where to stop between melbourne and adelaide

Heading from Melbourne to Adelaide, the inland run via the Western Highway is a doddle: stop in Ballarat for gold-rush theatrics, stretch out in the Grampians (Halls Gap), then grab a pie in Horsham before cruising past Bordertown.

Feeling fancy? Detour to Mount Gambier for the Blue Lake and the Umpherston Sinkhole, then sip your way through the Coonawarra.

Prefer scenery over speed? Take the Great Ocean Road via Apollo Bay and the Twelve Apostles, roll into Warrnambool/Port Fairy, then coast through Robe and the Coorong.

Time tight? Pick one hero stop—Grampians inland or Twelve Apostles coastal—and arrive in Adelaide smug, not shattered.