Leaving from the south eastern suburbs to Orbost was an easy enough four or so hours driving.
My intent with this mini road trip was to drive to Canberra from the south.
I've been to Canberra by road a few times in the past in 2009 and 2010, but all times had been via the Hume Freeway coming down from the north.
Using the Princes Highway to get Orbost in order to get to the Monaro Highway to head towards Canberra was enlightening.
Enlightening because it goes through lots of towns, which the Prince Highway hasn't bypassed. Unlike I think the Hume Freeway which now bypasses all of them. The last time I went along the Hume Freeway it was still going through Holbrook; no longer however as I discovered upon my return.
I stopped in Morwell to look at the now closed Hazelwood Power Station, pulling over at the somewhat sad memorial stone to the early development of the Hazelwood district by returned soldiers from World War I. They were allocated land by the settlement commission to develop dairy farms. But that area is now covered by the Hazelwood Pondage.
Drove up the road to the Hazelwood cemetery, as on the map there was a curious road that seemed to just go no where, and was close to the open cut coal mine that I was hoping to have a closer look at. The road itself was blocked off. The cemetery has a nice view of the surrounding countryside. The high tension power lines make an audible buzzing noise overhead.
My biggest regret along this route was taking the "tourist road" Great Alpine Road B500 in Bairnsdale and C620 from Bruthen to Nowa Nowa. I'm sure it's enjoyable for some people. But for a lot of it, it was just through forest and trees, and with the sun setting behind me making a yellow glare behind me, I found it isolating in a weird way.
I don't mind being alone on the road, that can feel liberating and relaxing, but there's a feeling of isolation too, and this stretch of road brought this.
At some point I guess I'll have to explore the bit of the Princes Freeway I missed by taking the "scenic" / tourist route.
Driving into Orbost realised that I could save some time the following day by filling up with diesel the night before. Stopped in Newmerella the township west of Orbost at a BP petrol station there. Had I looked would've realised there was a petrol station in Orbost. I had mostly focused on (in my planning) filling up in Cann River where there's a large United petrol station there.