How I got there: We drove from Merimbula to Sydney and took the road most travelled by, i.e., the scenic route!! Even though this route adds around an hour to the journey, this was totally worth it. We passed by many heritage villages and had lunch and coffee in epic places. I would recommend you do this road trip, even if you are travelling further south to Melbourne.
Total duration: The total distance of this route from Merimbula to Sydney is around 440 KM, but this road trip takes about 8 hours, with a big lunch break and other small, short breaks in between to do some sightseeing. Expect around 20-30 km deviation if you want to visit the places that I had been to (which you definitely should!). This is an easy drive with epic views, make sure you keep checking the maps as google might shift to the other route without giving you notice!
Traffic light for children: Green
About the place:
1. First stop, Bega Valley Lookout
The first stop that we made was in Bega Valley. Due to Covid restrictions, the Heritage Cheese Center was closed, but the views from the valley are definitely worth it. The lookout is right on the highway, you cannot miss it. Park your cars and take in the views! Stretches and Stretches of lush greenery and cattle grazing in the grasslands.
2. Second Stop, Corunna Lake, Narooma Region
This lake is close to the highway and is a picnic/rest stop. You pass by this lake while driving, it looked really beautiful as the lake was surrounded by lush green surroundings, hence we stopped here. The lake is really worth the stop, I wish we could have had a picnic in here, but since we had not packed anything, we just stayed here about 5-10 minutes before heading back. Very peaceful, amongst spotted gum trees and birds.
3. Third stop, Apex Park Lookout, Narooma
Narooma looks really good in the pictures and this is definitely on my list of places to visit. Although we couldn't go to Narooma, given it was a big deviation, my husband saw a sign of a scenic lookout and drive with about 10 kms deviation and we just took the deviation and took that turn. It was really worth it! The beach and lookout were lovely and peaceful and there was no one here which added on to the excitement!
4. Fourth Stop, Bodalla Cheese Factory for lunch
Bodalla is a sweet little heritage village with a world-famous cheese factory. This was one of the highlights of the trip. The cheese factory is so great, with really creative decor which are embellished by the crux of the city, i.e., cattle! You can easily spend a few hours here, we spent about an hour, eating delicious ice creams and cheese toasties, and admiring the décor and the factory. The factory has a huge backyard, with breathtaking views of the valley.
5. Fifth Stop, Mogo for coffee
Mogo was established in the 1800s during the gold rush. As soon as you pass by this town, you just automatically feel like making a stop here. With rustic hippie signs greeting you, to authentic coffee to cool junkyards and antique stores, this town is a wonder! It is a heritage town, so every single shop you look at, you will want to photograph. We walked past all the stores and the lolly shop, and the famous ice cream parlour. The highlight for me was the rustic coffee van, which is close to an antique store. Remarkable decor in the coffee shop, you sure do get the 70s hippie vibe from the town.
6. Sixth Stop, Mollymook Beach It was a cloudy day when we did the road trip, so we didn’t expect the typical Aussie Blue Beach, but boy were we wrong! On a cloudy day, if the beach looks like this, then imagine on a bright sunny day ! I did not have an intention of playing in the beach but just looking at how wonderful the beach was, I went straight in and played with the waves. The waves were really lovely, and the sand felt lovely on my foot. I would definitely go back to Mollymook and spend a few days here!
7. Last stop before Sydney, Lake Conjola
While getting back from Mollymook and in the Shoalhaven region, we passed by an wonderful lake which made us take the 15 km deviation to visit the Holiday Haven Caravan Park. I am glad we made the deviation because Lake Conjola is truly idyllic. Although it is more popular with fishermen and boatmen, this piece of earth is really worth visiting. We passed by wild wallabies close to the lake and spotted a sting ray awfully close to the shore! This little guy just popped out of nowhere while we were standing and marvelling at the views. Epic end to an epic road trip!
And then we got back home to Sydney and passed by the usual places in the South Coast, and amongst the southern highlands towns like Berry and Wollongong but didn’t make any stops here. The best thing was that we did not carry many snacks, so it wasn't a road trip filled with junk food
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