Shepparton to Canberra road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops

Shepparton to Canberra road trip: Wangaratta to Albury

Before arriving in Albury, you can do the petrolhead thing at the Chiltern Motor Museum in Chiltern and stretch your legs at the Barnawartha Scenic Reserve.

Split across the Murray River, Albury-Wodonga is the biggest city on the Melbourne to Canberra drive.

Things to do in Albury include seeing Aboriginal art of the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk, kayaking along the Murray, and getting a remarkable insight into Australian immigration history at the Bonegilla Migrant Experience.

Best Albury accommodation picks

The best places to stay in Albury are:

For a heated pool and spa in a gorgeous location next to a riverside park: Best Western Plus Hovell Tree Inn.
For apartments with kitchenettes in a central location: Mantra Albury.
For a good quality motel next to the train station: Winsor Park Motor Inn.
For a holiday park with lots of facilities for the kids: Big4 Albury Tourist Park.
For a motel with cheap rates and fairly central location: Allawa Motor Inn.

Attractions between Shepparton and Canberra: Albury to Jugiong section

Near Albury on the New South Wales side of the border, Woomargama National Park provides a pleasant diversion if you’re in search of wildlife and walking trails.

Gundagai offers the Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre and high quality, distinctive accommodation nearby at the Nimbo Fork Lodge or Kimo Estate.

Where to stay in Gundagai

The best Gundagai accommodation options are:

For a decent, cheap motel: Poets Recall Motel.
For family cabins and a playground: Gundagai Cabins and Tourist Park.
For central location: Garden Motor Inn.

Jugiong on the Murrumbidgee River is the perfect lunch stop, with several good places to eat – most notably the Long Track Pantry.

Shepparton to Canberra road trip: Yass to Canberra

Yass, however, is arguably the better overnight stop on the highway as it is near several Canberra region wineries. Canberra Winery Tours offers pick-ups in Yass.

For Yass accommodation, try the handily downtown Yass Central Bed and Breakfast and the well-reviewed Colonial Lodge Motor Inn.

Alternatively, just drive from Yass to Canberra along the Barton Highway. On the way in, you’ll go near several Canberra region wineries around Murrumbateman. These include Eden Road Wines, Shaw Wine and Clonakilla.

On the way into central Canberra, three attractions cluster together by the highway. The Canberra Reptile Zoo, National Dinosaur Museum and Cockington Green – essentially a model village – can fill a few hours.

What can you do in Canberra?

Things to do in Canberra include hot air ballooning, checking out the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex and touring Australia’s Parliament House. You can also head around Lake Burley-Griffin on a GoBoat and see wildlife at the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

7 great Canberra experiences to book before you arrive

Full day city highlights tour – including Mount Ainslie, Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial.
Tidbinbilla wildlife and birds tour – see kangaroos, koalas, platypus and emus in the wild.
Hot air balloon flight – see Canberra’s unique design while floating above the city.
Small group wine tour – discover the amazing wineries and food producers of the Canberra region.
Australian Institute of Sport tour – see where Australia’s next generation of sporting greats train.
Australian Museum – expert-guided tour of the museum highlights.
Brewery tour – hop between Canberra’s best craft breweries.