Armidale to Coffs Harbour road trip: Distance, time & stops
The best stops on a Armidale to Coffs Harbour road trip include Armidale, Ebor Falls, Dorrigo and Bellingen. By car, the distance from Armidale to Coffs Harbour is 191km. That makes for a driving time of around 2h30m.
The Armidale to Coffs Harbour drive is one of the most scenic road trips in Australia. It passes through the Great Dividing Range, taking in some of New South Wales’ national parks, rainforests and waterfalls.
Coffs Harbour is an action-packed city with plenty of beaches. It also offers kayaking tours with marine scientists and a treetop adventure course.
Use this guide to help you plan out the perfect Armidale to Coffs Harbour road trip. Click through on the links for more detailed information on the towns and attractions.
Armidale to Coffs Harbour distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Armidale to Coffs Harbour is 191km. That makes for a driving time of around two hours and 30 minutes.
Things to do in Armidale include helicopter flights over the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, visiting the Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Cathedral and browsing the New England Regional Art Museum.
Where to stay in Armidale
For the best Armidale accommodation, book one of these:
- For charm and character: Petersons Armidale Winery & Guesthouse.
- For a great value motel: Alluna Motel.
- For central location: Tattersalls Hotel.
Armidale to Coffs Harbour road trip: Armidale to Ebor Falls
You’ll need to head down the B78 – also known as the Waterfall Way.
Unsurprisingly, the drive from Armidale to Coffs Harbour features many, many waterfalls. First up is Bakers Creek Falls, which should be treated as an amusé bouche for what’s to come.
Shortly afterwards, in the northern section of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, it’s a short branch-off to the Wollomombi Falls Picnic Area. Here, a walking track takes you to the lookout over Wollomombi Falls. At 220 metres, this is the highest waterfall in New South Wales.
Cathedral Rock National Park comes up to the north a little further on. Here, a challenging walk will take you to a natural mountaintop throne of giant stacked boulders.
South of the highway, it’s a short detour to the moderately attractive Serpentine Falls. Waterfall lovers with limited time are better off continuing to Ebor Falls in Guy Fawkes River National Park, however.
Ebor Falls is more about width than height, with an impressive amount of water cascading down the rock face.
Click through to the next section: Waterfall Way to Dorrigo.