Canberra to Ballina road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
Canberra to Ballina drive: Coffs Coast
From Nambucca Heads to Coffs Harbour, there are a couple of solid photo stops. Try the Oyster Creek Lookout just north of Valla Beach and the Perry’s Hill Lookout by of the Bellinger River.
The highway then runs through Bongil Bongil National Park. The walking tracks around the Bongil Picnic Area and Sid Burke Picnic Area are good places for spotting koalas.
On the way into Coffs Harbour, Sawtell Beach and Boambee Beach are on the coast, while the Coffs Harbour Butterfly House is next to the highway.
6 fab Coffs Harbour experiences to book in advance
- Glide through nature – on a Boambee Creek kayaking tour guided by a marine scientist.
- Jump out of a plane – with tandem skydives that land on the beach.
- Go kayaking and wildlife-spotting – on a coastal adventure.
- Head into the hinterland – on a rainforest and waterfalls day tour.
- Test your nerve and agility – at the Treetops Coffs Harbour adventure course.
- See migrating humpbacks up close – on a whale-watching cruise.
Good things to do in Coffs Harbour include Jetty Beach, rainforest tours, whale-watching cruises and skydives.
For Coffs Harbour accommodation, consider the quirky Big Windmill Motel, the nature-flanked Sanctuary Resort, the helpfully central Best Western Zebra Motel and the well-equipped Beachpark Apartments.
Leaving Coffs Harbour, you’ll go near the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden and the city’s gimmicky attractions – the Clog Barn and the Big Banana.
You might also like to visit Diggers Beach and the Solitary Islands Aquarium at Charlesworth Bay Beach, or the Forest Sky Pier and Treetops Adventure in Korora.
There are several tremendous beaches along the Coffs Coast.
Sapphire Beach and Moonee Beach are fabulous, while the Moonee Beach Nature Reserve and the Look At Me Now Headland are home to large numbers of kangaroos. The latter is just south of Emerald Beach.
Canberra to Ballina road trip: Arrawarra to Yamba
Following surf hotspots Woolgoolga and Arrawarra, the Pacific Highway turns inland just before Corindi Beach.
The Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre might be worth a visit before continuing – it offers insights into local Indigenous culture.
The highway veers past Grafton, Woodford Island and Lawrence before reaching weirdly Scottish Maclean. The Bicentennial Museum explains that Scottish heritage, while the Ferry Park Gallery showcases local artists.
The Waterview Motel and Club Maclean are decent choices for an overnight stay, but it’s a far better idea to turn east for delightful beach town Yamba.
Turners Beach, Yamba Main Beach and Pippi Beach are among the top spots for swimming and surfing here. You can also try cliff-jumping at Angourie Blue Pool.
Yamba accommodation picks include the Calypso Yamba caravan park, the well-priced Aston Motel, the riverside Moby Dick and the gardens-surrounded Blue Dolphin Holiday Resort.
Click through to the next section: Ballina.