Park next to the Murray River in Albury, Tourism Victoria
As anyone who has completed the trip before will tell you, the Hume Highway isn’t the most exciting stretch of road in Australia. It’s a smooth drive that takes you from Melbourne to Sydney alongside stretches of golden countryside, bypassing all of the major towns along the route. But there are plenty of things to see near the Hume Highway – you just have to know where to look. Here are the top five attractions we always stop for when driving between Melbourne and Sydney.
Dog on the Tuckerbox, Gundagai, New South Wales (approx. 3.5 hours from Sydney)
The Dog on the Tuckerbox is an unassuming statue that sits off the Hume Highway to the north of Gundagai. Although it is quite small, travellers have been known to travel across the country to see this famous monument. The Dog on the Tuckerbox, unveiled in 1932, marks the pioneering efforts of teamsters and their dogs. Originally mentioned in the poem Bill the Bullocky by Bowyang Yorke, the dog has firmly taken hold in the Australian imagination. It’s also celebrated in the song ‘Where the Dog Sits on the Tuckerbox’ by Jack O’Hagan. A large complex of eateries has grown up around it and started to overshadow the statue, but it’s still faithfully sitting just off the highway, waiting to greet visitors.
Big Merino, Goulburn, New South Wales (approx. 2 hours from Sydney)
The Big Merino is exactly what is sounds like. It’s a giant statue of a sheep that stands in the town of Goulburn. And out of all of Australia’s Big Things, at 15 metres high and 18 metres long, the Big Merino would have to be one of the biggest. It was built to commemorate Goulburn’s wool industry, and inside it are three floors with information on the history of the wool industry in the town.
HMAS Otway, Holbrook, New South Wales (approx. 4.5 hours from Sydney)
The small town of Holbrook is not where you would normally expect to find a decommissioned navy submarine. But that’s exactly what you’ll find marking the main street in town. A bypass was recently built around Holbrook, which means the highway no longer passes directly by the submarine, but the submarine and related museum are well worth a detour into town. HMAS Otway was once commanded by Norman Holbrook, and the submarine was purchased by the town using funds gifted from his widow. You can run around the inside and see what a proper submarine looks like.
Ned Kelly statue, Glenrowan, Victoria (approx. 2.5 hours from Melbourne)
Just as the spectre of Ned Kelly metaphorically looms over the town of Glenrowan, so the surprisingly large statue of Ned makes its physical presence felt in town. Famous as the place where Ned made his last stand, Glenrowan has embraced this heritage, with multiple museums dedicated to the Kelly gang, as well as the statue. You’ll have to detour into town to see the statue and related Ned attractions. Glenrowan is also well known as a wine-producing district, but that won’t be as much of an attraction for those doing to long haul from Melbourne to Sydney.
The Murray River
Marking the border between Victoria and New South Wales, as well as the divider between the twin towns of Wodonga (in Victoria) and Albury (in New South Wales), the Murray River is the best-known and best-looking state marker in the country. It’s also our favourite place along the Hume Highway to take a break. Substantial parklands along the river provide a great selection of places to stop on either the Albury or Wodonga side.
Check out our list of the top 5 rest areas along the Hume Highway here.
