Day trips?

I’ll add another vote for Tuross — it’s my second home. A beautiful spot with so many different water-y places to enjoy: the beach, the inlet, the lake(s), the river. And the views from The Pickled Oyster, Red Box Pizza and O’Brien’s are superb, especially in the twilight (albeit a tad nippy this time of year).

And if you’re in the neighbourhood on Sunday, do drop into the Bodalla Public School Fair.

I’d go Bungendore or Gundaroo for a day/afternoon trip.

Bowral and surrounds for overnight.

Tilba/Narooma area for two nights.

You can’t go too far wrong really – nearly everywhere has something of interest.

It depends what you are after – cute craft shops (berrima), nature(coast), hiking (jindabyne or blue mtns), original style country towns (gundagai?) etc.

Ahh the Royal. Yeah that was reno’ed a couple of years ago. Not bad for a meal but its shit for everyhting else. They recently got busted because there were too many people inside and it was a fire hazard. You seriously has about 1 sq metre to move once inside. It was terrible. Recently they have stopped letting people in younger than 21 so its probably ok again.

One of the main hotels in Orange. I think it was the Royal at one point, as they had a bunch of can-punches with that on. Working man’s pub. The wives would come and sing out through the bottle shop door when dinner was ready, they didn’t go in.

Lumpys? Where/what is that?

hingo said :

I’m originally from Orange and it sounds like Woody is too 🙂 I’m heading there this weekend. All the pubs have been renovated and most serve great food.

What? Even Lumpy’s? They’ve renovated Lumpy’s?!

Its a long weekend, go past Narooma, experience the most of the South Coast.

There’s a caravan park\cabin setup on a hill near the golf course, a quiet harbour, several beaches, boat hire, day trips out to Montague Island, cheap oysters, good fishing, more than enough rock pools and strangely climbable rocks for the kids, etc.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

If you’re amenable to an overnighter, try Orange. See Lake / Mount Canobolas, enjoy apple pie at the tea house (it’s so good I didn’t mind that it’s run by religious nutbags), have dinner at Lolli Redini or Selkirks, stay at Borrodel or that other place starting with D, drink apple juice.

Cooma and Jindabyne is a great day trip.

I think the Highlands are worth an overnight trip – stay in Bowral, spend your days wandering from town to town.

Sorry about the double post. I can also second this (apart from Selkirks and Borrodel – utter toss IMO). I’m originally from Orange and it sounds like Woody is too 🙂 I’m heading there this weekend. All the pubs have been renovated and most serve great food. Last time I went to the restaurant at Hotel Orange. Great food and pretty classy for a pub restaurant but not too expensive.

madman said :

Ulladulla/Mollymook – the most beautiful place on the South Coast

I’ll second that

Take the whole weekend, and try out Tuross. That’s a nice place, quiet and pretty.

Gundaroo has some excellent places to eat at and is only half and hour out, or bungedore, i think there is a gold mining village somewhere in the region

If wine is your thing, Canberra and the surrounds has some brilliant wineries (and wines), and just the drive out to some is really nice. Ones I’ve visited and recommend are Jeir Creek (www.jeircreekwines.com.au), visit the character Ken Helm at Helm’s Winery (www.helmwines.com.au), Lark Hill Winery (www.larkhillwine.com.au) or Madew Winery (http://site.madewwines.com.au/aboutus.htm).

There’s also a really good site at: http://www.canberrawines.com.au for some more that I haven’t been to…yet.

I guess is wine isn’t your thing, there’s plenty of other great suggestions mentioned on this thread.

Jindabyne, stay in The Chalet , very cheap .. big spa .. soak up some goodness mountain air..

Dame Edna once said that the nice thing about Canberra was it was so convenient. In just 20 minutes you can be in Australia. But seriously Mountain Creek Road to Yass is a pleasant trip, with a side trip to Carey’s Cave if you are interested.

Wombeyan Caves is nice, and about 2 hours each way.

nah, i drive through cowra regularly en route to sister near orange; s’about two easy hours and i can second the japanese gardens. also the rose cafe for a burger and chips.

and the tourist place on the left as you first come into town past the golf course has a fabulous three-d display of the town’s history. and there is a gallery somewhere left past the town hall with olive cotton’s work in – she was from there, an iconic aussie photographer married max dupain… or at least it used to be – she was from round them thar parts…

I think I lied about the distance to Cowra – probably more like two and a half hours – but still more than worth it.

if you drive a jet you could get a long way away. adelaide? nyngan?

Seconding Captains Flat. Go on the first Saturday of the month (this Saturday!) to see the markets, then have the big brekkie or pancakes at the Outsider Cafe.

I like the last two suggestions (I-filed and fabforty). Don’t go anywhere near the snow/Monaro highway on the long weekend as all the desperados will be escorting their wallets up there to be fleeced and look at the mud.

bungendore, braidwood, araluen, Big Hole (easy walk and something to see, it’s amazing), Captains Flat. (you could do a round trip, there’s a back road from Braidwood to Captain’s).

If you want something a bit closer to home, Kristielee, I would suggest a bit of a trip to Braidwood. It is only about an hour and a bit away via Bungendore but it has some interesting shops and galleries, village atmosphere and some good cafes. On the way back I would suggest a stop at the Bungendore Woodworks.

It is a fairly easy and pleasant day.

Alternatively, you could try some of the wineries and cafes around Murrumbateman. Lunch at the Poachers Pantry at Hall is fabulous.

In the other direction is Binalong, via Yass. Quaint village, good B & Bs or the pub and a couple of cosy restaurants.

Perfect three-day trip: Big Hole near Braidwood, or Monga Forest, then on to the Araluen pub past Braidwood Friday night then on via Moruya, down to Mallacoota for Saturday night, then explore Gippsland, come back to Canberra via the backroads past Buchan and Seldom Seen in Gippsland, the Snowy River and Dalgety, then either the Monaro Highway or backroads to Captain’s Flat, lunch Monday at Captain’s Flat pub. Support the smalltown economies!

I grew up in Bundanoon, you could spend the whole weekend in the National Park, which circles the town. Everything from easy 30min walks to half day walks into the canyon. Has a newsagent (you can even buy the Canberra Times there), coffee shops (plural), quiet town with relatively few ferals.

If you want to spend the weekend with wankers, Bowral is perfect. Very crowded, impossible to find a car park. The locals avoid going there.

Dormie House at the Moss Vale Golf Club is a nice place to stay, 1930’s era guesthouse.

“The cunnilingus sheep”! Superb.

It looks like an awards statuette. “And the winner of the 2008 Woolly Jump-Her Porn Award for sound effects in a sheep-shagging flick goes to…”

You know, with GPS in phones these days I’d have thought geocaching was more popular.

Soon, we can post stories also with GPS co-ordinates on noteworthy locations, so people don’t need directions like “near the fake horse in Phillip”, “close to the cunnilingus sheep”, or “behind the group of lesbians in Lyneham”..

I know I was prosecuting the cause above, but mention of the geocaching thang hastens me to add that having spent most of my (almost) 42 years in this town, since joining the Hash House Harriers, I continue to see amazing bits of Canberra I’ve never been to or knew existed. Basically because every week someone else is setting a trail somewhere new or different.

http://www.hhh.asn.au/ and click on ‘Canberra’ on the map (or anywhere else for that matter). Just rock up to any of the seven groups (contact someone from the group first if you like) and you’ll be welcomed.

Geocaching is basically like a treasure hunting game. Using GPS receivers you seek out hidden geochashes.

Usually the geocache is a small weatherproof container containing bits and pieces.

Check it out here: http://www.geocaching.com/

Go for a hike in Namadgi – save some petrol, get some fresh air and see some natural beauty. Plenty to see down there.

+1 for Wee Jasper too. Ever wanted to go caving?

Cowra is only an hour and a half away – beautiful Japanese gardens, remains of a prisoner of war camp from WWII (with some interesting stories), great visitors centre (the holographic display is very cool and even made it into Bill Bryson’s book on Australia), some very nice B&B’s and a one hat restaurant to boot (Neila’s).

What is geocaching?

You can also do a day trip up to Thredbo if you like. The way the snow is going, there will be some nice winter hiking up the trails 🙂

And if you’re looking for a great way to see Canberra, take up geocaching. It’s amazing what’s hidden right under your nose, even in the burbs.

If you’re amenable to an overnighter, try Orange. See Lake / Mount Canobolas, enjoy apple pie at the tea house (it’s so good I didn’t mind that it’s run by religious nutbags), have dinner at Lolli Redini or Selkirks, stay at Borrodel or that other place starting with D, drink apple juice.

Cooma and Jindabyne is a great day trip.

I think the Highlands are worth an overnight trip – stay in Bowral, spend your days wandering from town to town.

The valley area behind Tuggeranong like Tidbinbilla is beautiful – there is a nice nature park there and the Brindabellas seriously very nice. Consider that, then you get to breath some fresh air (not just recycled car air).

Thanks for the ideas.
Its not about wanting to burn fuel, its about wanting to get out of Canberra and see what is close by. I have lived here almost two years and have hardly seen the area. I certainly dont want to sit in my car all day which is why I want a place close by, but still out of town for some new scenery.
I think its a shame to not explore the area surrounding where I live (I’m not going to live in Canberra for ever so I should look around while I can). I also want to take advantage of the local knowledge while I can as I dont know what is out there and you never truly see whats good unless its recommended.

If you want a pleasant day burning fuel and don’t want to join the mass exodus of folk heading coastward, go for a drive out through Wee Jasper to tumut and take the long way back along the Snowy Mtn highway. It has some beautiful scenery, plenty of rivers and lakes and is a rather nice drive.

Just avoid the general store in Wee Jasper, Mrs Neanderthalsis and I had a “Deliverance” moment upon entry and it has the worst coffee in the southern hemisphere.

Why on Earth is this all about sitting in a car all day? I thought the whole idea of a long weekend was to get *out* of living in a box like an office, not rush headlong to spend the entire day sitting in another box, however good the view.

Drive the car up to the Brindabellas and go for a walk? Take your significant other for a picnic somewhere quiet?

Temora Aviation Museum is flying this weekend…
http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/index.cfm

On the topic of oil consumption, you could drive to Bathurst, do a few laps of Mount Panorama and then turn around and come home. Should take 7-8 hours or so.

http://www.mogozoo.com.au/pages/index.asp

http://www.walkabout.com.au/locations/NSWYarrangobillyCaves.shtml

http://www.visitweejasper.com.au/

Go check out Goulburn – they have a gaol, a Dimmey’s and a MacDonalds. Top place.

Ohhhhh… I thought we invaded Iraq to bring liberty and democracy..

Well billions of ameoba laid down their lives for you 150 million years ago so you can enjoy your *freedom* to enjoy a day trip.

Tuggeranong Valley is within reach of current petrol prices, and that’s about as interesting as you can get.

Or, seriously, how about Tidbinbilla / Brindabellas?

Demosthenes said :

With these shocking petrol prices and all, I mean, why isn’t the government doing something about global oil prices?

Isn’t that why we invaded Iraq?

Anyhow, assuming you can afford/morally justify using the petrol, Cowra is quite a pleasant place to visit.

Or try taking the long way to Sydney and back – off the freeway and along the old highway – lots of interesting quite little country towns.

Banks. It might be a bit far for a weekend trip though.

Asking where to go for a daytrip is akin to burping out loud among the starving masses in Zimbabwe. Fricken show off!

Why go as far as Queenbeyan? Fyshwick is closer and you could spend the weekend there. With these shocking petrol prices and all, I mean, why isn’t the government doing something about global oil prices?

It’s not everyone’s cup of Darjeeling, but I like the south coast this time of year. Less people (though more are around on a long weekend), and a day spent by the ocean even at the start of winter beats a lot of days 150km away from it. (Having a little refuge a few kms south of Moruya always helps.)

And on Saturday afternoon I’ll be joining a pack of (Master Batemans) Hash House Harriers, running/walking around Batemans Bay, indulging in a little post-run banter and good-natured personal abuse thence repairing to the club for nosh and drinks. Superb.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_House_Harriers

gingermick said :

A pub/club crawl of Queanbeyan could be pleasant.

LOL – you’re joking?!

Ulladulla/Mollymook – the most beautiful place on the South Coast

Charlotte Pass. always a good weekend away and staying at the Chalet is fun too.

A pub/club crawl of Queanbeyan could be pleasant.

Bundanoon is a nice place – if you’re staying overnight make sure you check out Glowworm Glen.

With the completion of the various motorways in sydney it’s a pretty easy trip to the Blue Mountains from Canberra these days.

There are lots of nice coastal places that you don’t have to pay top dollar for in the off season – Bannisters at Mollymook is an example.

Whats out in Bundanoon that makes it rock Morgan?

Bundanoon rocks