down the Vic end of the Hume.

Peepster

Hyams beach at Jervis Bay is gorgeous. Lots of lovely places stay in the general Bay area and a great pub at Huskisson.

Eden is a nice place to stop for the night.

If you want an alternative to Lakes Entrance then Metung is lovely. A nice thing to for a couple of hours is to take the little ferry over to Raymond island - lots of koalas! And then as Martin Luther has suggested head on to the Vic Lakes.

FMUK

We did something like...
(THIS)

(with a stop at Batemans Bay as well)

over Christmas (then flew back to Sydney).

Kept the hops relatively short because have a travel-sick-prone 6 year old.

Stopped one or two nights at each point...some really nice places along the way.

Stopped in Sebel Surry Hills in Sydney...just far enough out to be decent price, but walkable/free bus route to main shopping and tourist areas.

EcoPoint @ South Durras (Batemans Bay) was worth it - if you get one of the cabins on the ocean front, great supping a bottle of wine or 2 with the kangaroos lazing around.

On Cowes, the hotels seemed quite expensive, but we stayed just back over the bridge on the outskirts of San Remo at the 'Silverwater Resort'...only a short drive onto Phillip Island to see the Koalas and Penguins, plus at 11 am(or 12, can't remember!)...park up under the bridge (BEFORE crossing over to the island) and watch the Pelican feeding.

emelems

Why not hire a motorhome ? We went around a hell of a lot of Australia in a motorhome.. it was great fun!

Em x

Red_V_Roger

Can't see anywhere that that you say when the conference is. Coast road is great, but don't under estimate the number of DAYS it will take. To get there 'quick', you need to take the Hume Highway all the way. About 10 hours and 800 kms.

Miss Clinique

Thanks guys for all your replys, very helpfull. Think we need tostart planning, you have giev me a lot to think about.