Melbourne to West Wyalong road trip: Distance, time & best stops

Melbourne to West Wyalong 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 West Wyalong 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.

Road trip essentials that many travellers forget

Search on the web, and you’ll find ludicrously long lists of equipment to take on a road trip. Australia Travel Questions isn’t going to do that to you. But it is worth buying the following road trip items before setting off. Click through for a good range of options.

Charging cables – yes, you’ll probably need a spare at some point.
Car charger adaptor – in case your rental car has the old-fashioned cigarette lighter rather than a USB.
Multi USB charger – for those hotel rooms that don’t have enough power sockets.
Fold-up chairs – to make anywhere a picnic spot.
A really good water bottle – go for a bigger one than usual to last the longer drives.
Packing cubes – save space but, more importantly, avoid unpacking everything every night.

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.

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.

Attractions between Melbourne and West Wyalong: 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.