Mm-hmm. I know those roads too. I was a bit further afield in the NE last week: true, in Bright initially, then far up to Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park along that thrilling downhill at Shelley and Koetong (convenient as pub stop...) and NE again out of Corryong along more twisting roads to Cudgewa (this is where I enjoy using the VF in manual mode with a tap up and nudge down). Return trip was via Lavington overnight, then Albury (sedately!), then south to Melbourne and finally Geelong. No stick needed get my wagoon trundling even with a campingl oad, just about knows the way home, but it's a pity that the freeways are limited to 110km/h. 130km/h in the NT (north of Alice Springs is quite something again, though nothing like the open/unlimited speed limit that was often taken to extremes by hoons years ago before the NT guv'nor pulled the plug...
A day trip from Melbourne to Seymour, all of 100km I think wouldn't show much, certainly not at 110km/h. Howzabouts you knock out friend with some beers, and convince him on a week-long road trip from Melbourne to Alice Springs. It's a bloody marvellous (if at times hypnosis-inducing) trip. Swap drivers either way. Guaranteed, 130% (along with that speed limit) it will be mighty impressive and memorable.