In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Cann River
Stop for one night if you are driving the Princes Highway between Orbost and the NSW border; skip it as a destination on its own.
Cann River is a highway town of about 200 people where the Monaro Highway (B23) meets the Princes Highway (A1), roughly halfway between Melbourne and the New South Wales border. There is a pub, a bakery, two cafés, a motel or two and a free 48-hour camp. The reason to stop is the drive itself: rainforest at Alfred National Park, the coast at Mallacoota, and a bed before the long run to Canberra or Batemans Bay.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (cold, wet, fog on the highway)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$60–110 excl. bed · Mid A$110–180 excl. bed · High A$180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From a mobile 112
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | A$4–6 |
| Bakery pie | A$6–9 |
| Pub main meal | A$25–38 |
| Motel room, double | A$90–180 |
| Fuel, per litre | A$1.80–2.10 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MEL · Melbourne Airport
- About 5 h by car via the Princes Highway; no local airport.
- CBR · Canberra Airport
- About 4 h by car via the Monaro Highway; no local airport.
Typical fares
- Coach, Bairnsdale → Cann River
- check the V/Line timetable; the Canberra service runs Mon, Thu, Sat only
- Coach, Cann River → Batemans Bay
- one service daily in each direction (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk. The whole town is a few hundred metres along the highway, and everything you need is on it. A car is required for Alfred National Park, Mallacoota and any beach stop.
See and do
Known for
- Monaro Highway junction
- Alfred National Park rainforest
- Princes Highway road-trip stop
- Cann River Bakery
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Alfred National Park | Drive 20 km (12 mi) east on the Princes Highway, then walkDrive 12 mi (20 km) east on the Princes Highway, then walk | About 30 min each way |
| Mallacoota | Drive east on the Princes Highway, then south | About 1 h |
| Orbost | Drive west on the Princes Highway | About 1 h |
| Buchan | Drive west to Orbost, then north | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Princes Highway strip
- Motels, bakery and cafés on the main road; walkable end to end in about 10 minutes.
- Monaro Highway end
- The Hop Inn Motor Inn sits here, with a pool and garden; quietest side of town.
- Cann River Rainforest Caravan Park
- Free stopover site with cold water only, maximum 48 hours; bring your own everything.
Language
English everywhere, with a fast, informal Australian style: shortened words (arvo, servo, brekkie), 'mate' for anyone and irony as default. Place names across the country come from Aboriginal languages, and signs increasingly use dual names.
- Ask what a place is called in the local language on tours; many parks now use dual names (Uluru / Ayers Rock, K'gari / Fraser Island).
- 'How are you going?' is a greeting, not a question needing a full answer.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- Fuel up here if you are heading north on the Monaro Highway: the next reliable services are a long way on.
- Wildlife on the road at dawn and dusk, especially wombats and kangaroos.
- The free camp has cold water only and a 48-hour limit; no power, no showers.
- Mobile coverage is patchy on the forest stretches either side of town.
A quiet highway town and safe by any normal measure. The real risks are the drive: wildlife at dusk, fog in winter and long gaps between fuel and phone signal.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Cann River yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Monaro Highway junction
- Alfred National Park rainforest
- Princes Highway road-trip stop
- Cann River Bakery
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Victoria — East Gippsland: www.visitvictoria.com/regions/gippsland
- V/Line timetables: www.vline.com.au/Timetables
- Parks Victoria — Alfred National Park: www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/alfred-national-park
- East Gippsland Shire — caravan parks: www.eastgippsland.vic.gov.au/caravan-parks/cann-river-rainforest-and-other-campgrounds
- Wikivoyage: Cann River, revision 5246173 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5246173
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/cann-river). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.