Perth to Sydney road trip: Best stops, distance & driving time

Mildura to Wagga Wagga via the Sturt Highway

Leg five of the Perth to Sydney drive is along the Sturt Highway, largely following the Murray then Murrumbidgee Rivers. The land on the way is primarily agricultural, and gets more obviously fertile the further east you go.

The full Mildura to Wagga Wagga drive is 559km in distance, making for a driving time of around five hours and 55 minutes. The biggest towns along the way – Balranald, Hay and Narrandera – are not especially gripping. But there are a couple of good attractions worth stopping at.

The Yanga National Park is haunted by the ghosts of the Australian wool industry. The enormous Yanga Woolshed is hugely atmospheric, and has displays explaining how the mammoth shearing operation worked. The Yanga Homestead has been left how it was once the shearing stopped.

The Balranald Motor Inn is arguably the best place to stay nearby.

Further along the Sturt Highway, the Altina Wildlife Park in Darlington Point is a good spot to meet native Australian wildlife.

Wagga Wagga itself is home to perhaps Australia’s most impressive inland beach. Wagga Beach is a popular bathing spot on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. There’s enough life in Wagga to make it worth spending the night here. Wagga Wagga accommodation options include

Next up: Wagga Wagga to Sydney