Sydney --> Melbourne --> Sydney (8 days)

[Deactivated] on 08/02/2021 - 22:56
Last edited 08/02/2021 - 22:58

We (3familes: 9 Adults and 3kids) are roughly planning this …. Due to elderly parents we cannot drive in one go, so we need to take a stop on both ways for a night. We are also avoiding evening/night driving between Syd and Melb.

Day1 : leave early from Syd and take evening/night stop somewhere on the way towards Melb.
Day2 : leave after breakfast and reach to Melb around 3pm.
Day3,4,5,6 : Melb (plus Great Ocean Rd)
Day7 : Leave from Melb after lunch and take evening/night stop somewhere on the way towards Syd
Day8 : Reach Syd before evening.

So questions are:
1) what's the best stop over place for day1 and day7. Hopefully we can get something on Airbnb/stayz etc.
2) planning to visit Melbourne lookout places, a day trip to Great Ocean Rd etc. So what the best place in Melbourne to stay closer to most lookouts? Will we find Airbnb stayz there?
3) Any specific recommendations to visit on this trip?
4) Is a day enough to do Great Ocean Rd lookout (Twelve Apostles etc) ?

Thanks for your feedback guys :)

Travel

Comments

  • WreckTangle on 08/02/2021 - 23:05
    +1

    We stayed in Canberra on the way once

  • avoidfullprice on 08/02/2021 - 23:49
    +1

    If your elderly parents can cope 12 hours on the road for one day - day 1 Albury, day 7 - Canberra. Otherwise I think Holbrook is still the halfway point.

    If you start your GOR drive from Geelong, you could probably able to do it in one day with time to check out various lookouts and have supper. Is it still single lane each way? Other slow driving tourists in front of you could blow out your trip time if start/stop in Melbourne.

    Melbourne has a lot of places worth visiting/checking out, depending what you and other families enjoy and your budget. Mornington Peninsula for example.

    • jv on 09/02/2021 - 00:44
      +1

      I think Holbrook is still the halfway point.

      I liked the hologram show they do there next to the submarine.

    • Ghost47 on 09/02/2021 - 01:04

      I would definitely recommend going to Mornington Peninsula if OP can fit it in, I.e. Arthur’s seat, Enchanted Garden. There are definitely Airbnbs in Rye.

      Then catch the ferry from Sorrento to Queenscliff and continue onto GOR, otherwise do it backwards and go from GOR to Mornington Peninsula instead.

      I would also go through Bright to Melbourne but it’s sort of out of the way. The Dandenongs and Sky High could be another place to go too if OP wants to go to a lookout, although there’s not much at Sky high.

      • jv on 09/02/2021 - 01:47
        +1

        I.e. Arthur’s seat, Enchanted Garden.

        Rosebud mini golf course !!!

        Dromana Drive in !!!

        Bittern Sunday Market !!!

        the list goes on…..

  • Philthy on 09/02/2021 - 00:33
    +1

    albury has cheap fuel

    • jv on 09/02/2021 - 00:44
      +2

      thanks, that should be the highlight of their trip…

  • jv on 09/02/2021 - 00:38
    +3

    Factor in that the borders might be closed by the time you plan to return to Sydney… You'll need a Plan 'B'…

    • spackbace on 09/02/2021 - 00:54
      +5

      Plan 'B'…

      3 kids… Bit late

      • jv on 09/02/2021 - 00:55
        +2

        3 kids…

        They shouldn't need masks…

  • jv on 09/02/2021 - 00:39
    +1

    So what the best place in Melbourne to stay closer to most lookouts?

    Lorne or Apollo Bay would be best…

    Is a day enough to do Great Ocean Rd lookout (Twelve Apostles etc) ?

    Not from Melbourne return, but if you are starting the day from Lorne or Apollo Bay, you should be fine…

  • jv on 09/02/2021 - 00:44
    +2

    PS

    Bring masks…

  • jv on 09/02/2021 - 00:50
    +5

    Day3,4,5,6 : Melb (plus Great Ocean Rd)

    If you're going to spend that many days down there, best to stay overnight at different place as you move along the coast and go all the way to Warnambool and spend a night there…

    Go to Lorne, spend a night there and look around the area.
    Drive to Apollo bay and spend a night there.
    Then drive through to Warnambool via 12 Apostles etc….

  • ozprash on 09/02/2021 - 09:24

    We did a similar trip a couple of years back. While going we drove to Mel straight via Hume Highway. Took about 10 hours driving stopping for breakfast, lunch and 2-hour rest breaks. You could try staying at Albury/Wodonga if you want to split the drive over 2 days. We then stayed at Tarneit, east of Mel which makes it easier to reach GoR. We went directly via the inland route to Port Campbell and stayed a night there. This allowed us to break the nearby sights over 2 days - 12 Apostles, Gibson's Steps, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, Grotto. I recommend staying overnight in either Port Campbell or Warnambool, allows you to enjoy the different attractions of the GoR.
    Then drove back from Port Campbell via the GoR next day.
    For Melbourne local, the other comments have some good suggestions.

  • bazingaa on 09/02/2021 - 09:40

    4) Is a day enough to do Great Ocean Rd lookout

    you can do this in a day, only if you start early in the morning from Melbourne CBD and stop only at the highlights on the way up to "Port Campbell" and drive back though the land side road back through "Colac". That is the path usual one day tours like this take.

    3) Any specific recommendations to visit on this trip?

    Sovereign Hill = highly recommended, would be fun for a family. do the gold mine tour as well.
    Mt. Dandenong , Brurks Lookout
    CBD hightlights (St.Kilda beach, Melbourne Star, QV Market, Shrine of Rememberence etc)
    Phillip Island = haven't been
    I think Willson's prom would be too much for the elderly parents

    • ChocStrawberries on 09/02/2021 - 12:01
      +1

      +1 for Sovereign Hill, Warnambool area, and Phillip Island. We did the latter a couple of years ago, paid extra to sit with the rangers and help count the penguins as they come in from the water. Not sure if you can still do that, but just watching them from the beach would have been just as fun. The kids would love it!

      Another idea is Werribee Mansion and Zoo.

  • pharkurnell on 09/02/2021 - 09:44

    https://www.timeout.com/melbourne/things-to-do/things-to-do-…

    1) what's the best stop over place for day1 and day7
    Which way are you coming? Sesame St or down the Coast???

    Having driven both ways 100's of times for my job, the coast way is SO much better for older people as there are things to see, towns to go thru for breaks and if they are knackered you can stop at any one of 50 towns. But is longer.

    2) planning to visit Melbourne lookout places, a day trip to Great Ocean Rd etc. So what the best place in Melbourne to stay closer to most lookouts?
    What places ? Phillip Is Penguins on one side of Melb? Or Ocean Rd on other, the big ferris wheel in town? Skydeck? Queen Vic Market? Melb Zoo?

    3) Any specific recommendations to visit on this trip?
    What did you see last trip?
    What do you like?
    What do you want to see?

    4) Is a day enough to do Great Ocean Rd lookout (Twelve Apostles etc) ?
    From? You can do a day trip from Melb -> 4 Apostles -> Melb - but its a BIG day for your oldies unless you stay out at Pt Campbell, or Colac or in thru Cobden on the main road inland.

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