Armidale to Gold Coast road trip: Distance, time & stops
The best stops on an Armidale to Gold Coast road trip include Cathedral Rock National Park, Ebor Falls and the Nymboida River. By car, the distance from Armidale to Gold Coast is 438km. That makes for a driving time of around 5h11m.
The Armidale to Gold Coast 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, before hitting a gorgeous coastline.
To pick out the best Armidale accommodation, head here.
When you finally reach the Gold Coast, top experience options include kayaking and snorkelling tours, buffet dinner sightseeing cruises and jetboat adventures.
Use this guide to help you plan out the perfect Armidale to Gold Coast road trip. Click through on the links for more detailed information on the towns and attractions.
Armidale to Gold Coast distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Armidale to the Gold Coast is 438km. That makes for a driving time of around five hours and 11 minutes.
This is assuming that Surfers Paradise is the final destination on the Gold Coast – for other areas of the Gold Coast, it’ll be a few minutes either side of that figure.
Top stops to add to an Armidale to Gold Coast road trip itinerary include Grafton, Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads.
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 Gold Coast road trip: Armidale to Ebor Falls
You’ll need to peel off the New England Highway at Armidale, and head down the B78 – also known as the Waterfall Way.
Unsurprisingly, the drive from Armidale to Gold Coast 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 for the next section: Ebor to Grafton.