In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Sydney via the Blue Mountains, Bathurst and Mudgee to the highlands of Goulburn and Cooma, then over the Alpine Way to Gundagai: around 1,230 km of eucalyptus haze, a racetrack, vineyards and Australia’s highest mountain.
The spirit of the route
This route climbs. Beyond Penrith the highway rises onto the sandstone plateau, and from the lookouts at Katoomba and Blackheath you gaze down into valleys where the eucalyptus lays a blue veil. Then the land opens up: pine forests around Oberon, grazing country with granite humps, gold-rush towns with corrugated-iron verandas, the vine-covered slopes around Mudgee. On the Monaro plateau the wind whistles across the tussock grass, and in Jindabyne the air already smells of snow. From the sliding door you see frost on the grass by the Thredbo River in the morning, a night sky free of light pollution after dark, and kangaroos hopping across the clearing in the evening. The Alpine Way then demands concentration: hairpins, rock faces, the young Murray in the valley below. A trip for people who like elevation gain, pack jackets and would rather spend one more night at a simple national park campground than another hour at the wheel.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Sydney to Katoomba (approx. 105 km)
- The drive
- Head west out of the city centre either on the tolled M4 (WestConnex, cashless) or toll-free via Parramatta Road; west of Parramatta the M4 is free as far as Emu Plains. Cross the Nepean, then take the Great Western Highway (A32) up the eastern escarpment of the Blue Mountains through Glenbrook, Springwood, Wentworth Falls and Leura to a little over 1,000 m. A wide road, but many town sections with changing speed limits and cameras. Without traffic, 1.5–2 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Wentworth Falls: walk from the picnic area on Falls Road to the lookouts above the Jamison Valley; the waterfall drops in several tiers over the sandstone edge.
- Leura Cascades and the Prince Henry Cliff Walk; the clifftop path links Leura with Echo Point in a little over two hours.
- Echo Point with the Three Sisters; the Giant Stairway takes you down into the valley on around 900 steps – allow for the return via the Federal Pass.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Katoomba Falls Tourist Park on the southern edge of town, near Katoomba Falls and Scenic World: powered sites, amenities, kitchen; some sites are tight and sloping, so book for weekends and school holidays. Quieter and closer to nature is the NSW national park campground Euroka near Glenbrook in the lower part of Blue Mountains National Park – though it is designated as a tent campground, with no power or drinking water; book through NSW National Parks, and a daily vehicle fee is also charged at the Glenbrook park entrance (Bruce Road).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Blue Mountains towns, sleeping in your vehicle on streets or at lookout and walking-track car parks is not permitted; the council and rangers patrol, especially at Echo Point, Govetts Leap and Wentworth Falls. In the national park, only at booked campgrounds.
- Insider tip for campers
- Fill up and shop at the foot of the mountains in Penrith or Emu Plains; prices are higher up top. Echo Point is a paid car park that is often full of coaches – arrive before 9 am, or leave the camper at the park and reach the lookouts by train (Katoomba is on the Blue Mountains Line from Sydney) or on foot. Leura Mall is narrow and lined with parked cars; in a large vehicle, avoid the side streets.
2Stage 2: Katoomba to Bathurst via Blackheath (approx. 100 km)
- The drive
- Take the Great Western Highway to Blackheath (12 km) and Mount Victoria, then over Victoria Pass with its long, steep descent into the Hartley Valley – watch for the truck lane and brake signs. Continue on the highway past Lithgow across the tableland near Meadow Flat and Yetholme and down to Bathurst. A good road, with roadworks in places for the highway upgrade; just under 1.5 hours’ driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Govetts Leap Lookout in Blackheath with Bridal Veil Falls and the view into the Grose Valley; next to it, the national park’s Blue Mountains Heritage Centre with walking information.
- Grand Canyon Track from Evans Lookout: a loop of around 6 km with many steps down into a damp, fern-filled gorge – 3 to 4 hours.
- Hartley Historic Site at the foot of Victoria Pass: a colonial-era sandstone hamlet with a courthouse from 1837.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Bathurst Panorama Holiday Park on the eastern edge of town on the Great Western Highway: powered sites, amenities, water and dump point, well placed for a lap of Mount Panorama the next morning. If you want to stay in Blackheath: Blackheath Tourist Park (formerly Blackheath Glen Tourist Park) on the edge of town, with power and amenities.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The State Forests of the Forestry Corporation of NSW west of the Blue Mountains generally allow basic camping wherever it is not prohibited – but the access roads are gravel tracks that many rental agreements exclude. Do not stay overnight in town car parks in Lithgow and Bathurst.
- Insider tip for campers
- Jenolan Caves: currently closed; check the status with NSW National Parks and Live Traffic NSW before you travel. The access via Edith Road is closed in any case to caravans, trailers and vehicles longer than a 12-seat minibus. On Victoria Pass, descend in a low gear rather than riding the brakes.
3Stage 3: Bathurst to Mudgee via Sofala (approx. 130 km)
- The drive
- First a lap of Mount Panorama, then north on Sofala Road via Wattle Flat into the Turon River valley to Sofala, on to Ilford and along the Castlereagh Highway to Mudgee. Rolling grazing land with granite boulders, a few tight bends down into the valley before Sofala, then a quiet country road. Around 2 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Mount Panorama: outside events, the circuit of just over 6 km is a public road with two-way traffic and a 60 km/h limit; at the top, McPhillamy Park looks out over Bathurst, and at the bottom, by Murray’s Corner, is the National Motor Racing Museum.
- Sofala: a gold-rush village from the 1850s with timber houses, verandas and slopes above the Turon River.
- Mudgee: cellar doors all around the town, plus a detour to Gulgong, around 30 km north, with its narrow goldfields streets.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Mudgee Riverside Caravan & Tourist Park near the centre on the Cudgegong River: powered sites, amenities, laundry, walking distance to town. Book early during vintage and festival season and on long weekends.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Mid-Western Regional Council does not allow sleeping in vehicles on streets or in parks in Mudgee. Around the region, WikiCamps lists a few simple council-run camping areas and rest areas – follow the local rules; stays are usually limited to one night.
- Insider tip for campers
- Around the Bathurst 1000 race weekend in October and at other race meetings, Mount Panorama is closed and Bathurst is booked out – check the calendar beforehand. Don’t stop or “race” on the circuit; police patrol it. For wine tasting in Mudgee, use a bike or a guided tour: the 0.05 limit applies here too. Optional: from Bathurst, around 75 km one way to Hill End Historic Site, an almost deserted gold-rush town with national park campgrounds.
4Stage 4: Mudgee to Goulburn via Oberon and Taralga (approx. 305 km)
- The drive
- Back to Bathurst, then via O’Connell to Oberon and south on Abercrombie Road via Black Springs; this section winds down into the Abercrombie River valley and back up onto the plateau. Through Taralga on Taralga Road to Goulburn. A long transfer stage with little traffic, 4–4.5 hours’ driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Oberon: a small town at a little over 1,100 m among pine forests; in autumn the deciduous trees in the town’s gardens change colour. The turn-off to Jenolan Caves is signposted here – currently closed, check the status.
- Taralga: a village of 19th-century sandstone and basalt houses; a short stroll along Orchard Street.
- Goulburn: Rocky Hill War Memorial with views over the town and tablelands, plus the Big Merino at the town entrance as a reminder of the wool town.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: BIG4 Governors Hill Carapark on the northern edge of town on Sydney Road: drive-through powered sites, amenities, camp kitchen and laundry, handy for moving on. Alternative: other caravan parks in the south of town near the Hume Highway.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Abercrombie River National Park has simple riverside campgrounds (such as Bummaroo Ford), but the access roads are unsealed and often not approved for rental campervans. Goulburn Mulwaree Council does not tolerate overnight stays on streets or in car parks within the town.
- Insider tip for campers
- There is no fuel station between Oberon and Taralga – fill up in Bathurst or Oberon. This stage has lots of kangaroos at dusk; plan it so you reach Goulburn before sunset. If you get tired, split the stage in Oberon and stay the night there.
5Stage 5: Goulburn to Jindabyne via Cooma (approx. 270 km)
- The drive
- Head south on the Federal Highway (M23) past Lake George. You skip the capital; the shortest way to Cooma is via the Monaro Highway, which crosses Australian Capital Territory land along the way – save your stops for New South Wales. From Michelago across the largely treeless Monaro plateau to Cooma (around 800 m) and on the Kosciuszko Road via Berridale to Jindabyne. A wide road, with crosswinds on the high plains. A little over 3 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Lake George: rest area with a view from the Federal Highway over the shallow lake below the escarpment, which may be almost dry depending on rainfall.
- Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre in Cooma: an exhibition on the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric scheme, which brought thousands of immigrants to the region after the Second World War.
- Shore of Lake Jindabyne: lakeside path from the town centre, with views of the Main Range in the evening.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Adventist Alpine Village on the edge of Jindabyne, with sites for caravans and campers plus amenities. More central on the lakeshore is Jindabyne Holiday Park with powered sites. In the winter season from June, both fill up quickly.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Sleeping in your vehicle on the lakeshore and in Jindabyne’s town car parks is not allowed. Snowy Monaro Regional Council runs no free sites in town; the nearest legal alternatives are the low-cost national park campgrounds in Kosciuszko National Park, which require a booking and a park pass.
- Insider tip for campers
- Jindabyne is the last town with large supermarkets and several fuel stations before the Alpine Way – fill up, top up your water and empty your tanks here. Ideally buy your Kosciuszko National Park pass here in the Park’nPay app while you still have mobile coverage.
6Stage 6: Jindabyne to Thredbo (Kosciuszko National Park) (approx. 35 km)
- The drive
- West on the Alpine Way via Crackenback into the Thredbo River valley; a good road, moderate gradients, half an hour’s drive. If you have a second day: from Jindabyne on the Kosciuszko Road via Sawpit Creek and Perisher to Charlotte Pass (around 40 km one way; the section from Perisher to Charlotte Pass is closed in winter).
- Highlights & must-sees
- Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 m): ride the Kosciuszko Express chairlift up from Thredbo, then follow the steel-mesh walkway around 13 km return to the summit across snow grass and granite boulders.
- Thredbo Valley Track: walking and cycling path along the river between Thredbo and Lake Crackenback.
- Charlotte Pass Lookout with views of the Main Range – starting point for longer loop walks past the glacial lakes.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: NSW national park campgrounds Thredbo Diggings (on the Thredbo River, a few minutes below the village) and Ngarigo (on the Alpine Way, also suitable for caravans): unpowered sites, toilets, picnic tables, barbecues; bring your own drinking water and firewood. No camping fee, but book through NSW National Parks for a small booking fee, plus the park pass.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Kosciuszko National Park, camping is only allowed at designated campgrounds; overnight stays are not tolerated in the Thredbo car parks, at the lift base station or at lookouts. Dogs are not allowed in the national park; when passing through, only inside the vehicle.
- Insider tip for campers
- Park fee: as of October 2026, 17 AUD per vehicle per day, and 29 AUD in the winter season between the long weekends in June and October; an annual pass pays off for several days. Snow falls on the summit even in summer, and at 1,400 m there are night frosts – check the weather before the summit walk and note the time of the last lift down.
7Stage 7: Thredbo to Khancoban via the Alpine Way (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- From Thredbo up to Dead Horse Gap, the highest point of the Alpine Way, then down in many steep, narrow hairpins to the Murray River at Tom Groggin, and on via Geehi and Scammells Lookout to Khancoban. Rockfalls are possible after rain, and guardrails are missing in places. 1.5–2 hours’ driving time. The section between Thredbo and Khancoban is not recommended for vehicles towing large caravans.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Scammells Lookout: views across the Geehi valley to the western flank of the Main Range, with toilets and a picnic area.
- Tom Groggin: here the Murray River is still a clear mountain river, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria.
- Geehi Flats on the Swampy Plain River with old stockmen’s huts; Olsens Lookout is on a side road and cannot be reached in winter.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Geehi Flats and Tom Groggin (NSW National Parks): flat grassy riverside sites for tents, campers and caravans, toilets, no power, no designated drinking water; no camping fee, but online booking with a small booking fee and a park pass, maximum 14 nights. With showers and power: Khancoban Lakeside Caravan Park on the reservoir.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The same rules apply on the Alpine Way as throughout the national park: overnight stays only at designated campgrounds, not in pull-outs or at lookouts.
- Insider tip for campers
- Stay in a low gear all the way downhill and let the brakes cool in the pull-outs. Between Jindabyne and Khancoban, don’t count on any reliable fuel station, and there is hardly any mobile coverage – emergency number 000 only works with reception. Between the long weekends in June and October, all two-wheel-drive vehicles must carry snow chains between Thredbo and Tom Groggin. The Khancoban–Cabramurra road is closed during this period. Park passes are also available from the 24-hour machines at the Khancoban Visitor Centre.
8Stage 8: Khancoban to Gundagai via Tumbarumba, Batlow and Tumut (approx. 210 km)
- The drive
- Through the Tooma valley to Tumbarumba, then on the Snowy Valleys Way through pine plantations and apple orchards to Batlow and down in bends into the Tumut valley. From Tumut on Gocup Road across open hill country to Gundagai on the Murrumbidgee. A little over 3 hours; lots of log trucks on the forest roads.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Batlow: apple-growing country at around 800 m with farm shops and cider; the surrounding forests still show traces of the 2019/20 Dunns Road fire.
- Tumut: avenues of plane trees and poplars along the Tumut River, yellow and red in autumn.
- Gundagai: the historic Prince Alfred Bridge, a long timber viaduct across the floodplain, and the Dog on the Tuckerbox at the Five Mile rest area north of town.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Tumut, Riverglade Caravan Park right on the Tumut River as a stopover. In Gundagai, caravan parks are on the edge of town towards the Hume Highway – check the current status and reviews in WikiCamps.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The State Forests around Tumbarumba and Batlow (such as Bago State Forest) generally allow basic camping outside closed logging areas; at Blowering Reservoir south of Tumut there are simple national park camping areas on the shore. Many access roads are gravel – observe your rental conditions.
- Insider tip for campers
- Batlow and Tumbarumba have fuel stations and small supermarkets; do a bigger shop in Tumut. Gundagai lies right on the Hume Highway: from here it is around 4–5 hours’ drive back to either Sydney or Melbourne, with generous rest areas for a break.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- New South Wales has no statewide freedom camping law: on council land, councils set their own rules on overnight stays, and in most towns on this route it is prohibited on streets, in parks and in waterfront car parks and enforced with fines. Signs such as “No Camping” or “No overnight stays” also apply to vehicles with a bed.
- National parks (Blue Mountains, Kosciuszko, Abercrombie River, Hill End Historic Site): camping only at designated campgrounds, almost all bookable online through NSW National Parks. In Kosciuszko many campgrounds are free of charge but must be booked for a small booking fee; the park fee per vehicle per day applies on top. Dogs are not allowed in national parks.
- State Forests of the Forestry Corporation of NSW: basic camping is usually allowed without booking, unless closed by signs, logging or fire danger. Access roads are mostly unsealed.
- Highway rest areas are intended for fatigue breaks; a short night’s rest is tolerated in many places where no ban is signposted – camping behaviour such as tables, awnings or grey water is not. On the Hume Highway and Federal Highway they are well equipped.
- Bushfires: during the Fire Danger Period (roughly October to March), strict fire bans apply on Total Fire Ban days. The Hazards Near Me app shows warnings. In the mountains, also note: sudden weather changes with snow are possible all year round.
- Apps: WikiCamps and CamperMate show campgrounds, rest areas, dump points and water points with up-to-date user notes; Park’nPay for the Kosciuszko park fee.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Most caravan parks have dump points for cassettes and grey water; there are public stations in some country towns such as Bathurst or Mudgee – check locations in WikiCamps. The Kosciuszko campgrounds have no dump facilities, so empty in Jindabyne or Khancoban.
- Water: no drinking water is designated at the national park campgrounds on the Alpine Way – bring a full fresh-water tank and spare jerrycans, and only use river water boiled or filtered. Tap water in the towns is drinkable.
- Gas: Australian cylinders today mostly have the LCC27 valve, older ones the POL fitting. Swaps are available at fuel stations, hardware stores and supermarkets; refills at gas refill stations, with a valid test date. European cylinders and adapters do not fit; rental campervans come with their own cylinder – before the Alpine Way, check that it will last through cold nights.
- Fuel: a dense network as far as Bathurst and Mudgee. Gaps between Oberon and Taralga and between Jindabyne and Khancoban – fill up beforehand. Compare prices in New South Wales with the FuelCheck app; in the ski resorts and small mountain villages diesel is considerably more expensive.
- Shopping: large supermarkets in Penrith, Katoomba, Bathurst, Mudgee, Goulburn, Cooma, Jindabyne and Tumut; in the national park itself, only kiosks.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Driving on the left: overtake on the right, go clockwise around roundabouts and give way to traffic already on the roundabout. In the hairpins of the Alpine Way, stay in your own lane – oncoming vehicles often cut the corners.
- Speed: 50 km/h in towns, generally 100 km/h outside towns, 110 km/h on sections of the Hume and Federal Highways; school zones 40 km/h at the times shown. Vehicles with a gross vehicle mass over 4.5 t may drive at no more than 100 km/h. Outside race meetings, Mount Panorama is a public road with a 60 km/h limit. New South Wales enforces with average-speed checks and cameras for phone use and seatbelts.
- Tolls: the route outside Sydney is toll-free. In Sydney the M4 (east of Parramatta), WestConnex, tunnels and the Harbour Bridge are cashless; without a tag, pay online within 72 hours. Since July 2026 it is no longer possible in New South Wales to nominate another driver – with rental vehicles the charge is passed on with a surcharge.
- Animals: kangaroos, wallabies and wombats at dusk and at night, and in Kosciuszko National Park also wild horses on the road. Avoid driving in the mountains at night, and if an animal is on the road, brake rather than swerve dangerously.
- Mountains and winter: the Alpine Way between Thredbo and Khancoban is steep, narrow and winding, and is not recommended for rigs towing large caravans. Between the long weekends in June and October, two-wheel-drive vehicles must carry snow chains between Thredbo and Tom Groggin; the Khancoban–Cabramurra road and the Kosciuszko Road between Perisher and Charlotte Pass are then closed. Shady bends can be icy in the morning.
- Rental campervans: unsealed roads are often excluded or only allowed on short access roads to campgrounds, underbody, roof and glass damage is often not covered, and some contracts exclude trips into snow areas or driving without chains in winter – clarify before booking. Jenolan Caves are currently closed (check the status); the access road is not permitted for motorhomes in any case.
- Licence and alcohol: in New South Wales a foreign licence only needs an International Driving Permit or a recognised translation if it is not in English – the EU card licence has English field labels, but carrying one is still sensible if in doubt. Blood alcohol limit 0.05, 0.0 for learner and provisional drivers; random breath and drug tests are common, especially in the wine regions.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Snow chains to fit your tyre size – mandatory for two-wheel-drive vehicles on the Alpine Way between June and October, and they may be needed in spring too after snowfall; practise fitting them once beforehand.
- At least 20 litres of spare water in a jerrycan plus a filter – the campgrounds on the Alpine Way have no designated drinking water.
- A winter sleeping bag or extra blankets and a beanie: at 1,400 m in Thredbo there are night frosts even in midsummer, and the campervan’s heater cannot run indefinitely on gas or battery.
- A bundle of firewood from town – collecting wood in the national park is not allowed, and the fireplaces require you to bring your own firewood (no fires on Total Fire Ban days).
- Smartphone with offline maps, the Park’nPay app with a purchased park pass, and booking confirmations as screenshots – there is hardly any coverage on the Alpine Way.
- Good hiking boots and a rain and wind jacket for the Kosciuszko summit walk and the steps of the Grand Canyon Track.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
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