Ballina road trips

Several good road trips start and finish in the Northern Rivers town of Ballina. Some of the best are listed here, along with distances and driving times.

Ballina is one of the hub towns of the Northern Rivers region in New South Wales. It tends to be overshadowed somewhat by Byron Bay to the north, but Ballina is the gateway to Byron and has plenty to keep you interested in its own right.

Several good road trip routes pass through or very close to Ballina. Those that begin or end in Ballina, and currently have guides on Australia Travel Questions, are listed below. Click through for further information.

The distances and driving times are estimates, put together using Google Maps. Clearly, if you build some road trip stops into the drive, it’ll take longer.

5 Ballina experiences to book in advance

Go on a dolphin watching cruise – sightings are very reliable.
Take a guided coastal walk – learning about the natural environment on the way.
Clink glasses as the sun goes down – on a Richmond River sunset cruise.
Take a cruise to the Julian Rocks Marine Reserve – with a marine biologist pointing out the dolphins, turtles and dramatic cliffs.
Learn to surf – on a private surfing lesson.

Ballina distances and driving times

Ballina to Gold Coast: Distance 115km, driving time 1h23m.

Ballina to Brisbane: Distance 186km, driving time 2h. (More Brisbane road trips).

Ballina to Byron Bay: Distance 34km, driving time 28m. (More Byron Bay road trips).

Ballina to Hervey Bay: Distance 487km, driving time 5h30m. (More Hervey Bay road trips).

Ballina to Lismore: Distance 33km, driving time 30m. (More Lismore road trips).

Ballina to Noosa: Distance 328km, driving time 3h43m.

Ballina to Tweed Heads: Distance 88m, driving time 57m. (More Tweed Heads road trips).

Ballina to Yamba: Distance 101km, driving time 1h10m. (More Yamba road trips).

Canberra to Ballina: Distance 1,007km, driving time 10h25m. (More Canberra driving times).

Coffs Harbour to Ballina: Distance 205km, driving time 2h9m. (More Coffs Harbour road trips).

Grafton to Ballina: Distance 136km, driving time 1h32m. (More Grafton road trips).

Melbourne to Ballina: Distance 1,598km, driving time 16h35m. (More road trips from Melbourne).

Port Macquarie to Ballina: Distance 372km, driving time 3h59m. (More Port Macquarie driving distances).

Sydney to Ballina: Distance 774km, driving time 8h12m. (More Sydney road trips).

Couple enjoying a bike ride on the shared coastal pathway trail in Ballina featuring Aboriginal signage acknowledging local cultural heritage. Photo copyright Destination NSW.

More New South Wales travel

How long is the Gold Coast to Yamba drive?

What can I see on the Coffs Harbour to Bellingen drive?

Where should I stop on the Coffs Harbour to Tweed Heads drive?

Take on the Pigeon House Mountain walk near Ulladulla.

How long does the Sydney to Katoomba train take?