Sydney to Melbourne Road Trip
Tue 29 Nov 2016
Sydney
So much to see In Sydney, it's always hard to leave
Royal National Park to Wollongong (Day Time with potential overnight camping at the beach)
The Royal National Park is at the southern outskirts of Sydney and nicely truncate the city and announces the countryside. leaving the highway you wine down into a Valley slowly through traditional Australian native trees and then back up and across the sparse tundra to the coastline.
If car in the in define by the my little beaches and walking times completely up to you.
South of the park there is a section of the coastal road with a bridge straddling out onto the sea. Its a man made spectacle that people stop at photograph.
The coastline from there to Wollongong includes little coastal beach communities that makes you and me the lifestyle these people must live.
Wollongong was once a busy port and steel mill town that is trying to redefine itself these days.
Kiama - (Lunch stop)
Less than 1 hour south of Wollongong is the beautiful little town of Kiama. It has an eat street that overlooks a park and the ocean. On the Peninsula is the well known Kiama Blowhole. Water surges through a tunnel at ocean level with every wave that produces a blast of water that shoots upwards and out of a hole in the rocks. Depending on the day it can be quite spectacular as is the outlook over the ocean and coast.
Bendalong - (Overnight)
This little town is nothing more than a small community of houses and some way or the highway. What is really nice about this spot is a cheeky little spot where you can get away with a little camp right beside the beach. it's also inside a bit of a protected Bay so the waves that crash on the beach are usually quite friendly and offer the new surfer the chance to try their skills and maybe stand up for the first time. The camp spot is nothing more than a car park nestled among some gum trees, but potential to have a view over the water from the back window.
Uladulla
Ulladulla is a great day time stop and comes with the obligation to visit the fishing cooperative to pick up some seafood but lunch including some locally caught prawns (shrimp). There is a harbour beachfront and oceanfront pool.
Broulee
This is the place where the writer first learnt to surf in the hands of trusted friend Coco and a great place for a surf, swim or sunbake if the conditions are right.
Coco / Congo (1 - 2 nights)
Congo is a a small community of houses right on the coastline and enjoying a good outlook from hilltop and nearby beaches and streams that beg you to explore. Congo is also the home of Coco, who is a local surfer, hippie and community identity. It would appear that he knows everyone because I'm pretty sure that he does and it is this friendly nature the reason that the writer of those him at all after being instantly invited to stay with him some years ago.
Coco has the traveller spirit and plenty of stories about sailing across the Pacific, hitchhiking across Africa and working in the Austrian ski fields. He is very much a hippie, happy to share his house and life with other happy travellers.
Narooma (Day)
The river at Narooma is pretty much the first thing when you see when you arrive in town and it has been the occasion to see a seal playing in the river. if you're not so lucky then there is plenty of consolation as there is a variety of beaches protected or with surf to go and explore and have a swim. There is also an interesting rock formation on the south side of the river entrance from the Sea.
Bermagui (Day)
This another small town that makes you stop. There is a swimming beach, amazing headland that looks over the coast, sea and beaches... and another seafood shop to buy some lunch and enjoy.
Mimosa National Park (1 night)
Not far south of Bermagui is one of my favourite places to camp. This is an official campground and there are fire pits, basic toilets, but no showers! The great thing about this place is the Kangaroos and Wallabies that live there around the campers and happy to hang around in the camp and on the beach. Its cheap to stay there, but will be crowded at Christmas time.
Eden (Day)
Once a whaling port, Eden is now an amazing Port town and it is really special to visit the northern headland where you can climb across some rocks and top of the cliff to look out over the sea far below. The colours and crashing of Blue Sea crashing against light coloured rock faces is very beautiful and calming.
Marlo (One night)
The writer has friends at Marlo, which is special as the place where the Snowy river meets the sea. Once a large river, dams built 50 years ago divert the snow melt from inland mountains to farming these days... and so the river entrance is now minor. The friends at Marlo are photographers specialising in Landscapes, Fauna and "Creative" nude.
Traralgon / Wilsons Promontory (1 - 2 nights)
The writer has friends at Traralgon which is a nice sized Victorian town. The high quality friends happily receive visitors and his friends :-)
(Optional)
Optionally is a big drive to Wilsons Promontory. WP is a large national park on a peninsula that ends with a large mountain. There is a busy large campground, cafe, etc... There are wonderful beaches and well established walks through different types of nature, to the mountain top or along beaches. There is also a large variety of animals with sightings of Kangaroos, Wallabies, Wombats, Emu ... and some imports including Foxes and Rabbits. It time allows a night or two there, then it must be done.
"Wilsons Prom" as we call it is very much under-rated as the "Great Ocean Road" is so popular.
Melbourne
It is about 3-4 hours drive to get to Melbourne from Traralgon and a bit more from Wilsons Promontory.
