Day trips from Canberra: the coast, the snow and the country

One of the quiet privileges of living in Canberra is how much sits within an easy drive. In the same morning you could choose between sand between your toes, snow underfoot or a cellar door in the hills. The capital is landlocked and bush-ringed, but it is also a hub, with good highways running in every direction. Here is a practical guide to the best day trips, grouped by what you feel like doing, with honest driving distances so you can plan the day around the road rather than the other way around.

The coast

The South Coast is Canberra's beach, and locals have treated it that way for generations. Batemans Bay is the closest stretch of ocean, roughly 150km and around two hours via the Kings Highway, which climbs through Braidwood before dropping down the Clyde Mountain to the sea. Oysters, fish and chips on the foreshore and a string of beaches make it an easy there-and-back day.

Push a little further and you reach Jervis Bay and the village of Huskisson, about 2.5 hours away, famous for some of the whitest sand in the world and turquoise water that looks imported. Further south, Narooma and the cheese-and-history town of Central Tilba reward anyone willing to spend longer in the car. A coastal tip: leave early. The Clyde Mountain is slower than the map suggests, and afternoon traffic back up the range on a sunny weekend can test your patience.

The snow

In winter the same instinct sends Canberrans south to the Snowy Mountains. According to Destination NSW, the alpine resorts are about a 2.5-hour drive from the capital. The Monaro Highway runs through Cooma, the traditional gateway town, before the road continues to Jindabyne, the lakeside base for the snowfields. From there it is a further climb to Perisher via Kosciuszko Road and to Thredbo along the Alpine Way.

The mountains are not just a cold-weather trip. Once the snow melts, Kosciuszko National Park becomes a summer playground of bushwalks, including the walk to mainland Australia's highest peak, plus mountain biking, fishing and paddling on the lakes. Whatever the season, check road conditions before you set out, carry chains when they are required in the park, and remember that fuel and phone signal both thin out the higher you go.

The country and the highlands

For something gentler, the surrounding country delivers heritage villages and big skies without a long haul. Braidwood, about an hour east on the way to the coast, is a National Trust-classified town of antique shops, galleries and good bakeries. Gundaroo and Murrumbateman sit even closer to the north. Tourism Australia singles out Gundaroo, around 30 minutes away, for its historic 19th-century pub and country dining.

Drive a little further up the Hume and you reach the Southern Highlands, roughly 1.5 hours from Canberra, where Bowral, Berrima, Bundanoon and Moss Vale offer cool-climate gardens, antiques and cafes. It is one of the few day trips you can do entirely without a car, with NSW TrainLink and coach services running from the capital.

The wine country

Canberra punches well above its weight for cool-climate wine, and you barely have to leave the suburbs to taste it. Murrumbateman, the heart of the Canberra district wine region, is only about 40km and half an hour north-west via the Barton Highway. The area is dotted with boutique cellar doors, and a sealed winery trail links several of them for those who would rather cycle than drive. If you are tasting, the sensible move is to book a hop-on, hop-off tour or nominate a driver, so the day stays a pleasure rather than a problem.

Planning the day

A few habits make all of these trips smoother. Fuel up before you leave the ACT, pack water and layers because the coast, the country and the mountains can all run colder or hotter than the city, and watch for wildlife on dusk and dawn drives. For current conditions and ideas, VisitCanberra, Destination NSW and Tourism Australia all keep up-to-date touring information. The best thing about living here is that you rarely have to pick just one direction. Next weekend, simply choose your landscape and go.