Drving from Sydney to Melbourne?

Travel Info
We are a group of six person and plan to travel to Sydney middle of Jan. We will stay there for ten days and plan to rent a car there. Can someone suggest an itininery for us to drive from Sydney to Melbourne and then back to Sydney again... or do you think drive to Melbourne and fly back by air will be a better option?

May i know which stop cannot miss between the two cities? And what will be the best plan like.... stay one day in wollongong or else??? also... is it dangerous to drive in Australia ? how long is the journey if we want to drive from Melbourne to Sydney non-stop? Is it recommendable?

Travel Tips

Firstly, it's around 10 hours drive at the speed limit of around 100kms/hr. Many Aussies do the trip in one hop, but for tourists it's best to break the journey as you intend.

There are 2 totally different routes to and from Melbourne. One is the Coast road which will take you through Wollongong, Kiama , Batesmans Bay - this is a must see journey. The other is through the more interior road [ not really "bush ] which will take you through Bowral, Mittagong, on to Canberra, south to Albury area and into Melbourne.

For researching your visit got to the State Tourism WebSite "Visit New South Wales"

For accommodation in Sydney, and Melbourne the best value are serviced apartments, if not January is a good time for hotel accommodation because there isn't much businessmans traffic then. Darling Harbour or the City is excellent, as you will find it hard to get accommodation in Manly during the holidays here.

Try Cheaperthanhotels which has plenty of bargains at the last minute or for January [ be careful, as things may be being booked fast ] .

Also book you hotels en route to Melbourne and back - remember this is the busy season. Source(s): http://www.visitnsw.com
http://www.cheaperthanhotels.com.au/aust...
http://www.cheaperthanhotels.com.au/aust...
http://www.cheaperthanhotels.com.au/aust...

Other Travel Tips
You mentioned Wollongong. It sounds like you want to drive along the east coast from Sydney to Melbourne? That will take you all day to drive - without stopping. Most people go to Melbourne via the Hume Highway.

It is about 10 - 12 hours leisurely drive (others may disagree and say it is less). But give yourselves an overnight stay in Canberra - see the National Museum and a visit to the Parliament House as well as go up Black Mountain to see the overall view of the nation's capital.

Along the way, there are many places to stop and have a look. It really depends on what you like to see. There is something to cater to every taste.
http://www.visitnsw.com.au/
it is a nice drive from Sydney to Melbourne along the coast & a lot to see beaches/small towns/forests.the hume highway is faster but not as interesting
have a look on here under --travel--for directions-distances/things to see/places to stay & have fun
http://www.nrma.com.au/pub/nrma/index.sh...
http://www.nrma.com.au/pub/nrma/index.sh...