The Australian Bureau of Stats has the info and it’s official, when Aussies move interstate we prefer to move to Victoria.
This might be a bit of shock to Sydneysiders, after all, our city is still the largest in the country by a fair margin. Nevertheless, an estimated 500 of us move to Melbourne every week. Perhaps you’re thinking they’re onto something.
So, if you’re packing up, renting a truck and driving yourself and the family to move south, you’re in for a bit of a journey. The main route, of course, is the Hume Highway (M31) – a 850km straight shot clipping off the south-east corner of the continent.
Let’s take a look at what you can see along the route to break up your big one-way road trip.
Hume Highway Sydney-Melbourne: 6 things to see
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- The Big Merino – (195km from Sydney) Pretty it is not, but something you must visit – this striking 5-storey tall concrete sheep is perhaps the most famous of Australia’s “Big Things”. It’s an obligatory photo stop and Goulburn is a convenient fuel and snack spot too. There’s even a decent bakery across the road if you want to really dive into the ocker cliche and get a meat pie.
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- Dog on the Tuckerbox – (375km from Sydney) A short drive outside Gundagai, this statue of a cattledog sitting (or perhaps another word that rhymes with sitting) on his master’s lunchbox is part of Aussie folklore. The story goes that a bullock driver named Bill was just outside Gundagai and over lunch was recounting his life of endless bad luck only to find that as he’d been doing so, his dog had got in and ruined all the food. So, it’s the perfect spot for your own lunch – just keep an eye on the dog.
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- Two submarines – (490km from Sydney) Holbrook is a small town about 250km from the sea, so of course there’s a 2000-tonne submarine parked in the main street. The story is that the town is named after a famed WWI submarine commander, so a few years ago the town went looking for a sub of its very own and found the HMAS Otway up for grabs. Don’t mistake it for the other submarine just a bit further along though.
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- Cross the Murray River – (560km from Sydney) – Standing as Australia’s most complicated state border, the Murray meanders right between the twin cities of Albury NSW and Wodonga VIC. More symbolic than picturesque, the Spirit of Progress Bridge here spans Australia’s longest river – as will you at 110km/h. There’s not really anywhere to pull over, so if you want a photo it’s best to take it at Hume Dam about 20km east.
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- The Big Ned Kelly – (645km from Sydney) The most properly placed of several Big Neds scattered around Australia, this 6m statue looms over the small high country town of Glenrowan, Victoria. Not far away, Kelly and his gang made their armour, barricaded a pub and had their legendary 1880 shootout.
- Find serenity – (740km from Sydney) Bonnie Doon, the favoured holiday destination of the Kerrigans from the movie The Castle, is actually a real place. A village on the shores of Lake Eildon, there’s not a great deal to see in Bonnie Doon, but at least you can say you’ve been to the very spot that spawned the eternal line: “How’s the serenity?” It’s also a good staging point for the final 180km into Melbourne.
If you’ve not done the drive before, know that the Hume Highway is a good road all the way through. On-ramp to off-ramp, it is officially 840km long and much of it is posted at 110km/h. The countryside is largely farms and rolling hills. There’s not much in the way of slow, winding roads or hold-ups (usually). If you’re determined, you can easily do it in a day, or you could take your time and see a bit of the country.
Moving interstate? Looking for a reliable rental truck company in Sydney? The friendly experts at Southern Cross Truck Rentals will be happy to provide you with quotes, advice and options. Just contactus to find out more.
