Melbourne to Coffs Harbour road trip: Best stops, distance & time

Driving from Melbourne to Coffs Harbour: Kempsey to Macksville

Stay with the Pacific Highway instead, and Billabong Zoo and Cassegrain Wines are the main attractions before reaching Kempsey.

Kempsey pays tribute to the nation’s most adored country musician at the Slim Dusty Centre.

Kempsey accommodation picks include the riverside Park Drive Motel and the pool-equipped Motel Kempsey.

It’s another 106km from Kempsey to Coffs Harbour. You might want to make a short detour to the Yarriabini Lookout for wonderful Macleay River Valley views.

The next town up is Macksville, which offers birdwatching at the Valley of the Mist wetland and local history at the Mary Boulton Pioneer Cottage.

The Mandarin Motel is your best bet for overnight accommodation in Macksville, but you may as well keep going to coastal Nambucca Heads.

Click through for the next section: Nambucca Heads to Coffs Harbour.