Planned to drive to Dubbo, then work our way back via Blue Mountains, Canberra, Alpine. Booked nothing in advance.

Sunday 7th May 2017
Leave about 11am - Hume Hwy then A39
Lunch @ Broadford - Cliftons On High at about 1pm
Shepparton - Walk along Shepparton river
Motel @ Finley Palm Motor Inn
Dinner @ Finley Chinese (green curry chicken, ginger beef hotpot)
About 300km

Monday 8th May 2017
Breakfast @ Finley Hot Bread
Walk around Finley Lake looking for unfinished galleon...
Narrandera for coffee, view tiger moth and world's largest playable guitar
West Wyalong Lion park
Lunch @ West Wyalong Paragon Cafe about 2pm
Forbes Lion park
Motel @ Parkes Old Convent B&B
Dinner @ Fu Yuan (lamb black pepper, eggplant hotpot)
About 420km

Tuesday 9th May 2017
Breakfast @ B&B - Bacon eggs tomato at b&b (K cooked)
Parkes Observatory
Road works, always road works...
Goobang National Park and Caloma Lookout
- Epic bumpy rocky drive up to lookout
Lunch @ Salad Run Cafe, Dubbo
Pharmacy for supplies, buy a cold weather jacket at Mountain Designs (forgot to bring)
Motel @ Green Gables Motel (after checking, zoo booked out) - book 2 nights, Room #15
Walk along river, post office, post card...
Dinner @ Veldt (salmon, k had pork, yummy dessert ball)
About 180km

Wednesday 10th May 2017
Breakfast @ Postmaster Cafe - HUGE bacon and eggs
Dubbo Zoo - 9am to 3.30pm
Lunch @ Zoo @ 2pm (egg sandwich from cafe)
Motel, change rooms because bathroom light - #14 to #15
Dinner @ Old Bank Bar - Old Bank Lager, Chicken and rice noodle salad, k had cheese burger

Thursday 11th May 2017
Breakfast @ PK's Bakery (Croissants and coffee)
Dubbo Japanese Gardens
Orange Botanic Gardens
Lunch @ Orange McDonalds
Lithgow - investigate ancestral home
Katoomba
Motel @ 3 Explorers (Room #1, last room available) - 3 nights
Walk to 3 Sisters view, just after sunset
Dinner @ Pub near 3 Sisters (fish and chips, really strong balsamic on K's salad)
Bought tickets to Scenic World online over dinner
About 300km

Friday 12th May 2017
Breakfast @ Cassiopeia - toast and coffee
Scenic World @ 9am
- Cross over and back on cable car back waterfall
- Train down and up (up front)
- Cable car down
- Boardwalk walk, see numerous Lyre Birds
- walk to bottom of the waterfall, then take the cable car up, busy now
Lunch @ Scenic World (chicken roll, salmon roll) Scenic car across to East station
- Walk to top of Katoomba falls
- Walk down Furber Steps including side paths to Katoomba falls middle
- Take the Scenic train back up
- Shop
Drive to some views, then Leura Cascades (great in the fading light!)
Room, Chocolate shop across road then drive, park in "city"
Dinner @ Paragon Katoomba
Back, washing, notes

Saturday 13th May 2017
Breakfast @ Katoomba Street cafe
Blackheath lookouts - Evans, Govetts Leap, Perrys Lookdown
Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens @ Mount Tomah
Lunch @ Botanic gardens @ just before 3 - spelt pasta chilli parmasan cheese yum yum
Leave about 4.30
Cahills Lookout just as sun down
Dinner @ Chocolate and biscuits in room :)
About 100km

Sunday 14th May 2017
Checkout 9.30
Breakfast @ in town - bakery croissants + coffee at various bakery
Gordon Falls lookout - fog rolling in
Walk to Pool of Siloam - all the stairs nearly kill K - legs still sore from Scenic World
Drive to Wentworth Falls - foggy, can't see anything, too tired to walk down, decide to go
Mothers Day crowds push us out of town, huge lines of traffic to get in. Decide to drive to Canberra.
Drive Canberra via Oberon, Abercrombie Rd, Taralga, Goulburn
Lunch @ Oberon Cafe (probably DJ's) - sausage rolls
Motel - Alivio Caravan Park at Canberra (4 nights, room #35)
Drive city, park at Coles outside
Dinner @ King O'Malleys Irish pub dinner - porter, wine, lamb shank, burger
Room nice, booked online when in Goulburn thinking we'd be getting a cabin but got one of the "motel" rooms
Walls are paper thin...
Booked breakfast at buffet, discount for doing it early, also booked no room clean ($10 off)
About 340km

Monday 15th May 2017
Cleaners next door wake us at 7, construction noise then too, roadworks on road in
Breakfast @ motel restaurant - Excellent food, just cold from being left out
Canberra Zoo
Lunch @ zoo (curry egg sandwich)
Cockington Green
Mount Ainslie views
Washing at motel laundry, beers/wine at grounds bar
Dinner @ motel while clothes in dryer - excellent rump steak with pepper sauce

Tuesday 16th May 2017
Canberra Botanic Gardens
Breakfast @ Pollen, cafe at gardens
Lunch @ Pollen, cafe at gardens
Arboretum, Cork tree walk
Back to motel, short drive to post postcards
Dinner @ Akiba - "just feed me" very good asian fusion. Yuuuuuum.

Wednesday 17th May 2017
National Museum
Breakfast @ National Museum Cafe (scrambled eggs)
National Gallery
Lunch @ National Gallery Cafe (ham+cheese croissant)
Drive around parliament
Dinner @ motel restaurant
Tired
Thursday 18th May 2017
Drive out of Canberra toward Cooma
Breakfast @ Snowy Mountains Cafe in Bredbo (eggs and bacon)
Thredbo, brief drive around. Chairlift not running.
Lunch @ Thredbo bakery (cheese and spinach roll)
Pilots lookout
Geehi Rest stop at Swampy Plain River
Olsons lookout
Scammell's Lookout
Snowy River Hydro lookout
Stuck in roadworks for 20min @ 4pm
Motel @ Mountain View Motel Corryong (Room #16)
Dinner @ Corryong Motel Hotel bistro (beer, wine, crayons, Thai salad, yum
About 325km

Friday 19th May 2017
Breakfast @ Black Sheep Corryong (bacon, eggs, proper thick cut sour dough)
Drive to Beechworth stopping at various lookouts
Beechworth Gorge drive
Motel @ Beechworth Carriage Inn room 9 - computers down after blackout, checkin later
Walk around gaol, Victoria Park, main Street
Motel for 1.5hrs reading after booking brewery dinner at 5.30
Dinner @ Bridge Road Brewery - Apple and Gorgonzola and Hot Salami plus taster paddles
Room about 7
Motel neighbours back from dinner 10.30 - talk loudly until 1am+
About 145km

Saturday 20th May 2017
Tired - check out right on 10
Breakfast @ Beechworth bakery
Drive to Mt Buffalo
Eurobin falls
Chalet lookout (cloudy but nice)
Top, don't do walk
Back to Bright (3.15)
Motel @ John Bright Motor Inn - Accidentally booked 3 single bed room (15?), changed to queen front room newly renovated for $25 extra (room 4)
Lunch @ Colal Lee Cafe at nearly 4 - savoury muffin and fritata
Canyon walk
Bright Brewery taster and pumpkin ale
Back to room about 5:30
Dinner @ Bright Brewery - various share plates
Had planned to go to Lakes Entrance via Falls Creek tomorrow but East road is closed so decide against it
Decide Lakes Entrance tomorrow via Hotham, Buchan cave next day then head home
About 130km

Sunday 21st May 2017
Breakfast @ Ginger Baker (corn fritters) - very last table, turn a lot of people away after us
Alpine Drive - Hotham, Omeo etc
Omeo Cuckoo Clocks
Lunch @ Omeo Bakery (sausage rolls)
Lakes Entrance about 2.30
Motel @ Lakes Entrance Best Western (room 4)
Walk beach till 5.30, sunset
Dinner @ Fish and chips Footbridge Fish and Chips, sit on bench near water
Buy 4 Sail and Anchor golden ales, walk back to room
About 230km

Monday 22nd May 2017
Leave about 9.15
Breakfast @ Bakery - cheese and tomato toasties
Buchan about 10.30
Tickets to both caves
11 @ Royal Cave
Lunch @ Buchan Caves ticket centre (sausage rolls)
Walk a bit around Info Centre and Fairy Cave, spot something on path... Is Wombat!
1 @ Royal Cave
Drive nrth a bit toward some waterfalls but decide is too far and drive back
Stop at Boggy Creek Gully lookout
Stop at Wetlands Walk
Drive to Traralgon - get there about 6
Motel @ Traralgon City Gardens room 5 - 1970s disaster, loud road too - no idea why reviewed so well. Oh well. Cheap. Sink next to bed!
Dinner @ Japanese - A Red Dot for dinner. Excellent. Eggplant Unagi, salmon sushi, octopus balls and gyoza + choc cake and machi ice-cream + asahi on tap Back to room @ 8
About 250km

Tuesday 23rd May 2017
Breakfast @ Laneway cafe 9.30 - bacon and eggs and french toast
Tarra bulga national park swing bridge walk
Cynthia Falls
Tarra Falls
Lunch @ Devonshire tea with Cockatoo at caravan park
Agnes Falls
Lookout
Involoch
Motel @ A'Beckett motel (room 10)
Dinner @ Pub Invy Espy Hotel Bistro (parma, mushroom risotto)
About 170km

Wednesday 24th May 2017
Breakfast @ BC Cafe - bfast focacia and eggs florentine
Creek bluff walk - giant fox on beach
Phillip Island nobbies + dirt drive to penguins
Lunch @ Cowes - Phillip Island Bakery
Home about 3:30pm
About 200km

Total driving: 3432km