by A Mindful Traveler

A Road trip from Melbourne to Sydney – Part 1…

I am very fortunate to be born into a large family! Having relatives in Sydney, we are able to visit this beautiful city more often than not!

A few weeks ago, we travelled to Paramatta (Western Sydney) to celebrate my cousin’s wedding day.

Our mode of transport……our car! Yes, an eight-and-a-half-hour road trip, (longer when stopping) with my fam!

Usually when driving to Sydney, we try to leave home before 6am, enabling us to stop at the Victoria/ New South Wales border (a three-and-a-half-hour drive) for breakfast. On this road trip, I discovered a bakery in the town of Albury over the internet, and decided to break our journey there. Nord Bakery in South Albury offers traditional Northern European freshly baked scrumptious breads and pastries. You will instantly be tempted by the warm and inviting smells of the croissants, breads, scrolls and tarts when you enter this quaint little shop. Nord is definitely worth the visit if you are ever in Albury.

Further along the Hume Highway, half way between Melbourne to Sydney, we stopped at the Australian iconic landmark of “The Dog on the Tuckerbox”. Five miles north of the town of Gundagai, this popular tourist attraction was created in the early 1900s from an Australian poem, that honoured the loyal dogs who accompanied the early pioneer settlers and guarded their possessions, in the 1800s. Today, visitors can purchase souvenirs and enjoy refreshments from the café and utilise the surrounding tranquil picnic areas with restrooms.

Our lunch break was spent in the town of Goulburn, home to The Big Merino. This popular tourist attraction was built in recognition of the Australian Wool Industry and this massive concrete Merino Ram stands at 15.2 metres in height. Selling souvenirs and of course, high quality woollen knitwear, you can also invest in cosmetics and natural lanolin products too.

In spite of such a long distance, the relaxing drive along the Hume Highway is straightforward and easy. Sharing the driving and observing the peaceful surroundings of country Victoria and New South Wales, is actually quite pleasant. Personally, this road trip enabled me to appreciate and reflect upon the beauty of this wonderful country I proudly call home.  😊

 

Related Posts: 

A road trip from Melbourne to Sydney – Part 2

Images of Rural Victoria and New South Wales… a road trip in pictures.

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Link up and join #WanderfulWednesday here through Marcella at What a Wonderful World…

Mummy Travels

Link up with #CityTripping @ Mummy Travels

104 thoughts on “A Road trip from Melbourne to Sydney – Part 1…”

  5. So lovely … of course the bakery distracted me mightily … even though I am surrounded by the joys of all things pâtisserie and boulangère here I still lust and your pictures are stunning. And then the little dog and then the giant sheep and I am grateful for your lovely lilting meander which shows me how lovely that place is.

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  6. Yes, I remember the dog on the Tucker Box on a roadtrip we did years ago. We enjoyed Melbourne more than driving around Sydney way, my sister has lived in Wollongong for over 20 years! Weddings are always fun, as long as both parties turn up 🙂

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  9. The sense of anticipation when you start a road trip is such a wonderful feeling. I remember first seeing the dog on the tuckerbox in the 1970s when on a caravan holiday with my parents and brother and sister. Then, it was the only thing on the side of the road.

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  12. Hello Lorelle,
    What a lovely trip you took us on with you and your family.
    I love your photos and that Big Merino really is big when you see the car next to it!
    I’m glad you had a fun trip part 1 and the cafes look great. I research cafes too…it’s a very important stop over isn’t it!
    Thank you for making our country look awesome.
    All the best,
    Di 🙋🏻💐

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  14. Sounds like an interesting drive, Lorelle. The bakery where you stopped looks like had great choices for breakfast. I cannot imagine 8.5 hours drive to reach from one city to next in the same country, but I guess that’s how living in a huge country feels like 🙂 So great that there were interesting sights along the way!

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  15. Lorelle. Your post is full of lovely photos. Love the statue of Merino Ram. Gorgeous and unusual. I always collect this kind of rarities in my country. When seeing those bakery products, water came to language. 🙂

    Thank You for this lovely post.

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  16. That’s a beautiful post, such lovely pictures!! I can’t wait to read more of it…and for pictures from Sydney. I have been there once but It would be lovely seeing it through your eyes!

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  21. I am glad I read this because I am hoping to visit Australia next year. We will limit our stay to Sydney and Melbourne. It will be nice to drive from one place to another. I am sure we will not get bored. The drive is quite long but it looks amazing. #wanderfulwednesday

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  22. Aren’t big families the best!? I have a large extended family and it makes events like weddings so much fun! I enjoyed this glimpse into Australia. It’s somewhere I’ve never been, but have always wanted to visit.

    Love that giant statue of the Merino ram 😀 I just got a Merino wool sweater…it definitely wasn’t made in Australia, but I wonder if the wool came from there?! I know of Ugg, but do you know of any other Australian companies that make nice Merino sweaters? I’m determined to stay warm this winter!

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    1. They sure are the best! Glad you enjoyed a snippet of this beautiful country. You should definitely take a trip here….. I know it’s far though!
      Ugg is very popular indeed. I’m not sure of any other merino companies though. I’m not one to wear s lot of sweaters! Even in winter! You will definitely be needing one soon though! Our seasons are swapping. 😊

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  26. How to make someone want to visit somewhere; especially with rain clattering on the windows here, and an urge to eat something. This post has it all on the part!!

    It’s certainly written in a way that says you really enjoyed the road trip too; 8 hours is a proper test of that part!!

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  29. My mom and my sister are huge knitters- as in they spin and dye their own wool, weave it, knit it, and even teach knitting classes- and if they ever find out that there is a Merino Ram bigger than a small house, they will be on the first plane over there ASAP. I would love to take this road trip!! I’ve done the standard 14 hour road trip to Banff multiple times, and the 2-3 day drive to Toronto, and even one road trip across Ireland, but I’d love to do a long haul somewhere completely different!

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  39. That is quite a drive – it really puts into perspective how big Australia is, especially sitting in the UK where 8 1/2 h would have you falling off the edge. I do love the way road trips let you discover quirky little stops and lovely places you’d otherwise miss. Thanks for linking up with #citytripping and sharing

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