My Australian tour of the coast between Sydney and Melbourne has been one of the nicest vacations I have ever done. Not only was the scenery great, the Australian poeple were friendly and accommodating. There were also a wealth of things to do.

There are plenty of car rental Sydney and car hire Melbourne choices and that’s unquestionably the handiest way to experience the coast. Car hire agencies are more than happy to help you plan your trip and pin point the main tourist attractions along the way. I discovered a great one way special to Melbourne at a car rental in Sydney.

I traveled south from Sydney through Royal National Park. The Grand Pacific Drive is breathtaking. I took my time exploring coastal villages and spent a couple hours in the bustling city of Wollongong before ending for the night at Jervis Bay.

Jervis Bay is known for their dolphin population, I took a cruise the next morning to experience watching the dolphins swimming just metres away from the boat, truly amazing. The immaculate white sand beaches made it extremely hard to leave given that I am visiting from England. Continuing my journey further south, I was able to buy some authentic craft items in Tilba Tilba.

I swam in the lagoon at Mimosa Rocks National Park and then drove a little further stopping to watch surfers at Tathra Beach. That evening I lodged in the trendy village of Metung and had a wonderful seafood platter in one of the lakeside restaurants.

Wilsons Promontory National Park is home to great scenery and an abundance of wildlife such as kangaroos, koalas and wombats. The place is packed with activities to keep you busy, I spent an entire day hiking through forests, exploring beaches and climbing on granite mountains.

Next destination was Fish Creek, a small, quirky and thriving town with arts and crafts, books and cafes. I drove across the bridge over to Phillip Island, a popular family stop. At Nobbies Centre you can watch the penquins strutting up and down the beach and see one of Australia’s most remarkable fur seal settlements.

As initially planned, I ended my trip in Melbourne making my last stop at the heritage farm on Churchill Island. Renting a car gave me the flexibility and convenience during my trip from Sydney to Melbourne. Next time I may get a car rental in Melbourne and do this trip the other direction!