Sydney to the South Coast, Canberra and Southern Highlands Drive

Fast facts

• A loop road from Sydney south to the coast, inland to Canberra, returning to Sydney via the Southern Highlands
• 750 km

Why drive it

This meandering drive gives you just a taste of the coast, the capital and the countryside. Take time to stop and admire spectacular coastal views, see dolphins swimming in the wild, enjoy a beer at a micro brewery or in a country pub, see the nation’s capital, stunning gardens and grand country homes.

The drive also takes you through emerging wine regions in the Shoalhaven and around Canberra. Delicious wines, sensational seafood and quality local produce are now being served up by innovative chefs throughout this area.

Along the way

Drive through eucalypt forests in the Royal National Park, the world’s second oldest national park.  Stop at Stanwell Tops to see hang gliders ride the thermals and admire the coastline to the south.

Be adventurous in Wollongong, where you can skydive onto the beach or play golf at Wollongong Golf Club.

Take a dolphin watch cruise at Jervis Bay, known for its pure white sands, national parks and marine life. Whale watching is also popular during the migration season from May to November.

Turn inland at Batemans Bay to pass through the historic village of Braidwood. You’ll see beautiful churches, old pubs and antique shops.

The nation’s capital, Canberra, is the next stop. The city is home to national monuments and important collections – Parliament House, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the Australian War Memorial.

Discover heritage villages, antique shops and beautiful formal gardens in the Southern Highlands, on your return journey back to Sydney.

Don’t miss

• Bald Hill Lookout, Stanwell Park to see the amazing hang gliders
• Five Islands Brewery for lunch and a boutique beer
• Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay for the whitest sands in the world
• Clyde River Oysters, Batemans Bay
• The award-winning Bungendore Wood Works Gallery
• Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre in Canberra
• Berrima, a preserved nineteenth-century town in the Southern Highlands