Best ACT Road Trips | Australian Traveller

Soak up the views in Lake George, discover the country town that was a former prisoner of war camp, hike to Gibraltar Falls, visit the home of Banjo Paterson and more on the best ACT road trip routes.

Canberra to Cowra, ACT/NSW

The drive from Canberra to Cowra will take just over two hours, but it’s well worth visiting this country town, which was a prisoner of war camp during World War II. The stunning Japanese gardens, cemetery and Australia’s World Peace Bell serve as constant reminders of the historic events that took place here.

To get there, take the Barton Highway for just over two hours, and then you’ll arrive in beautiful Cowra, where you can sample superb local food and wine and picturesque waterways.

Once you’re there, be sure to visit the gardens, the cemetery and ring the World Peace Bell to pay homage to that time in history. You should also check out the Cowra Heritage Walk, which covers a whopping 15 sites of historic interest. The Cowra Regional Art Gallery is also worth a visit, as are the wineries, where you can taste some of the state’s most promising wines. It’s Cowra’s climate, with warm days and cool nights that ensures the wine produced is top notch.

Canberra to Young round trip, ACT

This is a road trip that’ll have you stepping back in time, taking in quaint country towns like Berrima and Braidwood. Recommended as a four-day drive, it’s well worth choosing to spend your nights in charming colonial properties when you can, to properly soak in the theme of the trip.

First stop is Mittagong, where you can explore the stunning art galleries and antique stores of Bowral and Moss Vale. If you can, spend a night in Milton House to stay you’ve spent the night in one of the hotels with the most picturesque gardens in the country.

From there, you’ll head to Yass; the home of Banjo Paterson during his youth. This is rich sheep grazing country, and well worth taking the day to explore.

Next up, you’ll head straight to Young; aka Australia’s cherry capital. You can actually take part in the fruit picking between November and April, or you can drink the fruit, so to speak, at one of the wineries in the Hilltops wine region.

Canberra to Batemans Bay

Just a two-hour trip, heading to Batemans Bay for the day – or a long weekend, ideally – is the perfect getaway from a gloomy Canberra winter day, to seek a little sunshine. To get there just follow the Kings Highway towards the coast. Once you arrive, there are a number of things you can do, from a perusal of the weekend markets, to grabbing your bike and hitting the Batemans Bay cycleway.

For those who seek a little more adventure, why not go horseriding at Timbertops Horse Riding? Or check out Old Mogo Town; a nod to the 1850s gold mining era.

A drive down to nearby Pebbly Beach will see you making friends with tame kangaroos, and you can head to the Botanic Gardens and use the BBQ facilities to set up an all-day hangout with the family.

Canberra to Batemans Bay road trip — Spend a long weekend in beautiful Batemans Bay.

Canberra to Gibraltar Falls, ACT

More like a day trip, the journey to Gibraltar Falls won’t take you very long – but it’s worth dedicating a day to. Once you park, it’s only a short walk to Gibraltar Falls, but once there you’ll often find that you’re completely alone in the magnificent setting. Once there you can get right up close to the waterfall and the rock face, as well as the long drop down – so be careful.

It’s highly recommended that you take with you a picnic and enjoy the day gazing over the lookout. Bring your swimmers, too – as it’s perfectly okay to swim in the pools near the lookout at the top of the falls. But be careful – the water isn’t fast flowing but the rocks can be slippery and icy.

The other highlight is the Falls’ indigenous history. Be sure to explore the rock shelter and stone artefacts that can be found around the Gibraltar Valley for a look back at the Indigenous habitation of the area.

Take a day trip from Canberra to swim at Gibraltar Falls.

Canberra to Sydney

When travelling the three hours to Sydney, it’s important to have an idea of the places worth stopping off. When you start your journey, do yourself a favour and stop off at Goulburn’s famous Trapper’s Bakery and fuel up with one of their delicious chunky beef pies. Wash it down with a smooth coffee from their café.

From there, head to Lake George to take advantage of some of the incredibly scenic lookouts, including Weereewa Lookout, which allows you to take in the entirety of Lake George. There are also a few scattered picnic tables if you wish to take a longer break.

Before heading into Sydney city, it’s worth pulling in to Bowral to take in this quaint country town. With an increasingly cosmopolitan high street, Bowral’s houses and restaurants still maintain a lot of country charm the town has always had. The antique shops are also worth a visit, to pick up a rare souvenir.

road trip canberra to sydney — Take your time getting from Canberra to Sydney.

Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.

In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.

Day 1

the pool at Pullman Bunker Bay — Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.

There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.

Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.

Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.

Day 2

After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.

Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.

Day 3

Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.

With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.

Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.

Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay . Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.

For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up , courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.

Day 4

Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.

Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines . Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.

If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering , where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.

Day 5

pair'd Grand Tasting — Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)

Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.

Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines . Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.

Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.

Day 6

Ngilgi Cave western australia — Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)

After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.

Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.

Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.

Day 7

Burnt Ends event at Pair'd — Farewell the Margaret River.

Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.

Prebook your discovery journey through the south-west corner of Western Australia with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

The best road trips in the ACT