Melbourne to Sydney, Along the Coast
The inland route is 880 kilometres of highway. The coastal route is around 1,300, and almost nobody does it — which is exactly why it is the better drive. Six to eight days.
Around 1,300 kilometres, and worth every one
The inland route from Melbourne to Sydney is 880 kilometres of highway and about nine hours. The coastal route is around 1,300 kilometres, and almost nobody does it — which is exactly why it is the better drive.
We plan it as six to eight days. Five is possible; six is comfortable.
Stops along the way
Lakes Entrance
Five hours east of MelbourneWhere the Gippsland Lakes meet the sea. A footbridge crosses to Ninety Mile Beach, which is what it sounds like: an unbroken stretch of sand running most of the way back toward Melbourne.
Eden and Merimbula
The Sapphire CoastNamed for the colour of the water rather than by a marketing department. Eden was a whaling town and is now the opposite — humpbacks pass close to the coast on their migration, most reliably in spring, and the town’s whale festival is built around it. Merimbula is the gentler of the two, with a lake, oysters and a long beach.
Narooma and Montague Island
Eleven kilometres offshoreAustralian fur seals haul out on Montague Island. That is a boat trip with a licensed operator, booked separately — you cannot drive to it, and we will be straight with you about that when we plan the day.
Pebbly Beach, Murramarang National Park
About 30 minutes north of Batemans BayThis is where the kangaroos on the sand actually are — not at Narooma, as it is often written. They graze on the beach and in the dunes and are entirely used to people. Worth knowing before you go: the access road in is about eight kilometres of gravel, and we will tell you honestly during planning whether the vehicle you have chosen is the right one for that last stretch.
Jervis Bay
New South Wales south coast
White quartz sand so bright it is hard to look at in full sun, against water that is genuinely turquoise. Hyams Beach is the best known of the beaches here, and the bay has resident dolphins.
The Grand Pacific Drive
Into Sydney
The last stretch, and the best-known section of the whole route: the road leaves the escarpment and runs out over the ocean on the Sea Cliff Bridge, cantilevered off the cliff face north of Wollongong. It is about an hour from there to the harbour.
A note, because you will read otherwise almost everywhere: the widely repeated claim that Hyams Beach holds a Guinness World Record for the world’s whitest sand is not true — no such record category exists. The beach does not need it. Go and look at it.
Who this journey suits
Travellers who have already seen Melbourne and Sydney and want what is between them. Couples and small groups who prefer beaches and small towns to cities. Anyone who wants an unhurried arrival into Sydney rather than a flight and a taxi.
It is also the most flexible of our multi-day routes — the coast is close enough together that a day can be reshaped on the morning without breaking the plan.
For a week on the coast
Mercedes-Benz V-Class
Up to 7 passengersThe usual choice.
Toyota Alphard
Up to 6 passengersReclining individual seats.
Kia Carnival
Up to 7 passengersPractical and easy to load.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Up to 11 passengersFor larger groups.
Practical notes
Weather shapes this one
- The point of this route is the coast, and the coast in heavy rain is a road with grey water beside it.
- We build in flexibility rather than a fixed daily schedule, and we watch the forecast with you.
Wildlife is never guaranteed
- Humpbacks pass Eden on migration, with spring the most reliable window. Nobody can promise you a whale.
- The Montague Island seal cruises are run by licensed marine operators, book separately, and are cancelled in rough seas. We reshape the day if they are called off.
Some access roads are unsealed — Pebbly Beach is the clearest example. Do not feed the kangaroos there: they are wild animals that have become comfortable around people, which is a different thing from tame. Cruises, park fees and meals are not included. See how a multi-day journey works.
Tell us where you want to go
Send us your dates and how many are travelling, and tell us which direction you would rather drive.
Or call or message +61 437 384 719, or email Enquiry@mpjaustralia.com.au. Deposit and cancellation terms are set out on the multi-day journeys page.