Melbourne to Sydney via the Princes Highway

Eight days from Melbourne to Sydney the long way round: penguins, lakes, a wilderness inlet and the beaches of the New South Wales south coast

Ask which way someone is driving to Sydney, and the scenic answer is “via the Princes Highway”. This is that route in eight days: east through Gippsland to the lakes, out to the wild corner of Victoria at Mallacoota, then north past fishing towns, white beaches and a bay known for its dolphins, into Sydney over a bridge built out from the cliffs. We rode the highway from Nowa Nowa, east of Lakes Entrance, to Batemans Bay by bike. Choose this route if the sea matters more than the mountains.

8 days · 7 nights · five bases · by car · Melbourne to Sydney, about 1,250 km.

The first day leaves the highway for Phillip Island, and the last joins the Grand Pacific Drive into Sydney; everything between follows the Princes Highway. It suits travellers with a car and a week who want beaches, wildlife and short walks rather than cities.

How this page was madeWe rode the Princes Highway from Nowa Nowa, east of Lakes Entrance, to Batemans Bay by bike in September 2009, at the end of a ride from Perth, and the paths from Kiama to Thirroul. We have seen the Phillip Island penguins. That is a cyclist’s knowledge, and seventeen years old. The driving, Lakes Entrance, Mallacoota, Central Tilba, Jervis Bay and the Sea Cliff Bridge are researched, from the park services, tourism bodies and operators named on the page. Distances are from OpenStreetMap, without stops.

Last updated 28 October 2026

The itinerary, day by day

Open one day, or all of them.

Day 1Melbourne to Phillip Island — the penguins come ashore141 km · about 2 hoursThe Nobbies Penguin Parade Cowes

A short first drive, so the day can end with the trip’s most famous small spectacle: little penguins walking up a beach at sunset.

Morning
South-east out of Melbourne
Take the M1 and the Bass Highway to the bridge at San Remo. The day’s one booking is the parade.
Afternoon
The NobbiesSeethe boardwalk·Seal Rocks offshore·the cliffs
People come out to the island’s western tip for the wind and the sea: a boardwalk along the clifftops above the surf, with Seal Rocks offshore. Allow about an hour. The centre there is closed, so there is no café or toilet; bring water and something warm.
Dusk
The Penguin ParadeSeeSummerland Beach·the burrows
We have watched the little penguins come in, and it is the reason to start here. From sunset they come out of the surf in small groups and waddle up the beach to their burrows in the dunes, every night of the year. Arrive at least an hour before the penguins; the dearer tickets bring you closer.

Sleeping here · Phillip Island, night 1. Stay in Cowes, the island’s town on the north shore, so the parade ends with a short drive rather than two hours back to Melbourne. Pick a motel or apartment in town. It suits anyone who wants the penguins without a night drive. Book early for summer, school holidays and race weekends. Our Phillip Island guide covers tickets, staying the night and where to eat.

Drive: 141 km on the M1 and the Bass Highway · about 2 hours without stops
Stay: Cowes, Phillip Island
Eat: Cowes, on the town’s main street, before the parade
Check: Book the Penguin Parade ahead; everyone needs a ticket, infants included

Day 2Phillip Island to Lakes Entrance — east into Gippsland306 km · about 4½ hoursSouth Gippsland Lakes Entrance The quay

The longest drive of the trip, across South Gippsland and past Sale, to end where the Gippsland Lakes meet the sea.

Morning
Across Gippsland
Cross back to the mainland and drive east through South Gippsland to Sale, about 200 km, where you join the Princes Highway. Stop there for lunch and fuel; Lakes Entrance is 105 km on.
Afternoon
Lakes EntranceSeethe footbridge·Ninety Mile Beach·the lookout
Lakes Entrance is where the Gippsland Lakes break through to the sea, and people come for the water and the fish. A footbridge from the town crosses to the surf of Ninety Mile Beach. Drive up to the lookout at Jemmys Point, above the western end of town, for the view over the lakes towards the entrance.
Evening
The quay and the fishing fleetSeethe trawlers·the lake front
The trawlers tie up along the lake front and sell their catch from the boats. A friend who has lived in Melbourne for forty years told us what to do here: the fish and chips are famous. Eat them by the water as the light goes.

Sleeping here · Lakes Entrance, night 2. Stay near the lake front, so the quay is a short walk. Pick a motel with parking: you leave early. It suits a one-night stop on a long drive. Watch the summer school holidays, when Gippsland fills with families. We have no Lakes Entrance guide yet.

Drive: 306 km via Sale · about 4½ hours without stops
Stay: Lakes Entrance — near the lake front
Eat: Lakes Entrance — fish and chips by the quay
Check: Fuel at Sale. Arrive before dusk

Day 3Lakes Entrance to Mallacoota — to the end of Victoria225 km · about 3¼ hoursMarlo Cape Conran Cann River Mallacoota

The highway runs inland through forest for most of the day, so the day goes to the coast where it can: the mouth of the Snowy River and a cape of empty beaches.

Early morning
East on the Princes Highway
Leave Lakes Entrance on the highway east and turn off at Orbost for the coast, 74 km.
Morning
Marlo and the Snowy River mouthSeethe estuary·the jetty·the river walk
Marlo is where the Snowy River, after its run from the mountains, meets the sea. We reached it on our bikes in 2009 and liked it at once: a small town on the estuary, with beaches, wide views of the sea and a jetty where pelicans sat on top of the tall lamp-posts. Walk the estuary path before you move on.
Midday
Cape ConranSeeSalmon Rocks·the nature trail·the McKenzie River rainforest walk
Twenty kilometres on, Cape Conran is a coastal park of rocks, banksia and beaches with almost nobody on them. Visit Gippsland gives the nature trail about two hours; the short rainforest walk on the McKenzie River crosses two swing bridges. Pick one, and have lunch on the rocks.
Back to the highway at Cann River, 61 km; then 72 km east to Mallacoota by Genoa.
Evening
MallacootaSeethe inlet·the foreshore
Mallacoota curves round a large inlet at the far eastern end of Victoria, with Croajingolong National Park running away along the coast on either side. People come for the water: boats, fishing, pelicans and quiet. Arrive in daylight and walk the lakeside path into town.

Sleeping here · Mallacoota, nights 3 and 4. Stay in the town itself, near the inlet, so that the boats, the beaches and the cafés are all walkable. Pick a cabin or holiday apartment, which suits two nights and self-catering, or stay at Karbeethong, along the inlet to the north. Book ahead for the summer holidays. We have no Mallacoota guide yet.

Drive: 225 km via Marlo, Cape Conran and Cann River · about 3¼ hours without stops
Stay: Mallacoota — first of two nights, near the inlet
Eat: Mallacoota — the lake front and the town centre
Check: Fuel at Orbost or Cann River. The last 23 km from Genoa is a side road

Day 4Mallacoota — the inlet and the wilderness coastno drivingThe inlet Betka Beach Bastion Point

A day out of the car, and the reason this route stops twice here: the most remote town on the trip, and a place that rewards slowing down.

Morning
The inlet by boatSeethe inlet·pelicans·sea eagles
Hire a small boat, a kayak or a paddleboat in town and potter round the inlet past the pelicans, or join a cruise. People talk about the stillness, with the forest down to the water. Keep to the inlet: the harbour authority warns that the channel out to sea is dangerous without local knowledge.
Midday
Betka Beach and the coast walksSeeBetka Beach·Quarry Beach·the Narrows walk
Croajingolong runs along the coast on both sides of the town. Betka Beach, close to town, is white sand and clear water; the Narrows walk is 6 km return on gravel beside the inlet. Parks Victoria is still repairing the park after the 2019–20 fires, so check its alerts before any longer walk.
Dusk
Bastion PointSeethe lookout·the inlet mouth
End the day on the point above the mouth of the inlet, where the town’s still water meets the open sea. The Pause below begins here.

Drive: No driving · boats, walks and the town on foot
Stay: Mallacoota — second of two nights
Eat: Mallacoota — the bakery, the waterfront and the town’s small restaurants
Check: Parks Victoria alerts for Croajingolong; boat hire depends on the weather

Day 5Mallacoota to Narooma — over the border to the Sapphire Coast216 km · about 3 hoursEden Central Tilba Narooma

Into New South Wales, with three short stops: a whaling town, a village kept as it was a century ago, and a breakwall with seals on it.

Early morning
North over the border
Back to the highway at Genoa and north into New South Wales, 85 km to Eden.
Morning
Eden and the Killer Whale MuseumSeeOld Tom·the viewing platform·Twofold Bay
We rode into Eden over a series of steep hills and found a pretty town above Twofold Bay, known for its whaling history. Its museum keeps the skeleton of Old Tom, the last of the Twofold Bay killer whales, and sounds a siren when a whale is seen in the bay. From September to November, whale-watching boats leave the wharf several times a day.
Midday
Central TilbaSeeBate Street·the cheese factory·Gulaga
Central Tilba is a village of timber shops on one sloping street under the mountain Gulaga, listed by the National Trust in 1974. It grew to serve the farmers who brought their milk to the ABC cheese co-operative of 1891, the first in New South Wales. Look up from Bate Street: Gulaga is sacred to the Yuin people, and was handed back to them in 2006.
Afternoon
Narooma: Bar Rock and Australia RockSeethe lookout·the breakwall·Montague Island offshore
Narooma sits on Wagonga Inlet, and from Bar Rock Lookout you see the breakwalls and Montague Island out at sea. A steep staircase goes down to Australia Rock, a hole in the cliff shaped like the mainland. Walk the breakwall and you will usually find fur seals resting on the rocks.

Sleeping here · Narooma, night 5. Stay in the town, above Wagonga Inlet, within walking distance of the water. Pick a motel, which suits a single night between two longer stops. It suits drivers who want an early start, or a morning boat to Montague Island. Watch the summer holidays, when the south coast fills. We have no Narooma guide yet.

Drive: 216 km via Eden and Central Tilba · about 3 hours without stops
Stay: Narooma — the town above the inlet
Eat: Narooma — the town centre; lunch in Central Tilba
Check: The Killer Whale Museum closes at 3.45pm (2.45pm on Sundays)

Day 6Narooma to Jervis Bay — up the south coast176 km · about 2¾ hoursPrinces Highway Batemans Bay Huskisson

A short drive north, which leaves the morning free for a boat to Montague Island, if you have booked one.

Morning
North up the Princes Highway
The drive is 69 km to Batemans Bay, then 106 km to Huskisson. If you have booked Montague Island, go first: licensed charters from Narooma land you for about an hour and a half with a park guide, among the state’s largest fur seal colony, with whales in season. Morning tours leave about 8am and take three and a half to four hours, sea permitting.
Midday
Batemans BaySeethe Clyde River·the waterfront
We slept here on the bike ride, and it is a good place to break the drive by the mouth of the Clyde River. North of here we found the highway busier, with traffic heading for Sydney and the beaches, so expect more of it before a weekend.
Afternoon
HuskissonSeethe wharf·Currambene Creek·the bay
Jervis Bay is a broad, sheltered bay of clear water, and Huskisson is its town: the wharf where the cruises leave, a creek full of boats and the bay at the end of the street.

Sleeping here · Jervis Bay, nights 6 and 7. Stay in Huskisson, where the cruises leave, or in Vincentia, a few minutes south and nearer the national park. Pick a holiday apartment or house. It suits two beach days with little driving. In summer and the school holidays, beds go early: book this base first. We have no Jervis Bay guide yet.

Drive: 176 km via Batemans Bay · about 2¾ hours without stops
Stay: Jervis Bay — Huskisson or Vincentia, first of two nights
Eat: Huskisson — the main street and the wharf
Check: Montague Island tours run on minimum numbers and sea conditions; book with the operator

Day 7Jervis Bay — dolphins, white sand and a national parkshort drives within the bayDolphin cruise Hyams Beach Booderee

A day on the water and the sand, in a bay known for its white beaches and, its cruise operators say, a resident pod of dolphins.

Morning
A dolphin cruise from HuskissonSeethe bay·the dolphins
The cruise operators say more than a hundred bottlenose dolphins live in the bay and that it is very common to see them close. Humpback whales pass from May to November.
Midday
The White Sands Walk to Hyams BeachSeeHyams Beach·Greenfield Beach·the Scribbly Gum track
Hyams is the beach people come to photograph: very white sand and clear, pale water. The national parks service grades the White Sands Walk from Greenfield Beach at 2.5 km, with some short, steep hills; return by the Scribbly Gum track. In summer the village gridlocks, so walk in rather than drive.
Afternoon
Booderee National ParkSeeMurrays Beach·the lighthouse ruins
The southern headland of the bay is Booderee, a national park on land owned by the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community. Drive to Murrays Beach for a swim in sheltered water, and walk to the ruins of the Cape St George lighthouse on the ocean side.

Drive: Short drives within the bay · Murrays Beach is about 20 km from Huskisson
Stay: Jervis Bay — second of two nights
Eat: Hyams Beach village for lunch; Huskisson in the evening
Check: Booderee vehicle pass $20 a day: buy it online; the park says its entry station is currently closed

Day 8Jervis Bay to Sydney — by the Grand Pacific Drive185 km · about 3¼ hoursKiama Wollongong Sea Cliff Bridge Sydney

The last day leaves the Princes Highway for the coast road into Sydney: the most dramatic stretch, and, as far as Thirroul, ground we know by bike.

Early morning
North to Kiama
Up the highway past Nowra and off to the coast at Kiama, 64 km.
Morning
The Kiama BlowholeSeethe blowhole·the lighthouse·the harbour
In Kiama the sea is forced up through a hole in the rock headland and bursts into the air with a roar. It is at its most impressive when the swell runs from the south-east. There are viewing platforms and a fenced area by the lighthouse; on a calm day, expect less.
Midday
Wollongong harbour and the coast pathSeethe harbour·the lighthouses·the path north
We rode the cycle path from Kiama to Wollongong and found the harbour a genuinely nice spot, which surprised us: we had pictured it as purely industrial. A superb path follows the coast north from here through Bulli to Thirroul. Have lunch by the harbour.
Afternoon
The Sea Cliff BridgeSeethe bridge·the walkway·the coast north
North of Thirroul the Grand Pacific Drive swings out from the cliffs on the Sea Cliff Bridge, opened in 2005 to replace a road closed by rockfalls. Park nearby and walk across it: the cliffs above, the ocean below. In the migration season it is a good place to watch for whales.
Late afternoon
Into Sydney
Climb to Bald Hill above Stanwell Park for a last view south, then drive on into the city. Drop the car before the rush hour.

Drive: 185 km via Kiama, Wollongong and the Sea Cliff Bridge · about 3¼ hours without stops
Eat: Wollongong harbour for lunch
Check: The car’s drop-off time in Sydney

Four bases without a guide of their own yet

Lakes Entrance, Mallacoota, Narooma and Jervis Bay have no where-to-stay or where-to-eat guide on this site yet, so their days name the areas without links. The sleeping advice in each day is ours; for individual places, use the tourism bodies linked at the foot of the page. Phillip Island has its own guide.

What writers and artists have made of it

In early 1910 Henry Lawson spent some weeks at Mallacoota with the poet E.J. Brady, who remembered the two of them standing together by the bar, the shifting sands where the inlet meets the sea, and dated a poem he called “Mallacoota Bar” to about 1911. Lawson’s collected poem about the bar there is titled “The Bar”; we have not confirmed they are one poem. It begins: “We tried to get over the Bar today”. Stand at that water and you will see why the crossing earned a poem.

Pause and notice · Bastion Point, Mallacoota, day 4

Stand on the point as the light goes, the inlet behind you, the sea ahead. Behind, the water is flat and the forest comes down to it. In front, the swell breaks on the bar, sand that keeps moving and sometimes closes the inlet altogether. Listen to both: the hush of the lake and the steady noise of the surf. A boat bound for the sea must cross that line, and the channel still shifts in position and depth. Stay until you cannot tell the water from the sky.

The route at a glance

Five bases, seven nights
Base	Nights	The leg in	What these nights are for	Pressure
Phillip Island	1	141 km from Melbourne, about 2 hours	The Penguin Parade without a night drive	A timed, booked evening
Lakes Entrance	1	306 km via Sale, about 4½ hours	The lakes, the surf beach and fish by the quay	The longest drive; one night
Mallacoota	2	225 km via Marlo and Cann River, about 3¼ hours	A day out of the car on the inlet and the wilderness coast	Low; book ahead in the summer holidays
Narooma	1	216 km via Eden and Central Tilba, about 3 hours	Seals on the breakwall; a boat to Montague Island	One night; the island depends on the sea
Jervis Bay	2	176 km via Batemans Bay, about 2¾ hours	Dolphins, white beaches and Booderee	Summer beds go early

Distances and times without stops from OpenStreetMap routing, 28 October 2026. The last day, Jervis Bay to Sydney by the coast, is 185 km.

The shape of the route

The route rounds the south-eastern corner of the continent. It starts on Phillip Island for one night, crosses Gippsland to Lakes Entrance for one, and runs east, mostly inland through forest, to Mallacoota for two. There it turns north into New South Wales and keeps close to the sea from Eden, to Narooma for one night and Jervis Bay for two, then takes the coast road into Sydney: about 1,250 km, against 840 to 870 km on the Hume.

Route map of Melbourne to Sydney via the Princes Highway: from Melbourne south-east to 1 Phillip Island (1 night), east across Gippsland to 2 Lakes Entrance (1 night), on through Marlo and Cann River to 3 Mallacoota (2 nights), north through Eden and Central Tilba to 4 Narooma (1 night) and 5 Jervis Bay (2 nights), then by Kiama and the Sea Cliff Bridge to Sydney. — The five numbered bases and their nights. Notice the inland stretch before Mallacoota, and the coast from Eden north. Lines are simplified; not a navigation map.

Before you commit

The hardest move is day 2: 306 km and about four and a half hours of driving without stops, after an evening at the penguins. Take a proper break at Sale, and arrive at Lakes Entrance in daylight.

The booking that shapes the route is the car, then the beds at Jervis Bay. A one-way hire usually carries an extra charge, as a fee or in the daily rate; forum posters put it at A$200 to A$300, and we found no hire company publishing a figure. Get a quote for your dates, and check the insurance. In summer, book Jervis Bay first, and the Penguin Parade as soon as you know your date.

What this route leaves out is Wilsons Promontory. Our Melbourne reviewer advised keeping it for a loop from Melbourne rather than squeezing it into a trip to Sydney, and it is a detour of a day.

It is not all coast. East of Lakes Entrance the Princes Highway runs inland through forest for long stretches; riding it east of Nowa Nowa we found serious hills, and again north of Eden. North of Batemans Bay the traffic builds towards Sydney. Expect a coast reached at the stops, not one seen from the car all day.

Bushfire. The local advice we were given was blunt: the biggest hassle is bushfire, so avoid the hot months from December to February. In New South Wales the statutory bush fire danger period runs from 1 October to 31 March; in Victoria the CFA declares it district by district, and in East Gippsland it began on 27 October in 2025.

Check the fire danger rating for each day’s area on VicEmergency and the NSW RFS before you set out. On a Catastrophic day the fire services advise leaving bushfire risk areas, and the forest east of Lakes Entrance is one.

Driving at dusk. Kangaroos and wallabies are most likely on the road at dawn and dusk, and after the penguins you are driving in the dark on the island. Plan each day to arrive in daylight, slow down where the signs warn of animals, and brake rather than swerve.

With children. The penguin boardwalks have ramps and pram parking, and a child’s General Viewing ticket is $17. The Killer Whale Museum charges $5 for children, nothing for under-fives. The White Sands Walk has short, steep hills, so a backpack beats a pushchair; so does the staircase to Australia Rock. Montague Island, with a ladder landing and a climb to the lighthouse, is not for young children. Day 2 is long for small ones: break it at Sale.

Make it yours

In a hurry: fly, or take the Hume. If you do not have a week, fly. By road, the Hume is about 840 to 870 km, depending on the source, and far quicker; we have driven it several times and it has little to see. For mountains and the national capital instead of the coast, take our Melbourne to Sydney via Canberra, which leaves this route at Cann River.

Whale season: a night in Eden. From September to November, take Narooma’s night at Eden instead, and catch a morning whale-watching cruise from the wharf before driving on to Jervis Bay on day 6. Day 6 then grows to about 307 km, through Central Tilba and Narooma.

Slower: a third night at Jervis Bay or Mallacoota. At Mallacoota, a boat to Gabo Island and its lighthouse needs a calm day; at Jervis Bay, a whole day in Booderee.

Reverse it. It works from Sydney too, as the tourism bodies publish it. Book the Penguin Parade for your last night, and drive back to Melbourne the next morning.

If the route slips

The fixed points are the Penguin Parade on the first evening and the car’s drop-off in Sydney. Everything between them is flexible.

A fire or a road closure in East Gippsland or on the south coast: follow VicEmergency, VicTraffic, the NSW RFS and Live Traffic NSW, and wait for the road rather than looking for a back way through the forest.
Weather on the water: Mallacoota’s boats and Montague Island both depend on it. Swap the boat for the coast walks; drop the island and leave Narooma earlier.
Running late: cut Cape Conran from day 3, then Central Tilba from day 5. Neither is booked, and nothing else depends on them.
Losing a night: give up Narooma’s, and drive Mallacoota to Jervis Bay in one day, about 390 km. Keep the second night at Mallacoota if you can.

A final word on Melbourne to Sydney via the Princes Highway

With two days, fly. With eight, this is the way to see the edge of the south-east: penguins in the surf, a lake town’s fish and chips, a day of stillness at Mallacoota, and a coast road that ends on a bridge over the sea.

Andrew + Margaret

Australia itineraries Overview
Melbourne to Sydney via Canberra Journeys
Phillip Island Highlight
Melbourne Overview
Sydney Overview
Getting around Australia Practical
Perth to Sydney by bike Journeys
Melbourne to Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road Journeys
Two Bays and the Prom: a 6-day loop Journeys

Useful elsewhere

Phillip Island Nature Parks — the Penguin Parade Booking
Parks Victoria — Croajingolong National Park Official
Booderee National Park — passes Official
Visit Gippsland — Mallacoota and East Gippsland Official
Visit NSW — the South Coast Official
CFA — fire danger ratings Safety
NSW RFS — fire information Safety
Henry Lawson, “The Bar” (Mallacoota) — AustLit Reading