Melbourne to Armidale road trip: Distance, time & best stops

The Melbourne to Armidale drive covers a distance of 1,270km in around 14h10m. Top road trip stops to add to the itinerary include Nagambie, Shepparton, Dubbo and Tamworth.

The road trip from Melbourne to Armidale is a fantastic road trip through inland Australia. On the way are wineries, national parks and several country towns with something genuinely distinctive about them.

Before leaving, you may want to tick Melbourne Cricket Ground tours, Yarra River dinner cruises and cross-city hot air balloon flights off your Melbourne wish list. To track down the best Melbourne accommodation rates, head here.

👇 7 great day trips while you’re in Melbourne 👇

Great Ocean Road tour – with koalas 🐨.
Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island tour – with penguins 🐧.
Yarra Valley wine tour – with gin, cider and cheese 🍷.
Grampians National Park tour – with bushwalks and LOADS of kangaroos 🦘.
Mornington Peninsula tour – with hot springs bathing 🛀.
Wilsons Promontory tour – with all manner of native wildlife 🦘🐨.
Dandenong Ranges steam train ride – plus wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary and chocolate-tasting in the Yarra Valley.

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To pick out the best Armidale accommodation, head here.

This expert-researched guide is designed to help travellers plan their perfect Melbourne to Armidale road trip. Click through on the links for more detailed links about individual towns and attractions.

Melbourne to Armidale distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Melbourne to Armidale is 1,270km. This makes for a driving time of around 14 hours and 10 minutes. Obviously, you may want to make a few road trip stops along the way. This guide should help you plan your itinerary.

14 fantastic experiences that make the most of your free time in Melbourne

Get the very best views – on a hot air balloon flight over the city.
See the changing colours of the river – on a sunset kayaking tour – with dinner. (Highly recommended ✅)
Feast and see the sights at the same time – on a four course dinner cruise along the Yarra River.
A genuinely excellent street art tour, led by prominent street artists. (Highly recommended ✅)
The also superb Aboriginal heritage, plants and bush food tour in the Botanic Gardens. (💲 Great value 💲)
Best of Melbourne bike tour – you can see more on two wheels than walking.
Hidden laneways bar crawl OR foodie discovery tour OR chocolate and dessert tour.
Combo ticket for Australian Sports Museum and MCG tour.
Hassle-dodging advance tickets for the Melbourne Skydeck, Melbourne Zoo, the Ice Bar (with cocktails) and Sea Life Aquarium.

The first leg of the journey, from Melbourne to Shepparton, is 190km long, and passes through Victoria’s Goulburn Valley.

Melbourne to Armidale road trip: Melbourne to Shepparton

Decent stops along the way which require little to no detour include the Mount Ridley Lookout in Craigieburn at the edge of the city sprawl, and the walking trails of Mount Disappointment.

There are also wineries such as the Trawool Estate around Tallarook, plus the Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk and Seymour Railway Heritage Centre in Seymour.

It’s another 81km from Seymour to Shepparton, with Nagambie the best journey-breaker along the way. Take your pick from craft beers at the Nagambie Brewery or wine-tasting and Aboriginal art at the Mitchelton Winery.

Mitchelton Winery in Nagambie, Goulburn Valley, Victoria — The Mitchelton Winery in Nagambie has a very distinctive tower. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

Top Nagambie accommodation options

The best places to stay in Nagambie are:

For a luxurious winery hotel: Mitchelton Hotel Nagambie.
For a good quality lakeside motel: Nagambie Waterfront Motel.
For a budget stay: Nagambie Caravan Park and Motel.

The best things to do in Shepparton include Aquamoves near Victoria Park Lake, the Shepparton Art Museum and the Lower Goulburn National Park.

Shepparton accommodation recommendations

These are the best places to stay in Shepparton.

For grandeur and lake view rooms: Carrington Hotel.
For a holiday park with lots of kid-friendly facilities: Big4 Shepparton Park Lane Holiday Park.
For high quality apartments: Quest Shepparton.
For a good value motel with a pool: Peppermill Inn Motel.

Click through to the next section: Shepparton to the New South Wales border.

Melbourne to Armidale drive: Shepparton to the New South Wales border

Before entering New South Wales, you might like to take a look at the massive collection of cacti at Cactus Country in Strathmerton, or go for a swim in the Murray River from Thompsons Beach in Cobram.

There are more river beaches in Tocumwal, where you join the Newell Highway.

The best accommodation in Tocumwal, NSW

The best places to stay in Tocumwal are:

For a no-frills (but decent) motel with bargain rates: Tocumwal Hotel Motel.
For a pool, gardens and golf: Tocumwal Golf Resort.
For a family-friendly holiday park: Boomerang Way Tourist Park.
For good value, free parking and a pool: Kingswood Motel.

Melbourne to Armidale road trip: Tocumwal to Narrandera

It’s another 165km from Tocumwal to Narrandera, and it’s a pretty boring stretch of highway in all honesty. Jerilderie has a couple of accommodation options for an overnight stop, but you may as well keep going to Narrandera on the Murrumbidgee River, which has more going for it.

On the outskirts of Narrandera, the Koala Reserve is one of the best places in Australia for spotting koalas.

The giant koala mural on Narrandera Water Tower. Photo courtesy of Narrandera Tourism.

Other things to do in Narrandera include kayaking on the Rocky Waterholes, admiring the giant mural on the Narrandera Water Tower and taking a self-guided walking tour of the town’s heritage buildings.

Narrandera accommodation picks include Bishops Lodge, which has a small pool, and the Camellia Motel.

The top accommodation in Narrandera, NSW

The best places to stay in Narrandera are:

For overall quality: Narrandera Club Motor Inn.
For an outdoor pool and BBQs: Bishops Lodge.
For a solid motel with low prices: Camellia Motel.

Click through to the next section: Narrandera to West Wyalong.

Attractions between Melbourne and Armidale: Narrandera to West Wyalong

Another 135km through grain country via Ardlethan brings you to West Wyalong.

West Wyalong is in the Riverina region, and is best known for its statue of painter Russell Drysdale. The West Wyalong Wetlands Boardwalk makes for a decent amble, and the colonial-era Royal Hotel is the best accommodation option.

Where to stay in West Wyalong

The best West Wyalong accommodation picks are

For a good quality motel at relatively cheap rates: Cameo Inn Motel.
For a four star in a historic building: Royal Hotel.
For central location: Mentor Chambers Apartment Bed & Breakfast.

Melbourne to Armidale driving holiday: Forbes and Parkes

The next stop is Forbes, and the route passes Lake Cowal – the largest inland lake in New South Wales. It is, however, ephemeral, so don’t expect it brimming with water and birdlife.

Things to do in Forbes include learning about bushranger Ben Hall at the Forbes Historical Museum and strolling the Sculptures Down The Lachlan art trail. You can stay the night at the centrally-located Ben Hall Motor Inn or the well-reviewed Town and Country Motor Inn.

Victoria Park in Forbes, NSW. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

Another 33km along the Newell Highway, and you arrive in Parkes.

Parkes hosts the Henry Parkes Centre, which houses Elvis museum King’s Castle.

Top of the list of things to do in Parkes, however, is paying a visit to the Dish. Also known as Murriyang, this powerful radio telescope at the CSIRO Parkes Observatory transmitted the images of the 1969 moon landing to the world.

The best accommodation in Parkes

The top places to stay in Parkes are:

For overall quality: Bushman’s Motor Inn.
For central location: Court Street Motel.
For parkside location: Hamilton Henry Parkes Motor Inn.

Click through to the next section: Parkes to Dubbo.

Melbourne to Armidale road trip: Parkes to Dubbo

The next leg of the journey is the 120km drive from Parkes to Dubbo, although you can stop at Goobang National Park, which has a couple of fabulous lookouts. The Caloma Lookout is easiest to reach – it’s just a 50m walk from the car park and has great views over the plains.

The 4km return Burrabadine Peak walk from the wildlife-packed Greenbah campground is steeper, but rewarding.

Dubbo has a surprisingly strong hand when it comes to attractions. Top of the list are the Dubbo Observatory and Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Book tickets for the latter online to skip the queue.

Other things to do in Dubbo include spooky ghost tours at the Old Dubbo Gaol.

Giraffes at Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo. Photo copyright Destination NSW.

Dubbo accommodation picks

Australia specialist booking site Wotif offers Dubbo accommodation for from $80 a night. To search through the options, visit the top deals page.

However, the following well-reviewed Dubbo accommodation options are particularly worth considering.

For families: Discovery Parks Dubbo holiday park.
For business travellers and anyone who wants a bit more space: The Quest apartments.
For good value in a central location: Surestay Hotel.
For a high quality motel with indoor AND outdoor pools: Cattlemans Country Motor Inn.

Melbourne to Armidale road trip: Dubbo to Coolah

Leaving Dubbo along the Golden Highway/B84, the first realistic stop is an hour away in Dunedoo. There’s nothing to get massively excited about here, but there are a few places to eat, plus a swimming pool and golf course. The highlight for visitors is likely to be the silo art – massive murals have been painted on Dunedoo’s grain silos.

The Dubbo to Tamworth leg of the Dubbo to Armidale drive then continues towards Coolah along Black Stump Way.

From Coolah, you can potentially make a detour into Coolah Tops National Park a potential detour from here. There are several waterfalls, lookouts, walking trails and campgrounds to enjoy.

Click through to the next section: Coolah to Tamworth.

Melbourne to Armidale drive: Coolah to Tamworth

Otherwise, continue along the uneventful Black Stump Way before eventually turning right down Purlewaugh Road. This becomes Coonabarabran Road and passes the Spring Ridge Rifle Range.

Just after the Mooki River crossing in Caroona, you’ll need to branch left onto Waverley Road, cross the Kamilaroi Highway and continue east along Gap Road.

This will take you to Werris Creek, arguably the most interesting town between Dubbo and Tamworth.

The Rail Journeys Museum here is devoted to all things train travel. There’s also the Australian Railway Monument, which pays tribute to 2,700 railway workers who died in the course of duty.

The Rail Journeys Museum at Werris Creek, NSW. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

Werris Creek Road will take you north-east into guitar-twanging Tamworth.

Things to do in Tamworth include the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Tamworth Powerstation Museum, which explores electricity and electronics. For natural beauty in the vicinity, try Chaffey Dam near Nundle.

The best places to stay in Tamworth

There are several Tamworth accommodation options. These, however, are the best picks…

For excellent value and a pool: Roydons Motor Inn.
For design flair: CH Boutique Hotel.
For central location: City Sider Motor Inn.
For spacious apartments: Cadman Motor Inn and Apartments.
For heritage and charm: Quality Inn Ashby House.

Melbourne to Armidale road trip: Tamworth to Uralla

On the way north out of Tamworth, you’ll go past the Oxley Scenic Lookout and the city’s Botanical Gardens.

Before joining the New England Highway, it’s worth pulling over at the Moonbi Lookout, a massive granite outcrop with great views over the New England countryside.

There are more such outcrops further along, including Captain Thunderbolt’s Rock. This picnic site and photo stop was where a notorious bushranger was shot by police in 1863.

Click through to the next section: Uralla to Adelaide.

Melbourne to Armidale road trip: Uralla to Armidale

The town of Uralla is somewhat obsessed with Captain Thunderbolt, who is buried in the Old Uralla Cemetery on John Street. You’ll find out more about the story in the McCrossin’s Mill Museum – a converted flour mill.

Also in Uralla, you can try your luck panning for golf at the Wooldridge Recreation and Fossicking Area. Don’t expect too much of the shiny stuff to be left behind, though.

The next worthwhile stop is the New England town of Armidale. Things to do in Armidale include helicopter flights over the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, visiting the Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Cathedral and browsing the New England Regional Art Museum.