I've never driven the Monaro Highway (B23), and it was a really interesting and engaging road.
Immediately leaving Cann River it's a different road to the Princes Highway.
Farm land to the left and bush to the right.
Then it starts to hug the Cann River, making it twist and curve for many kilometres.
Crossing the Victoria / New South Wales border, where I briefly wondered how checks were done when the borders were closed because there was no phone reception. I had the previous night filled out my entry permit for New South Wales, so had that on my phone should I have needed to provide it. Although now as I write this realise I should have had the email or its number saved / screenshotted given the lack of phone reception (not that I knew that at the time).
A short ways from the border I pulled over at a rest area to take a few photos. Only now looking at them, and comparing them to the street view of the same location realise how much damage the Black Summer fires had done in that area.
Driving through Bombala it seemed relatively busy with most of the parking spaces in the main street full, with all of the cars reversed into the angled spots. It looked like a nicer place to stop for a bite to eat and a wander than Cann River. But as it's 2 hours from Orbost to Bombala probably a little too long to hang out for breakfast if departing from there.
I stopped in Chakola at a rest stop next to the Numerella River to have a pee and stretch my legs a bit.
It's quite a picturesque place for a rest stop, with views of the mountains in the distance, farms across the river and the highway set far enough back from the rest stop to not be as noticeable (especially compared to some that barely anything separating them from the road). There are a lot of signs warning that the location is under surveillance, which did seem a little bit weird.
From there was only about an hour to reach my destination of the National Gallery of Australia, and its underground car park.