Coffs Harbour to Inverell road trip: Distance, time & best stops
The best stops to add to a Coffs Harbour to Inverell road trip itinerary include Grafton, Gibraltar Range National Park and Glen Innes. By car, the Coffs Harbour to Inverell distance is 306km and driving time around 3h29m.
A Coffs Harbour to Inverell road trip heads from the largest city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales into the New England region.
Coffs Harbour is an action-packed New South Wales city with plenty of beaches. It also offers kayaking tours with marine scientists and a treetop adventure course. For Coffs Harbour accommodation deals, ferret around here.
For accommodation in Inverell, look here.
This guide should help you plan a great Coffs Harbour to Inverell road trip itinerary.
Click through on the links for more detailed links about individual towns and attractions – and remember to stock up on your road trip essentials before setting off.
Coffs Harbour to Inverell distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Coffs Harbour to Inverell is 306km. This makes for a driving time of around three hours and 29 minutes.
Excellent road trip stops between Coffs Harbour and Inverell include Emerald Beach, Grafton, Gibraltar Range National Park and Grafton.
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.
Coffs Harbour to Inverell road trip: The Coffs Coast
On the way out of Coffs Harbour, you’ll pass near the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden and the city’s cheesy tourist traps – the Clog Barn and the Big Banana.
You’ll also go near Diggers Beach and the Solitary Islands Aquarium at Charlesworth Bay Beach, plus the Forest Sky Pier and Treetops Adventure in Korora.
The Coffs Coast’s northern section brings superb beaches, with Sapphire Beach, Moonee Beach and Emerald Beach jostling for attention.
For wildlife enthusiasts, Moonee Beach Nature Reserve and the Look At Me Now Headland are home to large numbers of kangaroos.
Surf villages Woolgoolga and Arrawarra are next, and the Pacific Highway turns inland just before Corindi Beach.
Road trip essentials that many travellers forget
Search on the web, and you’ll find ludicrously long lists of equipment to take on a road trip. Australia Travel Questions isn’t going to do that to you. But it is worth buying the following road trip items before setting off. Click through for a good range of options.
- Charging cables – yes, you’ll probably need a spare at some point.
- Car charger adaptor – in case your rental car has the old-fashioned cigarette lighter rather than a USB.
- Multi USB charger – for those hotel rooms that don’t have enough power sockets.
- Fold-up chairs – to make anywhere a picnic spot.
- A really good water bottle – go for a bigger one than usual to last the longer drives.
- Packing cubes – save space but, more importantly, avoid unpacking everything every night.
Coffs Harbour to Inverell drive: Arrawarra to Grafton
The Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre just north of Arrawarra is worth a look if you want to understand local Indigenous heritage, but otherwise this is where the Pacific Highway heads inland.
Much of the rest of the Coffs Harbour to Grafton leg is wild and rural. The Yuraygir State Conservation Area to the north of the highway is not set up for tourists.
You branch off the Pacific Highway at the junctions with the Big River Way, which heads into Grafton over the Clarence River.
Grafton’s attractions are mainly handsome heritage buildings such as Schaeffer House and the Christ Church Cathedral, although it is also famed for its jacaranda trees.
Top Grafton accommodation options
The best places to stay in Grafton are:
- For central location: Civic Motel.
- For charm and personal touch: Andavine House Bed and Breakfast.
- For a relatively cheap, good quality motel with a pool: Grafton Lodge Motel.
Click through to the next section: Across the Great Dividing Range.