Melbourne to sydney 2011

Ah, brings back memories. I biked Melbourne to Sydney back in 1994. If I remember correctly, the last day or two ride into Sydney was a bit challenging due to busy roads. Enjoy the journey!

Dave

How much time have you given yourself for the trip? Do you intend to make any longer stops? The most direct route would be to use the Hume Highway. A distance of ~ 900+ km. The other route would be the coastal route that would take you through all the coastal towns. The road surface isn't too bad, but there usually isn't a shoulder to ride on. There are also some very steep climbs and some even faster descents. I recall riding to Eden (onthe coastal road) and there was a hill that took me up to 104km/h. Very scary. In Victoria, you will have to ride through Gippsland. It is windy, very windy. In the wet season, it gets very wet. You might see the Melbourne Desalination Plant under construction if you use this route. I reckon the roads around Wonthaggi will be packed with large trucks due to the construction as well.
The coastal route is certainly more interesting with lots of little towns on the way, but it is much longer and could be more dangerous.
The direct route using the Hume highway is used more frequetly. Wide shoulder, good road surface, quite a number of stops. Main towns along the way include Albury/Wondonga and Wangaratta. Probalby worth a longer stop in Wangaratta. take a short detour into Beachworth, Bright, Mt Beauty and Falls Creek. Nice scenery and good climbs.

Have a good ride
Jon