Quaint and Quirky Stop Offs Between Sydney and Melbourne

Check out these funky little towns and their surrounds next time you’re driving from Sydney to Melbourne or vice versa.

Beechworth

Travel time: 3 hour drive from Melbourne 

Play time: A day trip

Things to do:

-       A tour around Old Beechworth Gaol (make sure you check tour times in advance or you might miss out).

-       Learn about the history of bushranger Ned Kelly at the historic court house

-       Have a beer and get your haircut by a barber at Murray Brewery

-       Take selfies next to the Woolshed waterfall

Mt Beauty

Travel time: 4 hours from Melbourne OR Canberra (smack bang in the middle)

Play time: A full day or overnight stay

Things to do:

-       Go mountain biking on Big Hill

-       Take in the fresh air while hiking up Mt Bogong

-       Have a picnic in the car up at Sullivan’s Lookout

-       Have a drink with the locals at Settler’s Tavern

Mt Hotham

Travel time: 4.5 hour drive from Melbourne

Play time: 1 hour without snow sports, 1-2 days including snow sports.

Things to do:

-       Drive along the ridge of the mountain on the Great Alpine Road (free entry for those not stopping)

-       Have a snowball fight

-       Go tobogganing

-    Go skiing or boarding (der!) 

Lake Wellington

Travel time: 2 hours and 45 minutes’ drive from Melbourne

Play time: Either sunrise or sunset

Things to do:

-       Watch the spectacular sunset and/or rise over the lake

-       Do some bird spotting. We saw loads of Pelicans, ibises and other water dwellers.

-    Camp in your car or tent for free next door to the yacht club. Toilets are on-site. 

Warburton

Travel time: 1.5 hour drive from Melbourne

Play time: A day trip

Things to do:

-       Marvel at the nest like structures build by visitors to Redwood Forest

-       Shop for trinkets and vintage wares along the main shopping strip

-       Eyeball tree canopies as you walk through the rainforest on a metal platform 

Crossover

Travel time: 1 hour drive from Melbourne

Play time: A day trip

Things to do:

-       Take photos walking across and under the ginormous Noojee Trestle Bridge

-       View the ruins of Crossover Bridge from the ground up after strolling through 1km of park land.

-       Play a game of animal bingo. The first one to spot a lama, alpaca, Shetland pony and camel wins (surprisingly it’s not that difficult!)

Words by Casey Hawkins. Photos by Nate Polta.