Australia: Driving from Sydney to Melbourne

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Outside Traveler Winter 2005

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Australia's Southeast Coast
Lost Coast, Found (cont.)


	(Map by McKibillo)

The Slow Road South
The first step is getting yourself to Sydney. Qantas Airways (800-227-4500, www.qantasusa.com) flies there daily, with specials as low as $840 round-trip from Los Angeles. Then, hit the road to Melbourne. Commuters and truckers use the inland Hume Highway; for a road trip, follow the coastal Princes Highway and allow at least a week to travel the 650 miles. You can bring camping gear—Holiak Hire (011-61-2-9437-0278, www.holiak.com.au) allows you to rent in Sydney and drop off in Melbourne—but there are so many great hotels, many people never even break out the sleeping bag.

DAY ONE: Follow the signs from Sydney to Wollongong, but continue south until you reach Jervis Bay, about two and a half hours south of Sydney; turn off at Falls Creek for the luxury tents of Paperbark Camp (doubles, $337, including gourmet meals and use of canoes and bikes; 011-61-2-4441-6066, www.paperbark.com.au).

DAY TWO: Dive with gray nurse sharks and fairy penguins in Jervis Bay Marine Park ($100 for a two-tank dive; Pro Dive Jervis Bay, 011-61-2-4441-5255, www.prodivejervisbay.com.au). Then it's a 40-minute drive to Mollymook and Bannisters Point Lodge (doubles from $104; 011-61-2-4455-3044, www.bannisterspointlodge.com.au).

DAY THREE: Head for Depot Beach, where kangaroos leap along the sands, then sign on for a sea-kayak trip from Durras with Bay and Beyond Sea Kayak Tours ($32 for a half-day; 011-61-2-4478-7777, www.naturecoast-tourism.com.au/bayandbeyond). Take the coast-hugging road past Mimosa Rocks National Park to the old whaling town of Eden, still one of the best places for whale watching ($55 for a half-day; Cat Balou Cruises, 011-61-2-6496-2027, www.acr.net.au/~catbalou). Complete the nautical theme by spending the night at the Crown & Anchor; it was built in 1843 by German and English craftsmen from small rough stones and a lime render of seashells, horsehair, and termite nests. It's now a comfy B&B with dramatic sea views and roaring log fires ($100–$114, including breakfast; 011-61-2-6496-1017, www.crownandanchoreden.com.au).

DAY FOUR: In the morning, call in at Ben Boyd National Park, where a six-mile trail hugs the pink sea cliffs from Saltwater Creek to Bittangabee Bay (011-61-2-6495-5000, www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au). After the Princes Highway crosses the state line from New South Wales to Victoria, take the turnoff east to Genoa. Karbeethong Lodge is a renovated 1920s guesthouse with a garden and relaxed ambience (doubles, $68–$93; 011-61-3-5158-0411, www.karbeethonglodge.com.au). At dusk, hire a "putt-putt" to explore the waterway (about $20 an hour at the docks), and take a fishing line.

DAY FIVE: Make the most of spectacular Croajingolong National Park by staying at one of its remotest spots, Point Hicks Lighthouse (cottages from $164; 011-61-3-5158-4268, www.pointhicks.com.au). This is the ideal base for day hikes to the giant Thurra sand dunes, Mount Everard, or West Beach. The epic Wilderness Coast Walk through Croajingolong can be either the full eight-day, 60-mile slog or an abbreviated two-day sampler from Bemm River to Point Hicks. Unless you can juggle transfers and have your own your camping gear, go with the Melbourne-based outfitter Echidna Walkabout (tailor-made walks from $143 a day; 011-61-3-9646-8249, www.echidnawalkabout.com.au).

DAY SIX: Return to Princes Highway, then detour along Cabbage Tree Road to Cape Conran Cabins, a set of comfortable wood-and-corrugated-iron cabins in the reserve, run by Parks Victoria ($59–$89; 011-61-3-5154-8438, www.conran.net.au). Stroll along the vast beach or take the three-hour hike to Yeerung Gorge to enjoy its black-rock pools.

DAY SEVEN: Dash the final 246 miles to Melbourne.

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