Brisbane to Coonabarabran road trip: Distance, time & best stops

Road trip attractions on the 699km Brisbane to Coonabarabran drive itinerary include the Cobb & Co Museum in Toowoomba, Moree’s artesian baths and Dubbo Zoo.

Planning a Brisbane to Coonabarabran road trip

The drive from Brisbane to Coonabarabran takes you from the Queensland capital to the top spot for stargazing in New South Wales.

Top options in Brisbane include a Moreton Island day trip, climbing the Story Bridge and visiting native wildlife at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. To browse the collection of Brisbane tours and experiences, step this way. For the best value Brisbane hotels, pick here.

6 supreme Brisbane day trips that will improve your holiday

Moreton Island day trip – with kayaking, sandboarding and snorkelling or with dolphin-feeding and desert dunes adventure.
Springbrook National Park glowworms and rainforest tour – including Tamborine Skywalk.
Eumundi Markets day trip – Australia’s best markets, plus the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Noosa.
North Stradbroke Island day tour – with cruise, wildlife spotting and guided walk.
Tamborine Mountain winery tour – with gourmet lunch.
Maialia rainforest walking and wildlife tour – visit lesser-known D’Aguilar National Park.

To book a Siding Spring observatory tour near Coonabarabran, head here. For Coonabarabran accommodation, look here.

Use this guide to plan your perfect Brisbane to Coonabarabran road trip itinerary.

Brisbane to Coonabarabran distance and driving time

The Brisbane to Coonabarabran drive is 699km in distance, leading to a Brisbane to Coonabarabran driving time of around seven hours and 55 minutes. It’s highly advisable to break this journey down into more manageable chunks, and turn it into a road trip if at all possible.

9 brilliant Brisbane experiences to book in advance

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary tickets (or entry plus river cruise combo) – hold a koala and see lots of adorable native wildlife.
Brisbane River cruise – see the key sights and learn about the city on the way.
Story Bridge Adventure Climb – walk along the top of Brisbane’s famous bridge, with 360 degree views.
Combine the Southbank Parklands, City Botanic Gardens and Kangaroo Point Cliffs on a fun Segway tour.
Helicopter flight – see the city from a bird’s eye view.
Kayaking tour – choose the night tour to see the city light up, the day tour to enjoy the sunshine.
XXXX brewery tour – see how Australia’s most famous beer is made.
Guided wine flight tasting – get an Aussie wine introductory course.
See Brisbane’s spooky side on a city centre ghost tour.

The first stop should be Toowoomba. Top attractions here include the DownsSteam railway museum, Japanese Garden and Cobb & Co Museum.

Top Toowoomba accommodation recommendations

The best Toowoomba accommodation options are:

For central location and undercover parking at a 4.5 star with a pool: Oaks Toowoomba.
For well-equipped apartments: Athena Motel Apartments.
For a holiday park with plenty for the kids: Big4 Toowoomba Garden City.
For a surprisingly good motel at cheapish rates: Applegum Inn.

If you’re taking the Brisbane to Coonabarabran road trip at a leisurely pace, you might want to detour to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Kholo Botanic Gardens, Lake Wivenhoe or heritage-drenched Laidley.

Brisbane to Coonabarabran road trip: Toowoomba to Goondiwindi

The next leg of the drive is from Toowoomba to Goondiwindi, unless you’d like to push on a bit further and make the first day’s journey from Brisbane to Moree.

Either way, the historic murals of Millmerran make for a nice stop along the way.

Queensland border town Goondiwindi has a nice mix of history and culture. Top attractions include the Customs House Museum and Goondiwindi Art and Sculpture Trail. You can also go on intriguing cotton farm tours.

Goondiwindi accommodation picks

Hotel booking site Wotif offers Goondiwindi accommodation for from $97 a night. Check the options here.

The following, however, are particularly good choices.

For central location: Macintyre Motor Inn.
For cheapish rates and a pool: Binalong Motel.
For character: O’Shea’s Royal Hotel.
For family cabins: Freedom Lifestyle Parks Goondiwindi.

Brisbane to Coonabarabran drive: Goondiwindi to Narrabri

Want to push on? Then it’s about an hour and a quarter from Goondiwindi to Moree.

Things to do in Moree include the Waterbird Lagoon bird hide in the Gwydir Wetlands State Conservation Area, the Bank Art Museum and the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre.

What’s the best Moree accommodation?

Moree makes a logical overnight stop on many road trips. These are the best accommodation choices.

For exclusive artesian spa pools: Artesian Spa Motel.
For great reviews & a restaurant: Albert Motel.
For solid, well-priced apartments with a pool: Jackaroo Apartments.

From Moree to Narrabri, the best detour is to the Mount Kaputar National Park. Here, you’ll find walking trails around Sawn Rocks and Waa Gorge, plus birdwatching and mountain views around Mount Kaputar.

Things to do in Narrabri include the Narrabri Old Gaol and Museum and the Australia Telescope Compact Array.

If you’d prefer to stay the night here, Narrabri accommodation options include the well-regarded Adelong Motel and the pretty central Mid Town Inn.

Brisbane to Coonabarabran road trip: Narrabri to Coonabarabran

The drive continues through the Pillaga Forests and past the Timmallallie National Park towards Coonabarabran. If stopping at this country NSW town, go hiking by day in the Warrumbungle National Park, then stargazing at night at the Milroy Observatory. You can also take a tour of Australia’s largest telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory.

For the stargazing experiences, you’re probably going to want to stay overnight.