Sydney to Adelaide self drive in June - Sydney Forum - TripAdvisor

Sydney to Adelaide self drive in June - Sydney Forum - TripAdvisor

Sydney to Adelaide self drive in June
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Mark L
Singapore, Singapore
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Sydney to Adelaide self drive in June
25 Nov. 2014, 11:40 am




I have 14 days to do it, stopping in Canberra, Dinner Plain, Melbourne, GOR. I need suggestions for stopover at other towns and advise on driving during winter. Also pls advise on winter clothings as I come from the equator. I'm planning to stay a day or two at dinner plain. 

Will be traveling with my wife and 2 kids age 4 & 9.
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sasanqua
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11. Re: Sydney to Adelaide self drive in June
25 Nov. 2014, 9:46 pm

Hello Mark,

I'm assuming you'd like to see snow and that's why you've nominated Dinner Plain as a stop? We did that trip in July a few years back and it was great fun, but I would suggest a different way for two reasons. 

The Great Alpine Road from Dinner Plain to Bairnsdale-Sale-Melbourne is not that scenic. 

The other reason is that the road to Dinner Plain goes almost over the top of Mt Hotham and it's quite likely that you will drive through snow if late June. 

When we last did the trip in mid July, we got caught in a white out up there ( hard to tell where exactly the road actually is) and emerged with skiers crossing the road in front of us- the road runs right through the middle of the ski village. We were in a 4wd and accustomed to off road conditions and we found the drive challenging. The route I'll suggest as an alternative should present no driving problems. Chains are rarely needed except in the resort areas, although they are required to be carried on this route, unless you are in a 4wd. Maybe rent chains with car?

I would suggest that you spend 

a night or two in Canberra and take the kids to Questacon and perhaps a bike ride around the lake. 

The next stop could be Jindabyne, although you may struggle to find single night accommodation there ( it's sold mainly as weekend/5 and 7 night accommodation) Try Horizons. 

I'm assuming that you realise that staying anywhere near snow is expensive, although June is cheaper as usually not much snow. School holidays start around 26 June - prices will increase then.

Depending on what you want to do in the snow area would determine how long you spend in the area. You could spend a day in Thredbo ( 40 minute drive from Jindabyne) take the chairlift to the top, have hot chocolate up there, have a ride on the bobsled ( kids will LOVE this). Have a pizza out on the terrace in front of the slopes. Check out Thredbo.com.au. Everything there is expensive, but it's unique and fun. Chairlift prices etc are on the website. Early June there's likely to be little snow, late June there should definitely be some- quite a bit. 

Alternatively, from Jindabyne, you could do a day trip up to Mt Blue Cow. Drive to Bullocks Flat and catch the ski tube up ( train tunnelled through the mountain). There's a large restaurant at the top where you can sit and watch the skiers ( if there's enough snow). There's nothing else at Blue Cow and nothing much at Perisher either. Thredbo has more of a village atmosphere.

Leaving Jindabyne, continue on the Alpine Way through Thredbo, a sealed road that remains open all winter. Stop at Geehi Flat where there is a big mob of kangaroos which you can spend hours watching, it's just a picnic area- there are no shops, so stock up with sandwiches etc in Jindabyne ( Sundance Bakery). Continue on to Khancoban, Corryong, then the Murray Valley Highway, turning left just before Wodonga to take you to Beechworth. Overnight at Beechworth, an historic old gold town. Jindabyne to Beechworth is 280 klms, but is slow over the mountains as it's very curvy, but very scenic.

From Beechworth, make your way via Milawa ( wine, food) to the Melbourne freeway. The kids might like the giant Ned Kelly statue in Glenrowan ( Ned Kelly= famous bushranger finally cornered and captured in Glenrowan) . While you're in Melbourne you can go to the Old Melbourne Gaol and see the mask they made of his face after he'd been hanged. Then again, maybe too creepy for the kids! The freeway into Melbourne is pretty boring tbh ( about 3 hours)' but there really is no other approach that's any more interesting.

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TW_Yachtgal


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12. Re: Sydney to Adelaide self drive in June
26 Nov. 2014, 1:18 am

I can suggest that on the South Australian side you travel via Mt Gambier and visit the caves, feed the possums at the city caves and also visit the world heritage listed Naracoorte Caves... all very interesting for children.
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sasanqua
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13. Re: Sydney to Adelaide self drive in June
26 Nov. 2014, 8:13 pm

And on the Great Ocean Road, the town of Warrnambool has a real maritime atmosphere and is fantastic for kids. You could happily spend a couple of days there. Whale watching is June- September - there is a purpose built platform for watching. When we there, I didn't realise how thrilled I'd be to see a whale and ended up buying a new lens for my camera there just so I could take some photos.

Lake Pertobe Adventure Playground is fantastic and tbh, my kids thought the 12 Apostles were totally dull and just wanted to get back to the playground ASAP. We bought the makings of a picnic and stayed at the playground for hours.

There's also Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and Wildlife Reserve. They have a children's winter festival, but I think it would be in the school holidays ( July).

Robe, in SA, is a pretty town too ( near Mt Gambier).
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Mark L
Singapore, Singapore
Thank you all for the wonderful details you have given here. This will be really helpful to me to plan my travel. And I don't mind more info. I gtg now. Will will do my itenarary when I get back to this forum.
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sasanqua
Sydney
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15. Re: Sydney to Adelaide self drive in June
28 Nov. 2014, 3:18 pm


Just had a look at the Thredbo site and it seems the bobsled is only open during summer now (used to be 365 days/year) :::((((( Don't know is they keep it open til the snow gets heavy; you could ask them.

Also, there is a long weekend in June (Mon 8th next year) and this is the official start of the ski season. It's party time and expensive so avoid that weekend.
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Mark L
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16. Re: Sydney to Adelaide self drive in June
28 Nov. 2014, 6:04 pm




I'll be there probably in 29 May till 12 June. Since I want my family to experience the snow, I thinking of reversing the trip, from Adelaide to Sydney instead. What holiday is that on 8th June?


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17. Re: Sydney to Adelaide self drive in June
28 Nov. 2014, 6:42 pm

It will be the Queens Birthday weekend you can expect to pay a premium price for accommodation on that long weekend. I believe it is when the snow season officially starts.

Good luck with your trip.
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sasanqua
Sydney

It really is all in the lap of the weather gods. You are only talking a week's difference and there's no way of knowing whether a big dump will come that way that week. The snow (usually) doesn't start falling consistently til July, so really, I don't think it matters too much.

There will be a very different flavour to visiting the ski area pre and post the June long weekend. Before, it will be quiet, still in last minute maintenance mode, no lifts open at Perisher Blue, and I think the skitube wouldn't be open either. Thredbo will have the Crackenback chairlift operating (for pedestrians) and maybe the bobsled. There's also an aquatic centre there (open all year round) and tennis courts. You could have a nice couple of days there in late May, but it is very quiet.The hotel there (Thredbo Alpine Hotel) is open all year and it has a couple of restaurants open. It will be much cheaper than the week after. There is likely to be snow at the top of the chairlift (from where you can walk out to Australia's highest mountain,a 13 klm loop, but not at this time of the year), but none in the village. You could walk a few hundred metres from the top of the chair, sticking at all times to the paved path, just to get a feel for the high country and see some more snow. If it's been cold enough, they would be making snow on the lower slopes for the long weekend - this would be accessible by foot. Many years ago, late in May, we sat on the golf course in the sunshine, with patches of snow about., having a picnic.Then again, it could be blizzarding!!! The weather down there, particularly at that time of the year, is extremely unpredictable and can change rapidly (hence staying on the paved path in case of a white out, so you can find your way back).

The week after, things will be much busier, more expensive, and if they have been making snow, there will be some limited skiing. There won't be much difference in temperature etc. It is the ski season, albeit the off peak time.

I'd probably stick to Sydney-Adelaide, and hit Jindabyne/Thredbo early June. I think for the extra you're paying post the June long weekend, it's not worth it. The area has a tranquillity that's lost once the ski season starts. However, it depends what you're looking for.

You'll enjoy yourselves, whatever you decide and whatever the weather ends up producing.
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