Coffs Harbour to Nambucca Heads: Distance, drive time & attractions

The Coffs Harbour to Nambucca Heads drive covers a 48km distance in a driving time of around 35 minutes. Road trip attractions along the route include the Coffs Harbour Butterfly House and Bongil Bongil National Park.

The drive from Coffs Harbour to Nambucca Heads connects the biggest city on the Mid North Coast on New South Wales with one its most popular holiday towns.

It’s a short drive by Australian standards, but you might like to turn it into a mini road trip with a few stops along the way.

To sort out your Nambucca Heads accommodation in advance, book here.

Coffs Harbour to Nambucca Heads distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Coffs Harbour to Nambucca Heads is 48km. You can expect a driving time of around 35 minutes. Most of that drive is along the Pacific Highway.

You can make several detours off the highway, however. Boambee Beach and the Boambee Headland Lookout don’t add too much time to the journey, while Sawtell Beach and the Bonville Head Lookout are a little further south.

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.

Coffs Harbour to Nambucca Heads road trip attractions

Stick to the highway, however, and you’ll pass the Coffs Harbour Butterfly House in Bonville. Here, you can amble around as hundreds of colourful butterflies flutter past.

The Coffs Harbour to Nambucca Heads drive then passes through Bongil Bongil National Park, which is a combination of stunning beaches and rainforest. The Bongil Picnic Area and Sid Burke Picnic Area are the closest beauty spots to the highway, while the rainforest tracks are renowned koala hangouts.

Coffs Harbour to Nambucca Heads drive: Lookouts

Just south of the national park come the Perry’s Hill Lookout, the Raleigh Winery and the Bellinger River crossing. The Coffs Harbour to Nambucca Heads drive then skips round fellow holiday town Urunga.

The Oyster Creek Lookout just north of Valla Beach is another decent photo stop, before you leave the highway next to the Nambucca State Forest. From there, take the old coast road and head into Nambucca Heads.

Things to do in Nambucca Heads include whale-watching from the Captain Cook Lookout and kayaking in Gaagal Wanggaan National Park.

Nambucca Heads accommodation options include the kid-friendly Ingenia holiday park, the solid Jabiru Motel and the pool-equipped Beach Rooms.