Melbourne to Cairns inland road trip: Distance, time & best stops
The Melbourne to Cairns inland drive covers a distance of 2,818km in around 30 hours. Top road trip stops to add to the itinerary include the wineries of Shepparton and Griffith, the outback towns of Cobar and Charleville, and the national parks of northern Queensland.
The inland road trip from Melbourne to Cairns is an epic undertaking that, with the right itinerary, can be turned into a tremendously enjoyable adventure.
Most travellers going from Melbourne to Cairns will choose to fly, or take the longer route along the coast. But the inland Melbourne to Cairns driving route shows off sections of country and outback Australia most people don’t get to see.
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. For a great range of Melbourne tours and experiences, explore here. To track down the best value Melbourne accommodation, come this way.
And, before arriving in Cairns, you’ll probably want to have your Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruises, Daintree Rainforest day tours and Kuranda train and cable car combos booked. To choose from a wide range of memorable Cairns tours and experiences, look here. To pick the Cairns accommodation best suited to you, book here.
Melbourne to Cairns distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Melbourne to Cairns is 2,818km. This makes for a driving time of around 30 hours. Obviously, you’re going to need 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 Cairns road trip: The Victorian leg
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.
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 Griffith.