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

Melbourne to Tamworth 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 Tamworth 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.

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.