see also:

• Gippsland
• Orbost region - Cape Conran, Snowy River, and Errinundra
• Cann River region - Croajingalong NP
• my blog post on this drive
• see https://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/snowy-river-national-park

• 229km road tour (if you do the recommended drive circuit), full day, 4WD/AWD only but easy
• this tour takes the scenic unsealed roads to Tulloch Ard (which adds an extra 1.5-2.5hrs to the trip to McKillops Bridge depending on which side trips you take and add extra time for any walks)
• you are likely to see a range of Australian wildlife whilst driving - kangaroos, wallabies, goannas (often feeding on road kill), and if you are lucky, a lyrebird - avoid driving at dusk as wombats and roos are a more likely to end up as road kill
• see also: Snowy River visitors guide (pdf)

• either of these routes take you past the longest rail trestle bridge in Victoria used 1916-1987 which is just south-west of Orbost on the Princes Hwy
• option 1 - the Google route
  • take the Princes Hway to Nowa Nowa then up to Buchan
    • optional side trip to Buchan Caves
  • then take the Buchan-Orbost Rd and turn left onto Basin Rd (55min, 76km to this intersection)
• option 2 - Snowy River valley and mountain route
  • start at Orbost-Buchan Rd (60min, 54km to the Basin Rd intersection)
    • option to take side route to Stringers Knob Historic Fire Tower by turning left at Monument Track and further on to Mottle Range Flora Reserve (the only known naturally occurring stand of E.maculata - spotted gum in Victoria) and from there you can either return to the Orbost-Buchan Road (94min, 71km to the Basin Rd intersection), or you can take the shorter, faster route via Buchan on the Mottle Range Rd (84min, 63km to the Basin Rd intersection via Buchan)
  • turn onto Basin Rd

• Wilson's Cave is apparently near the intersection of Buchan-Orbost Rd and Basin Road
• there are some nice rural views to the south down the Buchan River valley
• Basin Road is an unsealed road at the start of the tourist drive which takes you to Gelantipy
• it is an 11min, 6.3km drive to the main intersection which gives options of:
  • the side route south down a 4WD only track to head to Balley Hooley camp ground and One Tree Hill Lookout (10min, 4.6km each way excluding the short Lookout side trip)
  • the side route north-east on Old Basin Road to Basin Falls (5min, 2.6km each way)
  • take the tourist route north to Tulloch Ard via Balley Hooley Road and then Tulloch Ard Rd through a variety of forests and views and back to Gelantipy Rd (sealed) which will take 92min without stopping on 47km of winding unsealed forest road but should be easily driveable with a 2WD in dry conditions

• this is a nice, small free camp ground where the Buchan River joins a bend of the Snowy River which makes it a nice spot for canoes and kayaks and perhaps a swim but the shores are rocky without sandy beaches and the water can be muddy

• great views and walk to falls

• the drive takes you through a range of different forests
• Walking track and picnic area (750m walk)

• lovely rural views in this section towards to ranges in the north and east
• Tulloch Ard Lookout walk:
  • 3.2km return 1.5hrs, mostly easy with some steep sections and rough surfaces and steps

• this section is sealed bitumen and takes 16min to travel its 17.4km

• then drive to Little River Falls (a 400m lookout), then to Little River Gorge (Victoria's deepest gorge - a 400m walk track leads to cliff top lookout with great views)
• Little River Falls on McKillops Road:
  • “This is a good meeting place and a short walk takes you to a lookout with a good view of the falls. A little further on a detour on the right leads to a short walking track to the Little River Gorge lookout which is a sight to behold. Numerous tempting side tracks are passed before a left hairpin turn reveals a track on the right which descends to Little River Junction (with the Snowy River). This is an ideal place to camp for the night and as the track itself is of moderate difficulty it is a good opportunity to test man and machine.”

• then negotiate the steep 16.5km to McKillops Bridge (rebuilt in 1935 and has a nice camp spot as well as others following the Deddick River)
• great views eastwards across the ranges and Little River Gorge, then further down, overlooking the Snowy River before one passes the free camp ground and then down to McKillops Bridge where there is another free camp ground on its north-eastern part
• this area is hotter (5degC hotter than the previous sections of the drive) and drier with a mallee-like stunted forest, so not a great option to camp on a hot summer's day (Goongerah is a much better option)

• Silver Mine walking track near MacKillops Bridge:
  • 15.5km loop walk but may require orienteering and skill as sections are overgrown

• drive to Ambyne Suspension Bridge, then Willow picnic area, then Tubbut, Wattle Camp picnic area, Taylors Camp picnic area, Jingalalla River picnic area
• the drive on the unsealed, winding gravel road from McKillops Bridge to Ambyne hugs the north facing steep valley overlooking the Deddick River, although there is not much obvious in the way of aesthetic photographic options, nor are there any camp grounds or wayside stops in this section
• from Ambyne to Bonang and Tubbutt there are a few free camp sites

• travel south down Bonang Rd (windy, bitumen road south of LillyPilly Creek, with logging trucks) to return to Orbost
• the tranquil Goongerah camp ground and picnic area on the Ellery Creek

• this takes you eastwards on a dry weather only 4WD track which may be seasonally closed - check the websites
• 4WD only - high clearance and experience required, Tennyson Tk is steep, rocky and slippery
• at The Gap Scenic Reserve, take the Bendoc-Orbost Rd
  • option for the 3hr return very steep walk down to the Erinundra Old Growth rainforest gully in The Gap Scenic Reserve)
• turn right at Gunmark Rd
• Three Sisters Lookout
• Tennyson campsite

• from The Gap Scenic Reserve, head north towards Bendoc, but take the left turn on Playgrounds Rd to take you to Delegate River Tunnel Picnic Area (old gold mining river diversion tunnel), then back into Bendoc

• if the weather is stormy this takes option 2 out of the equation and you may have already done option 1, so a reasonable alternative is to drive north on bitumen sealed roads to Delegate, then Bombala where one can again turn south to Cann River then the Princes Hway back to Orbost
• from the intersection of McKillops Rd and Bonang Rd, it is 106min and 151km to Cann River via Bombala - all on bitumen with some nice views over rolling rural hills in NSW and option for food and fuel in Bombala