Quaint and Quirky Stop Offs Between Sydney and Melbourne

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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. 
Location: Beechworth VIC 3747, Australia

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