Sydney Melbourne Coastal Drive

Fast facts

• A meandering drive from Sydney to Melbourne that hugs the coastline
• 1,039 km from start to finish

Why drive it

Sydney Melbourne Coastal Drive is a blockbuster drive that will take you through a tapestry of rustic country towns and fishing villages, through tangled forests and along sandy tracks that will leave you standing on a clifftop with a roaring wind filling your lungs with salty sea air.

The rich dairy pastures of this part of the world are the source of some of Australia’s finest cheeses, and you’re never far from a winery. The seafood is nothing less than sensational, and the South Coast is home to an ever growing brigade of innovative chefs who are out to prove themselves by creating distinctive dishes using outstanding local produce.

Along the way

Stop for fish and chips at Kiama, a seaside classic, located amidst rolling green hills, around a series of bays with great beaches and a spurting blowhole.

Immerse yourself in the rustic delights of Berry, a historic village with a sourdough baker, antique shops and a couple of smart organic produce shops, surrounded by rich dairy country at the foot of the coastal escarpment.

Turn off at Jervis Bay, known for its beaches with pure white sands, rich marine life and bushwalks through native forests.

Stop at Murramarang National Park, just north of Batemans Bay. This is just one of the wonderful national parks along this drive that borders the beach…great for surfing, fishing and walking.

Take a tour to see Australian fur seals, little penguins and the birdlife at Montague Island, off the coast at Narooma.

Browse the arts and craft galleries of Central Tilba, and take a hike to the top of Mt Dromedary, also known as Gulaga, a sacred site to the local Yuin people.

Call into Eden for a whale or wildlife tour, and put on your walking boots to sample the sea-gnawed coastline of Ben Boyd National Park.

Don’t miss

• The boardwalks and walking trails through subtropical rainforest in Minnamurra Rainforest, part of Budderoo National Park.
• A dolphin-watching cruise from Huskisson in Jervis Bay.
• The big cats and endangered species such as red pandas, Syrian brown bears and ring-tailed lemurs at Mogo Zoo.
• Eastern grey kangaroos enjoying the beach at Murramarang National Park.
• Bega Cheese Heritage Centre for its award-winning produce.
• Umbarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre located on the foreshore of Lake Wallaga.
• Foxglove Spires, a pretty woodland garden set on four acres at Tilba Tilba.
• Deep sea fishing for yellow fin tuna and black marlin 20 km off the coast from Bermagui.