Canberra to Gold Coast road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
Best stops on the Canberra to Gold Coast drive: Yamba to Ballina
After the Coffs Harbour to Yamba section of the road trip, Bundjalung National Park is worth a look. For a photo stop, try the Iluka Bluff Lookout. For something more involving, opt for the 6km Jerusalem Creek Peninsula track from the Black Rocks campground.
At Woodburn, there’s a possible branch-off to Evans Head and Broadwater National Park.
Here, Evans Head Heritage Aviation Museum tells the tale of the town’s huge WWII pilot training base. But the real highlight is the stunning 30km beach that stretches to the north. Accommodation is available at the Evans Head caravan park.
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.
The Pacific Highway, however, runs just west of Ballina. This is one of the major towns in the Northern Rivers region. Ballina activities include private surfing lessons and half day coastal walking tours.
Where to stay in Ballina
The top Ballina accommodation options are:
- For charm and personality: Ballina Manor Boutique Hotel.
- For a holiday park with family-sized cabins and lots kid-friendly facilities: Discovery Parks Ballina.
- For a relatively cheap, good quality motel: Almare Tourist Motel.
- For riverside location: Ramada Hotel and Suites.
Overnight stops between Canberra and the Gold Coast: Byron Bay
The next leg of the Canberra to Gold Coast road trip is the short drive from Ballina to Byron Bay.
Just north of Tintenbar, there’s waterfall action at Killen Falls and a kid-pleasing wildlife park at Macadamia Castle.
Alternatively, the coast offers a series of top surf spots along the coast. Lennox Head, Whites Beach, Kings Beach, the Broken Head Reserve and Arakwal National Park are all massively underrated compared to Byron.
The Pacific Motorway, however, goes past attractive Newrybar and food-centric Bangalow.
8 amazing Byron Bay experiences worth booking today
- Experience the region’s glorious natural landscapes from above – on a hot air balloon ride.
- Go kayaking with dolphins – and get much closer to them than on a boat tour 🐬.
- Learn to surf – on a half day surf lesson 🏄♀️.
- Discover the local secrets – let a guide show you the hidden beaches and waterfalls 🏖️.
- Go on a three habitat wildlife safari – spotting koalas, kangaroos and flying foxes 🐨🦘.
- See glowworms light up the World Heritage-listed rainforest.
- Explore the Byron Bay hinterland – including the rainforest walk to Minyon Falls.
- Taste craft beers and spirits – on a tour of Byron’s breweries and distilleries 🍻.
- Also try… Skydives | Sea-kayaking | Whale-watching.
If planning to stay in Byron Bay, come off the motorway Ewingsdale. This is home to The Farm Byron Bay, where Byron Bay hot air ballooning tours depart from.
Good Byron Bay activities include brewery tours, art and wine classes and turtle snorkelling tours.
For Byron Bay accommodation, take a look at the beachside Cavvanbah, the Bayview Beachfront Apartments and the Ingenia Byron Bay holiday park.
Click through to the next section: Brunswick Heads and the Tweed Coast.