Pick up your THRIFTY MEDIUM SEDAN rental car either at the Sydney Airport Depot or Sydney City Depot and commence your drive to Canberra . Join the Eastern Distributor via South Dowling Street in Central Sydney . This road becomes Southern Cross Drive and continues past the airport to join the M5 traveling west out of Sydney . If you collect your car at the airport, you can join the M5 via Airport Drive . The M5 becomes the South Western Freeway then the Hume Highway . Past Goulbourn, veer left onto the Federal Highway which takes you into Canberra and your overnight accommodation at the COMFORT INN DOWNTOWN. This drive is approximately 300km.
BERRIMA is just under half way between Sydney and Canberra and is well worth the 5-minute detour off the highway. There are signs for easy location and we suggest you take a lunch or coffee break in this historic township. Berrima is situated in the Southern Highlands and boasts Australia 's oldest gaol (construction began in 1834), now a minor offenders' institution. It housed in it's time a number of infamous bushrangers. There are many artists and artisans who live in Berrima, and it is the arts and crafts that they produce which attracts visitors just as much as the history of the town. The Berrima District Museum (in Market Street ) is well worth a visit, plus there are antique stores to tempt collectors.
CANBERRA is the Capital of Australia and is situated in the Australian Capital Territory , in the southern tablelands of New South Wales . Canberra has five sign-posted Tourist Drives, which take in most of the sights. The best way to gain appreciation of Canberra is to visit any of the lookouts on the surrounding hills. Telstra Tower , on Black Mountain , is 195 meters high and has viewing galleries and a revolving restaurant. On the summit of Mt. Pleasant are memorials to the Australian Artillery and Armored Corps, while Red Hill overlooks Parliament House, southern Canberra and the Woden Valley . From Mt. Ainslie the visitor can see central Canberra and Lake Burley Griffin. The three most popular tourist attractions in Canberra are Parliament House, the War Memorial and the National Library.

Depart Canberra on the Barton Highway to the town of Yass. Here you join the Hume Highway and travel via the towns of Gundagai and Holbrook to arrive at Albury where you overnight at the QUALITY RESORT SIESTA. This drive is approximately 355km.
ALBURY-WODONGA are twin cities, bordering New South Wales and Victoria, which sit astride the magnificent Murray River. The thriving local wine industry can trace.
Its roots back to the German settlers who first arrived in 1840. A walk around town will reveal fascinating insights into the past, as the architecture dates from the late nineteenth century in many places. The most famous attraction is, of course, the Murray River where you can board the PS Cumberoona paddle steamer for a cruise up the Murray River. This paddle steamer operates daily from October through to May, depending on water flow and water level. 15km north of Albury is the original Ettamogah Pub and the Ettamogah Winery.

Depart Albury via the towns of Omeo and Swifts Creek to arrive at Bairnsdale where you overnight at the COMFORT INN BAIRNSDALE. This drive is approximately 360km via the Omeo Highway .
An alternative scenic route you may wish to take is to join the Kiewa Valley Highway and travel via the towns of Wodonga and Mount Beauty . At Mount Beauty , leave the highway and travel to the town of Bright . Here you join the scenic Alpine Road, passing through the popular ski resort town of Mt Hotham . Join the Omeo Highway at Omeo, and continue to Bairnsdale via Swifts Creek. This drive is approximately 375kms. Note - during the winter months of June/July/August it may not be possible to take this scenic route, due to heavy snow conditions. Parts of this drive are along unsealed roads.
OMEO is situated high up in the hills above Bairnsdale and is true mountain cattle country. Gold was discovered in Omeo during the early 1850's and thousands of prospectors besieged the township. The Omeo Diggings, high up in the Alps , were among the roughest in Victoria . Two kilometers west of the town is the Oriental Claims Historical Area where the Chinese miners worked during the gold rush.
BAIRNSDALE is the Gateway to Victoria 's Gippsland Lakes District, a popular holiday resort for fishing and water sport enthusiasts. The town features galleries, craft shops and museums. The Hillmay House Antique Museum is an 1890's furnished historic home, which contains a nursery with an excellent display of baby furniture and dolls. The Historical Museum and Resource Centre is a two-storey building housing memorabilia while the grounds are scattered with machinery from a bygone era. In the Main Street you will find St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, which was built in 1913 and is noted for its exquisite murals.