Canberra to Coffs Harbour road trip: Best stops, distance & time

Canberra to Coffs Harbour 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.

Good things to do in Coffs Harbour include Jetty Beach, rainforest tours, whale-watching cruises and skydives.

Windsurfers at Jetty Beach in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

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.

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.