Camper Champ

Seven days to get from the tourism capital to the center of culture and arts—a journey from Sydney to Melbourne can take many routes. Inland New South Wales and Victoria are chock-full with sights and experiences, but few drives in Australia can compare to the route along the southeast coastline.

This road trip will take you through ancient Aboriginal lands and untouched rainforests to the southernmost tip of mainland Australia. A feast for birdwatchers and beach bums, the coastal path from Sydney to Melbourne is a fundamental Australian road trip for locals and visitors alike.

In this itinerary, you’ll uncover the local gems and natural wonders that make this coastline so vivid and diverse. From bush tucker to a squeaking beach, your ready-made Sydney to Melbourne trip will be a blast.

Find the perfect rental motorhome in Sydney with Camper Champ's comparison functionality. Alternatively, you can pick up a camper rental from Melbourne and drop it off in Sydney.

Start your road trip with a bang—equipped with your new wheels, head 124 miles south of Sydney to the ever-breathtaking Booderee National Park. With over 100 prehistoric Native American sites along the Bherwerre Peninsula, Booderee is the ancestral homeland of the Koori people. Interestingly, the remaining Koori shell middens mirror today's preferred local fishing spots.

Snorkel Jervis Bay

Boasting the “whitest sand in the world”, every visitor to Booderee National Park should tour Jervis Bay. Crystalline waters complement its pristine beaches, providing snorkeling conditions only bested by the Great Barrier Reef. You might even get to swim with some bottlenose dolphins who frequent Jervis Bay.

America’s only Native American-owned botanic gardens

Pay a visit to the Booderee Botanic Gardens and join a tour discussing Koori history and medicinal plants. The perfect tour for a spot of birdwatching, you can head for a walk along several trails or make your way to Scribbly Lawn for a barbecue.

After an early-morning cup of coffee and stroll around Booderee, it's time to pack up and roll out as Bournda National Park is calling your name. The far south coast's "best-kept secret", the Bournda Lagoon is great for watersports, fishing, and swimming. Also surrounding the park are some expansive coastal walking tracks.

Drop into Merimbula

Located 15 minutes from Bournda, Merimbula is worth a visit for anyone camping in the area. Visit Merimbula's six beaches or drop in for one of their famous festivals for windsurfing, golf, jazz, or flowers. Make sure to visit a local seafood restaurant to stuff yourself on some locally produced oysters.

Kayaking along the Bournda Lagoon

It would be a mighty shame to stay near Bournda Lagoon and not go canoeing or kayaking. Get lost weaving through the lakes and creeks of Bournda National Park. However, keep in mind that there aren't many park rangers around to look out for your safety. If you're keen on watersports at Bournda, take extra precautions to avoid injuries.

Waking with the galahs and echidnas, you have a full day to explore the national park. You can take the 5.6-mile Kangarutha Track from Turingal Head for a challenging hike or meander along shorter trails on the lookout for wildlife. Keep your eyes peeled for some prehistoric Aboriginal middens, campsites, and evidence of tool production.

Take on a Bournda Bush Tucker tour

Spend a few morning hours with an Aboriginal NPWS guide who will take you on a bush tucker tour. Together you’ll hunt for edible and medicinal indigenous plants used by the Koori people for centuries. Tickets are only $25pp and can be booked through the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Walk the Sandy Creek Loop track

Round off the afternoon with a medium-grade bushwalk around Bournda Lagoon and Sandy Creek. Trek through small pockets of rainforest and keep watch for swamp wallabies, water dragons, and giant honey myrtle.

It's time to leave NSW in the rearview mirror and enter "The Garden State" of Victoria. The first stop is Lakes Entrance, Australia's most extensive system of inland waterways. Lakes Entrance is situated in Gippsland, a region famed for its unspoiled beaches, lush farmland, and wineries.

Stop by Griffiths Sea Shell Museum

Any amateur marine biologist or family with children has to make this stop. Claiming to have the largest collection of its kind in Australia, the Griffiths Sea Shell Museum & Marine Display only costs $10 for an adult and offers views of over 90,000 shells and sea critters.

Take a long walk at Ninety Mile Beach

Separating the Gippsland Lakes from Bass Strait, this untouched sandy beach is exactly what the name suggests. The area is teeming with life, so much so that one square yard of sand was found to contain 187 marine species. But beware, this 90-mile stretch of golden beach may be the best in the world—other beaches will never look the same.

From arguably the best beach in the world to one of Australia's prettiest National Parks. Affectionately known as “The Prom” or “Wilsons Prom”, the peninsula features beginner to overnight hikes and Victoria's largest marine national park. In addition, you can discover an untamed wilderness in the north, while the south is known for its lighthouse and Sealers Cove.

Unleash your inner child at Squeaky Beach

Have a ball on the most photographed beach in Wilsons Prom simply by going for a walk. Thanks to the ultra-fine, rounded quartz sand under your feet, each step creates a high-pitched squeak. Squeaky Beach is also known as an outstanding local swimming and surf spot if you get tired of stomping around.

Settle in for a while in Tidal River

The perfect place to nestle in for the night on the Prom is Tidal River. Offering powered and unpowered sites, cabins, and lodges, Tidal River is the most advantageous campsite at Wilsons Prom. Plus, it’s only a few minutes walk from Norman Beach, Victoria’s largest marine national park.

Another beautiful morning in one of the world's most stunning national parks. Start the day by hiking along the Darby River to Fairy Cove and Tongue Point. Afterwards, mosey on down to the Tidal River Visitor Center for a lay of the land. Next door is the Tidal River General Store for all your basic needs.

Snorkeling the Marine National Park

The views under the waters of Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park are said to rival that of the Great Barrier. Marvel at the gardens of giant corals while trying to spot marine life like sea stars, red velvetfish, and wrasse. If you're lucky, you might even lay eyes on the ever-elusive weedy seadragon.

See Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse

Built from local granite in 1859, the light station is the best spot to view the coastal scenery of Wilsons Prom. Located south of the peninsula, this historic landmark also offers accommodations for those seeking a historic or remote getaway.

Onwards to the city of arts, culture, and live sports. The drive from Wilsons Promontory to Melbourne is picturesque, including loads of awe-inspiring stops like Phillip Island, Rye, and the Mornington Peninsula. It's not too late to extend your stay just yet, is it?

Ride "Puffing Billy" in the Dandenong Ranges

Low mountainous landscapes frame the cute and quirky towns among the Dandenong Ranges. Window-shop handmade jewelry or wooden furniture in Olinda and Sassafras, or ride the iconic Puffing Billy Railway from Belgrave. Hop aboard the oldest steam-powered train in Australia for a tour through cool bushlands and fern gullies.

Drink your weight in wine in the Yarra Valley

Any wine lover must spend a night or five in the Yarra Valley. Victorians have been growing wine grapes for over 180 years on this soil, and the proof is in the glass. As the premier cool-climate region of Australia, the area specializes in varietals of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Can you think of a better way to tie off your week than falling into a deep glass of red?