[benu9714]

How much can you see of a country more than twice the size of India in just 15 days?

Not much, just a slice. We opted for South-east Australia, from Sydney to Melbourne, via hilly country. Another option would have been to drive North from Sydney towards Brisbane and take in the Gold Coast, but as we are not beach-lovers we opted for the mountains.

Here’s our route.

Route Map


My wife and I love driving. We have driven in many countries so far and hope to do more. By choice we avoid big cities and seek out nature – mountains, lakes, sea coasts (not beaches). We rent a car and just drive, avoiding highways as far as possible, and ambling along country roads to places where most people don’t go.

We started from a big city because that’s where the airport is. Sydney is quite large and there’s a lot to see. On day-1 we walked and walked, about 14 KM by our reckoning (20,000 steps by our Fitbit), covering as much as we could. The starting point was the picturesque Darling Harbour with all kinds of boats, including a retired warship.

Walking in Sydney is much more pleasant than, say, in New York or Bangalore, mainly because there are far fewer people and many choices for a coffee break when your legs protest too much.

A lovely place to stop was Hyde Park whose focal point is the Archibald fountain. Another great sight is the Botanical Gardens where we took a shuttle ride followed by a long walk right around the garden to the Lady Macquaire’s chair, a seat cut into a sandstone block by convicts 200 years ago, which is a lovely lookout point.

Oh yes, we did see the Opera House and the Harbour bridge.

View of Sydney Opera House from Harbour Bridge


Here’s a picture of both of them together, taken from a vantage point in the Botanical garden.

Sydney Combo


We collected our car, a Toyota Rav-4, 4 cyl 2 liter 6 speed auto, with nice add-ons such as reactive cruise control. All right, since some of you will ask – 14.5 KMPL, over 2,500 KM.

Our Wheels


Australian roads are excellent - no bumps or potholes, clear markings, ample directions. There are 5 basic types of roads: M (Motorway), A (main artery), B (inner road), C (minor road) and unsealed (gravel). Motorways and A roads are mostly 2 lane roads with many overtaking lanes, and large trucks, including road-trains, and business vehicles like to travel as fast as legally possible, and you have to get out of the way. Traffic is quite sparse, and speed limits are a little high on the B and C roads, but one has to be careful not to over speed because fines are heavy.

There are warning signs of wildlife crossing the road and we frequently came across dead wombats and kangaroos by the roadside. Driving at dusk is avoidable because that is when these creatures come out to feed. If you hit one of them at speed you are sure to kill it, and your car will be damaged too.

Down to the valley


Drive or stop?


Definitely stop


Tree canopy


Typical C Road


First stop – Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains – aptly named

Blue Mountain view


Three Sisters at Echo Point


A bit about where we stayed: mostly in smaller hotels, but quite a bit in B&Bs, especially rural ones. Many hotels have a guest laundry, and a little planning can cut down on the amount of clothes you need to carry. We booked ahead online, almost always with the provision of free cancellation up to 48 hours before the intended date of stay.

Food in Australia is quite English/Scottish in nature – fish and chips, lamb, beef and salmon (Tasmanian). Most hotels provide a free breakfast - continental or “full” (including eggs, bacon and sausage) – bigger hotels in a standard buffet style and smaller hotels and B&Bs where the food is served in the room. Portions are quite large, restaurant prices are around Rs. 1,000 for a main course, and service is always excellent with a smile! Tips are not compulsory, and you can tip 10% if you are happy.

Canberra, the capital. Sorry we weren’t enamored by the city, but its design is charming. We weren’t interested in seeing what our local friends strongly recommended (the interior of the Parliament building) and instead drove to the top of a hill (Mount Ainslie lookout) from where you can get a 360 degree view and understand why the city has been laid out the way it is.

Canberra viewed from Mount Ainslie lookout


We got out of the city and stayed a night south of Canberra near the Namadgi National Park bordering Kosciuszko National Park where we drove to see the beautiful Gibraltar falls and Corin Dam. This (hard to find) road was a lovely drive - a climbing hill road which is actually a dead end, but immaculately maintained and sign-posted.

Corin Dam


Gibraltar falls


Jindabyne (Snowy Mountains) next, to our hotel by the lake side. Really relaxing to sit on the open verandah in the evening, watching the colors slowly change on the lake and the surrounding hills.

Jindabyne Lake


Jindabyne Lake at sunset


Hilly drive to Perisher, so named because the intrepid explorer who first ventured there nearly perished. The road up the mountain offers very nice views of the valleys and lakes around, more enjoyed by the co-passenger because your eyes need to be firmly set on the road.

Australia is dotted with National Parks where the best views of nature are to be found, and you need a pass to enter (basically pay an entry fee). It makes a lot more sense to buy a one-month pass than buy daily passes at each park.

We had to rent snow chains, here’s why..

First glimpse of snow


Skiiers at Perisher in Snowy Mountains


The road beyond Perisher, to Charlotte pass, was closed due to unseasonal snow! We were surprised to see skiers and chair-cars fully in action in Spring! Then, we drove to Thredbo, another skiing center, but didn’t find much to see. The roads in Thredbo were narrow with more traffic.

Birds of Australia, and the Koala, of course.

Silver gulls in Phillip Island


Emu


Is this a crow?


Black swans in Gippsland Lakes


Peacocks


Gulls in St Kilda, Victoria


Koala


Waterfalls abound. Some are hard to get to, others are easy walks. We were grateful for the notices at every place telling us how far we would have to walk, and how easy or difficult the path was.

I cannot finish without talking a bit about the people of Australia. Everyone, and that means everyone, is very friendly and helpful. Complete strangers passing by you on a walking path will smile, wish you and have a chat about how far the waterfall is or how difficult the path is. We met an elderly couple on our driving route, got to talking, had coffee together, and before we parted, we were invited to stay with them on our next trip.

Also noteworthy is the attitude of people with authority. The guy at Hertz told me that he had reduced the rental on my car by AUD 100 (Rs 5,000) by re-configuring the way my rental plan had been set up. At a waterfall, one uniformed guy informed us that we needed a National Park pass for our car. When we professed ignorance about the rules, he smiled and said that he wouldn’t fine us, but please could we get a pass before we enter the next National Park. Not the behavior one expects from his Indian counterpart!

Agnes Falls


To wrap up..

Fancy a walk on the pier?


Lakes Entrance lookout


View from Reid Plateau


The Nobbies boardwalk at Phillip Island

[ani_meher]

Nice to see the land down under. You can always post follow-up posts adding more photos. 2L engine giving 14.5 KMPL! Hyundai's half sized engines manage to give half of this (assuming it was petrol). How much were the speed limits?

[benu9714]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

How much were the speed limits?

110 on Motorways, 90-100 on A roads, 80 on B roads and 60 on C roads.

Yes, 14.5 was a good average considering that Rav-4 is a mid-size (petrol) SUV and I drove only little on motorways and A roads, and a lot on hills and B/C roads where the car didn't get into 6th gear.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Nice to see the land down under. You can always post follow-up posts adding more photos. 2L engine giving 14.5 KMPL! Hyundai's half sized engines manage to give half of this (assuming it was petrol). How much were the speed limits?

That is mainly due to the good roads and relatively lighter and smoother traffic.

My 5.7 Hemi gives me 8 kmpl here in Dubai. My 1.8 iVtec back in Mumbai gives me 6.5 kmpl!

A Hyundai Tucson 2.0 (petrol) here typically gives about 11~12 kmpl here.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues Section. Thanks for sharing!

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by benu9714

Canberra, the capital. Sorry we weren’t enamored by the city, but its design is charming. We weren’t interested in seeing what our local friends strongly recommended (the interior of the Parliament building) and instead drove to the top of a hill (Mount Ainslie lookout) from where you can get a 360 degree view and understand why the city has been laid out the way it is.

Agree with your views about Canberra. It felt quite boring and quiet, not what we are used to. In saying that, I have former colleagues who moved to Canberra for work, and seem happy there.

Originally Posted by benu9714

Jindabyne (Snowy Mountains) next, to our hotel by the lake side. Really relaxing to sit on the open verandah in the evening, watching the colors slowly change on the lake and the surrounding hills.

Jindabyne Lake
Attachment 1931546

We did a snow trip to Thredbo around June-July and stayed at the Ridges at Jindabyne. The lake views are quite something altogether.

Originally Posted by benu9714

Is this a crow?
Attachment 1931544

That's actually a magpie. They are infamous for swooping attacks on humans. Has happened to me twice.

[tazmaan]

Great trip and good you decided to drive. There is lot more to see than the big cities in Australia.

I studied in Australia back in 2006-07. I just had a vacation down under for 21 days in April 2019. Its funny I found Australia congested but I guess was expecting it to be how it was 10 years back.

We decided to Drive from Alice Springs to Uluru which was one of the best drives I have ever had. Overtaking a truck train on a 2 lane highways is an experience I will never forget. Fitting Luggage in car with 2 car seats is a task not to mention loading and unloading activities.

My favorite place in Australia would still be the Great Ocean Drive region.

My rides

Mitshubishi Lancer at Alice Springs (Had booked an Elantra but was not available)





GLC in Melbourne



My ride as student in 2007 a 1989 Nissan Pintara

[arjithin]

Nicely written. Why didnt you do great ocean drive when you reached all the way to Melbourne?

[benu9714]

Originally Posted by arjithin

Nicely written. Why didnt you do great ocean drive when you reached all the way to Melbourne?

We didn't have enough time for it - only one day in Melbourne

[benbsb29]

If interested, here are logs of our travels exploring the Australian outback.

Travelogue 1 (Our venture at exploring the Australian Outback)
Travelogue 2 (Our second venture at exploring the Australian Outback)

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by benu9714

How much can you see of a country more than twice the size of India in just 15 days?
Not much, just a slice. We opted for South-east Australia, from Sydney to Melbourne, via hilly country......

Lovely photologue benbsb29! We touched Australian ports many times during my tenure with Mitsui, but this gives a wonderful feel about the vastness, the fabulous landscapes of that country.

I came across the following snippet about the latest "cannonball run" record : 28hrs-25min from N.Y. to L.A. a distance of 2825 miles, averaging 103 miles per hour. Should be of interest for those keen on setting records!

https://fox6now.com/2019/12/04/canno...rs-25-minutes/