Ballina to Gold Coast road trip: Distance, time & stops
The Ballina to Gold Coast drive is 115km in distance, with a driving time of around 1h23m. Top road trip stops include Byron Bay, Brunswick Heads and Kingscliff.
The drive from Ballina to the Gold Coast takes you from one of the hubs of the Northern Rivers region to Queensland’s most popular tourist strip. It’s not an especially long drive by Australian standards, but there are plenty of road trip stops you might be tempted into making along the way.
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Ballina to Gold Coast distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Ballina to Gold Coast drive is 115km. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 23 minutes. This is assuming you’re heading for Surfers Paradise. Other spots on the Gold Coast, such as Coolangatta and Currumbin, are a little closer.
Best day trips from the Gold Coast – 7 ways to improve your stay
The Gold Coast is a destination in its own right, but there are several excellent day trips you can do while using it as a base.
- Deluxe Tamborine Mountain winery tour – with gourmet lunch.
- Full day Springbrook National Park tour – with waterfalls and bush tucker tasting.
- Snorkelling with turtles at Cook Island.
- Evening glowworm-viewing experience – with guided stargazing.
- Lady Elliot Island day trip – with glass bottom boat & guided Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tour.
- Hopping between microbreweries – with lunch included.
- Northern Rivers fruit & distillery tour – with Tropical Fruit World and Husk Distillers.
The first leg of the Ballina to Gold Coast drive is from Ballina to Byron Bay. On this section of the drive, you can enjoy Killen Falls just north of Tintenbar and the kid-friendly wildlife park at Macadamia Castle.
Alternatively, you can detour to the coast for several excellent surf spots. Lennox Head, Whites Beach, Kings Beach, the Broken Head Reserve and Arakwal National Park would all be top drawer attractions anywhere else.
Next section: Byron Bay attractions.