By the time Melbourne clocks its third straight day hovering in the high 30℃, our house starts to feel a little feral. The kids are sticky, our usually sweet golden retriever, Peanut, refuses to walk on hot pavement, and no amount of icy poles seems to fix the mood. That’s usually when I start plotting an escape. 

I’m Kara Elliston, and I am a massive lover of campervan travel in Australia with my two kids (4 and 7) and our eternally hopeful retriever, Peanut. This trip wasn’t about squeezing everything into a tight travel itinerary. It was about finding cooler air, deep shade, and places where summer feels manageable again.  

While Tasmania did cross my mind, as it’s reliably cooler in summer, that said, with school holidays, a dog in tow, and limited time, it just wasn’t realistic for this road trip. Victoria’s forests and alpine regions, though, were right there. Close enough to reach without drama, but far enough to feel like a proper reset, with plenty of elevation to keep us cool in the heatwave.  

We picked up our campervan hire from Apollo’s Melbourne branch early one morning, stocked the fridge with easy meals, and pointed the camper east. What followed was a slow unfurling of cooler country: the green tunnels of the Yarra Ranges, alpine towns where nights actually cool down, rivers cold enough to squeal when you step in, and campgrounds where the shade does the heavy lifting. If you’re hunting for cool places to visit in summer in Australia, this campervan loop delivers, especially when you’re travelling with kids and need flexibility! 

 

Melbourne to Healesville & the Black Spur

The drive from Melbourne to Healesville always feels like the first proper breath after holding it too long. It’s only around 64 kilometres (about 1 to 1.5 hours), but the shift happens fast. The suburbs thin out, the trees get taller, and somewhere along the way, the heat loosens its grip. 

That first hour in the campervan was charged in the best way. The kids buzzed with excitement, snacks appeared far earlier than planned, and there was a running debate over music, while Peanut stretched out and claimed her spot in the cool air-conditioning. As we left the suburbs behind and climbed into the Yarra Ranges, the heat eased almost without us noticing. The gauge dropped a little, the windows came down, and the drive immediately felt easier. 

The Black Spur drive was where that shift really settled in. Tall tree ferns lined the road, the light softened as it filtered through the canopy, and the air carried a damp, forest coolness that cut through the heat.  

 

Is the Black Spur dog-friendly?

Travelling with Peanut means we’re always thinking a step ahead, and the Black Spur Drive offers plenty of dog-friendly options if you know its limits. The drive itself is dog-friendly, and we stopped at a couple of roadside picnic areas where dogs are welcome on leash. They’re perfect for quick leg-stretches and letting kids run in circles for five minutes before piling back into the motorhome. 

That said, many walking tracks within the Yarra Ranges National Park don’t allow dogs, so we skipped any big plans for hikes here. Instead, we treated this leg as a scenic drive with windows down, forest views, short stops, and saved proper walks for later in the trip.  

 

Healesville with kids

Healesville is one of those towns that understands families. You don’t have to work hard to fill a day here, which is exactly what you want when everyone’s adjusting to life on the road. 

We started with ice cream (always), then wandered the main street without any real plan. Healesville Sanctuary is the headline attraction and a big hit with kids, especially if they’re at that age where kangaroos and koalas still feel magical. Dogs aren’t allowed inside, so we took turns: one adult with the kids, one back at the van with Peanut, then swapped later. It meant no one felt rushed, which made the day far more enjoyable. 

There are shaded playgrounds dotted around town that are perfect for burning off energy, and bakeries that make lunch easy without needing to cook. We grabbed a few things, found shade, and let the kids sprawl while Peanut lay flat out under the table. 

We stayed one to two nights at a dog-friendly site at the Enclave at Healesville, which gave us space, trees, and quiet evenings, which is the perfect soft landing after leaving the city. If you’re travelling with kids and planning not venture as far on your first day, Apollo’s guide to family-friendly campsites and holiday parks around Melbourne is worth a look for similar stops. 

 

Healesville to Bright: Rivers & cool evening air

The drive to Bright is around 270 to 300 kilometres and usually takes about 3.5 to 4 hours, but we stretched it out with plenty of stops. Snack breaks, toilet stops, and a quick run around a rest area. This is where travelling by camper shines. There’s no pressure to push through, no strict timetable. You just keep moving until it feels right to pause. 

Rolling into Bright beside the Ovens River felt like arriving somewhere that understands summer properly. Evenings cool down quickly here. The kids were straight into the Bright Splash Park (albeit not dog-friendly), so Peanut and I found a shady spot nearby and watched the chaos from a distance. Dinner was easy: food trucks for the kids, something simple back at the van for me, and a short river walk to settle everyone before bed. 

Bright is made for summer travel. Cold river swims, good shade, and campgrounds that actually feel cool at night. We chose a site with plenty of trees so the campervan stayed comfortable well into the evening. 

 

Great Alpine Road: Mountain breezes & alpine nights

From Bright, we eased onto the Great Alpine Road in the late afternoon. The drive to Dinner Plain (around 65 to 70 kilometres) is about an hour to an hour and a quarter, and climbs steadily, and you feel the change almost immediately. Windows down, cooler air rushing in, the kids suddenly asking where their jumpers are. 

We continued towards Omeo the following day, a further 40 to 45 minutes, but Dinner Plain was where the alpine feeling really set in. Nights here are quiet in a way that feels rare after Melbourne. No traffic noise, no hot air lingering. Just cool breezes, early bedtimes and stunning alpine views.  

 

Great Alpine Road summer itinerary?

A Great Alpine Road summer itinerary usually runs Bright → Mount Hotham → Dinner Plain → Omeo. We stretched ours across two days so we could soak it all in. With nothing but a heatwave waiting for us in the valleys, slowing things down was no problem. It meant stopping at lookouts, taking short walks, and letting everyone soak up the alpine air.  

 

How long does it take to drive the Great Alpine Road? 

The full Great Alpine Road itinerary/route takes around 4.5 to 6 hours of driving in total, but we treated it as a two- to three-day experience. That extra time made all the difference. 

We picnicked at lookouts where the air felt ten degrees cooler than the valleys below. We took short forest walks where dogs were welcome on leash (like Fitzy’s Cirque and Ority’s). The kids collected smooth river stones and proudly lined them up outside the motorhome. We bought local berries and cooked dinner back at camp, eating quietly as the light faded. 

Stepping outside at altitude and feeling a breeze instead of dry heat never got old. Dinner Plain at night was the opposite of Melbourne: still, cool, and calm.  

 

Transition Stop: Dinner Plain to Benalla

After the high points of the Great Alpine Road, none of us had the appetite for another massive day behind the wheel. The drive down towards Benalla takes around 3.5 to 4 hours, but we simply meandered our descent back into the lower country. 

As the elevation dropped, the warmth crept back in, but not in that sharp, city way. Breaking the journey with a night in Benalla gave us space to ease out of alpine mode without diving straight into the heat again. 

Benalla surprised us in the best way. Shady parks right in town made it easy to let the kids run wild while Peanut flopped dramatically on the grass. There was ice cream involved (of course) and a wander past the Benalla Art Gallery for a little way to break up the day. 

That afternoon was one of those quiet parenting wins: kids occupied, dog cooled off, and adults actually sitting down for more than five minutes. It reminded me exactly why I love campervan travel and that you don’t need a jam-packed itinerary to enjoy a family trip away! 

 

Benalla to Halls Gap: Lakes, lookouts & cool mornings

Next, we ventured west towards Halls Gap for some more adventures at altitude. Here, alpine greens give way to wide skies and sandstone cliffs, and the landscape starts to feel older and broader somehow.  

Arriving in Halls Gap, the rhythm of the place takes over quickly. Kangaroos appeared in the evenings like clockwork, grazing just far enough away not to intimidate my little one, but close enough to hold everyone’s attention. Ice creams became a daily ritual, usually justified by how “active” the kids had been. 

We made time for a lakeside swim at Lake Fyans, which became an instant favourite. The water was cool without being shocking, and the open space meant the kids could splash while Peanut stayed safely leashed nearby.   

 

Are dogs allowed in the Grampians National Park?

This was one section of the trip where having a dog meant adjusting expectations. Dogs aren’t permitted inside most areas of Grampians National Park, so we based ourselves in a dog-friendly holiday park just outside Halls Gap. From there, we took turns: one adult heading out with the kids for short walks, the other staying back at camp with Peanut. 

It worked better than expected. The kids loved feeling like they were on a “mission” each time they set off, and Peanut seemed more than happy to guard the campervan and supervise snacks (and I got some time to curl up with a good book, which was very welcome). Parks like Acacia Caravan Park near Halls Gap or Horsham Holiday Park further out are solid options if you’re travelling with a dog. 

Despite the restrictions, the Grampians still felt incredibly family-friendly. Sunset lookout drives were done early while there was still plenty of daylight, days were spent meandering, and evenings were spent cooking easy barbecues back at camp. It was low-key, flexible, and exactly what this part of the trip needed to be. 

 

Returning to Melbourne

After a final slow morning, it was time to tackle the drive back home. The drive from Halls Gap to Melbourne only takes around three hours, so we stretched the morning out as long as possible. A slow pack-up, one last wander, and a coffee stop that was deliberately unhurried. 

After another snack-filled leg of the road trip, returning the camper to Apollo felt oddly bittersweet. The kids were busy recounting their favourite moments from the back seat, and Peanut snoozed contentedly, clearly satisfied with her week of new smells and shaded naps. Cooler nights, slower days, and plenty of time outside had done their job. It wasn’t just a break from the heat; it was a perfect little family reset. 

 

Final tips for beating the summer heat

Before we left, I refreshed myself on a few practical tricks for hot-weather travel, including Apollo’s guide to keeping your campervan cool in summer. It’s the kind of advice you think you won’t need — until you absolutely do. Most of all, this trip reinforced a few lessons I’ll carry into every future summer campervan adventure: 

• Drive early and relax through the afternoons when the heat peaks. 

• Prioritise shade when choosing stops and campgrounds — it makes a huge difference. 

• Keep water within easy reach at all times, especially for kids and dogs. 

• Avoid driving at dusk or night when wildlife activity increases. 

• Always check local fire danger ratings before moving on. 

• Choose river or lakeside campgrounds where possible as the water naturally cools the air around you. 

• Download the thl Roadtrip App for easy offline campsite searches and itinerary building  

Those small choices add up to a much more comfortable motorhome experience, especially when travelling in summer! 

 

Ready to escape the heat?

While this sort of travel isn’t the most high-paced or includes all the top attractions, it is the kind of trip that leaves our whole family relaxed and not exhausted when we get home. Best of all, Apollo has a huge range of campervan hire options designed for comfort on long drives, making it easy to plan a travel itinerary that works around your family, not the other way around.