What to See & Do - Driving Holiday NSW and Vic

[Iggle Piggle]

Didn't want to de-rail the XE to Bathurst roadtrip thread so started new thread...looking for ideas and advice for driving holiday (what to see and where to stay, which will all go towards breaking it up into smaller journeys). As valid as it may be, not looking for advice to not do it.

Plan is round trip from Adelaide taking in NSW and Victoria in January.

Me, wifey and 2 girls aged 9 and 11.

Staying mostly cabins in caravans parks or similar with half decent hotels thrown in every few days to keep everyone sane.

Original plan was to head south east from Adelaide and spend few day in Mount Gambier (family there), take time winding our way through Victoria and up into NSW, then once done head inland back to Adelaide..but that long last leg from northern NSW back to Adelaide will suck after weeks of being in the car (kids would be weary by then). So I'm thinking would be better doing that in reverse - leave Adelaide headed towards northern NSW while the kids are fresh and excited, so the final leg back to Adelaide would be shorter stint from Mt Gambier.

So if leaving Adelaide for northern NSW (Byron), any suggestions on where to stay on the way to break up that long first leg? Anything to see and do on the way between Adelaide and northern NSW?

What about breaking up the trip from Sydney to Melbourne into a few days? Good places to see or stay in Southern NSW?

Anything to add to what the kids have already asked to see/do, which so far is:

NSW:
- Bondi (because Bondi rescue)
- Wet 'n Wild
- Lunar Park
- Taronga Zoo

Vic:
- Aquarium
- Zoo
- Markets
- Lunar Park (again)
- Sovereign Hill

What 'Bigs' and other landmarks are there along the way?

[Tassie f100]

There are literally thousands of things to see and do between Byron and Mount Gambier,but be aware accomodation right down the NSW and Vic coast will be scarce and at premiun cost at that time of year due to school holidays.

[JIm260]

You might want to consider Brunswick Heads, just north of Byron, its less crowded and the Bryon traffic is horrendous.


Cheers
Jim

[sgt_doofey]

It was a roadtrip thread, so you could have hijacked it

On the way, one of the things I want to do one year is to go to Parkes and check out the Dish. CSIRO Radio Telescope as shown in The Dish movie.

How old are the kids? Might be good to know to help plan stops as you might have an indication as to how far you might get before they get too ratty. Adelaide to Bathurst is approx 14 hours including rest stops as a guide.

Which way would you go to Byron? Over the Hay Plains and up to Dubbo and beyond, or up to Broken Hill and across from there?

[prydey]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

Which way would you go to Byron? Over the Hay Plains and up to Dubbo and beyond, or up to Broken Hill and across from there?

I wouldn't recommend going via broken hill. we did one year due to floods, and thankfully there had been a lot of rain and everything was rather green, but from broken hill to Wilcannia and then cobar to Nyngan etc, is extremely boring. Long distances between each town...

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Iggle Piggle

So if leaving Adelaide for northern NSW (Byron), any suggestions on where to stay on the way to break up that long first leg? Anything to see and do on the way between Adelaide and northern NSW?

there's very little to see between Adelaide and Hay really. If you go out the freeway and through the mallee, there are quite a few small towns along the way but not really that interesting for kids. There is a bit of historical stuff along the way for older folk.

My travels take me north from Hay heading toward Bris, so I can't offer much advice on anything from Hay heading toward Sydney. Hay is about 7 hours away

[sgt_doofey]

You might want to look to leave early in the morning to get some distance done whilst the kids sleep?

Lameroo bakery is a good spot for a breakfast stop

For our drive over to Bathurst, we'll be going via the Riverland as it's quicker for us Barossans. Leave at 2am, breakfast in Mildura, lunch in West Wyalong and the in to Bathurst sitting at the campsite drinking a beer hopefully by about 4pm.
That's two blokes, no kids, swapping drivers approximately every two hours. Breaks for about 15 minutes during those driver changes.

We did Halls Gap last year and this year with the family. My sons are 6 and 3 now. That's a 6 hour drive that takes about 10 hours with the kids. Stopping every two hours for the kids to have a break and play at a playground somewhere along the way. Tablets and dvd players might be able to stretch out the stops a little longer for the kids.

For the family trips, we've always figured out stops in advance and then googled places to see what's around for the kids to do. The trip to Halls Gap usually involves breakfast at Murray Bridge, bakery at Bordertown for morning tea and then lunch at Horsham.

Good luck with the planning! I have lots of fond memories of doing road trips with the family when I was a kid!

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

[prydey]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

Lameroo bakery is a good spot for a breakfast stop

As a young kid travelling with my folks, they would often stop there on the way through and get us some sort of baked goodness.
Last Xmas we happened to be going through around tea time so thought we'd stop and check it out for old times sake. Not sure if we just got a bad day or the wrong time but it looked a shadow of its former self. We wandered back up the main street and went to a shop/restaurant opposite the park. Much better. Like I said, it was quite late in the day (5:30ish), so perhaps they were about to close and had packed up most of the stuff.

[roKWiz]

If you get the opportunity to come back via Victoria, have a look around the North East Vic. Beaut time of year to visit the Alps, Goldfields and Gourmet region. So many things to see and do.
If you like walking or riding we have two of the longest rail trails here as well.
"Murray to the Mountains" and "Mansfield to Tallarook."

[Iggle Piggle]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

...How old are the kids?

Couple of girls - 9 and 11 years.

Their road trip will be a bit more comfy than those I did as a kid. They will be sharing the backseat of a VF Calais V with aircon, DVD, tablets and iPods to listen to their own music.

My road trips as a kid were a family of 7 plus dog crammed into a bronze HJ wagon. Mum and dad up front, 4 kids across back seat, and me and the flatulent dog in the back with the luggage. Don't recall if it had aircon; I do remember we would have the tailgate window down about 4 inches (so dog farts out, exhaust CO2 in). No DVD, no tablets, and music was whatever the olds were listening to at the time (which was often acceptable stuff like Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, Chisel, The Angels and Suzie Q, but could also be Abba, Boney M, Baycity Rollers and Village People when mum was on DJ duties).

What will be the same for them as it was for me is the odd bit of Roadhouse tucker. Doubt that has changed too much since the 70s.

Thanks for the tips guys and suggestions guys, much appreciated.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Iggle Piggle

My road trips as a kid, family of 7 plus dog crammed into a bronze HJ wagon. Mum and dad up front, . Don't recall if it had aircon; I do remember we would have the tailgate window down about 4 inches
.

I can remember sitting back there with the luggage travelling to Redland Bay, (ferry to Macleay Is) Qld from Sydney with my family in their first Holden FB wagon and in subsequent years right up to the HX wagon. Woolgoolga C P was the overnight in a heavy old canvas tent we struggled to put up due to the coastal winds there.

[foxtrot3]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

It was a roadtrip thread, so you could have hijacked it

On the way, one of the things I want to do one year is to go to Parkes and check out the Dish. CSIRO Radio Telescope as shown in The Dish movie.

How old are the kids? Might be good to know to help plan stops as you might have an indication as to how far you might get before they get too ratty. Adelaide to Bathurst is approx 14 hours including rest stops as a guide.

Which way would you go to Byron? Over the Hay Plains and up to Dubbo and beyond, or up to Broken Hill and across from there?

Hi The Dish is a great idea but the siding springs observatory near Coonabarabran also has a great visitor centre that will make you feel totally small and insignificant. From there you could keep going up the Newell Hwy and in to Brisbane through Warwick or go across to Tamworth and up the New England Hwy to Glen Innes and down to the coast at Grafton. Cheers MD

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Iggle Piggle

What will be the same for them as it was for me is the odd bit of Roadhouse tucker. Doubt that has changed too much since the 70s.

Trust me, it has. Most roadhouses are now run by multinationals where the food tastes like the furniture

[stock1991]

fair enough about Bondi rescue but Sydney is blessed with beaches, much better and less packed out. Manly is out of the way by road but a short ferry ride from the city. If you want that holiday town feel in the big city Id recommend the northern beaches. It's a coastal peninsula and the further up you go the more beautiful it gets.


https://www.manlyaustralia.com.au/info/

https://www.nrmaparksandresorts.com.au/sydney-lakeside/

[383hq]

+1 for Manly.
if there on a Sunday, use the opal card for public transport. Less than $3 all day. The Manly ferry really makes it feel like a holiday as you swing past the bridge and opera house.
The whole event is much less hectic (getting there, local walks), and great value.

Bondi is ok, you can join 6-15,000 others on the coastal walk south if you desire.

If it were me, I'd get a hotel around circular quay with a car park. Out the door, onto the ferries (or bus for Bondi).

I don't like spending all the time on the rd to get there, and then spend half my day fighting traffic to save a few bucks on out of town accommodation in the big smoke.

If heading Northern NSW, I have always liked the greater Newcastle area, beaches, ocean pools, Port Stephens/Nelson bay is (was) brilliant-love the tranquility. If in a 4WD, Stockton beach is an option.

Heading there, the long way would be Coastal, i.e. Great Ocean rd, or well east to Eden and Merimbula, Both would be too long.

[Iggle Piggle]

New South Welshman...which toll provider do you recommend? Been through heaps of them in last 48 hours so only got a day to get something sorted.

Will be headed for Victoria on Sunday so just need cover the tolls I have hit in recent days plus the next couple of days...not ongoing.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Iggle Piggle

New South Welshman...which toll provider do you recommend? Been through heaps of them in last 48 hours so only got a day to get something sorted.

You need to (or should have) downloaded LinktGo.

Covers all toll roads Australia wide and it's pay as you go.

https://www.linkt.com.au/sydney/acco...passes/linktgo

[Godzilla73]

Vic has two different toll road operaters, buying a pass on one doesn't cover the other. Etag covers both, my father in law got caught with this dropping us off at the airport.

Try and do It online, calling them is painful.

[Cav]

Sheesh!

Look at QLD youse dumb ugly Southerners

[prydey]

Currently in QLD, and this dumb ugly southerner is looking forward to going back to sleepy little Adelaide...

[Cav]

Originally Posted by prydey

Currently in QLD, and this dumb ugly southerner is looking forward to going back to sleepy little Adelaide...

Bewdy mate

[Iggle Piggle]

Cav does put forward a strong argument for heading north

[roKWiz]

Cav sounds good but Oh those Terrorist all along the coast at the moment.

[73 4V XB]

If you haven’t driven the Great Ocean Road before I would suggest you go home that way. Heaps to see and do along the way. I took the misses out one morning for a drive... stopped at Port Fairy for the night and came home the next day