Coffs Harbour to Surfers Paradise road trip: Distance, time & stops
The best stops to add to a Coffs Harbour to Surfers Paradise road trip itinerary include Ballina, Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads. By car, the distance from Coffs Harbour to Surfers Paradise is 312km and driving time around 3h21m.
A Coffs Harbour to Surfers Paradise road trip connects two of the most popular spots on the east coast of Australia.
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.
When you finally reach Surfers Paradise, top experience options include kayaking and snorkelling tours, buffet dinner sightseeing cruises and jetboat adventures. To pick from a wider list of Gold Coast experiences, head here. To source good deals on Gold Coast accommodation, try here.
Best day trips from the Gold Coast – 7 ways to improve your stay
The Gold Coast is a destination in its own right, but there are several excellent day trips you can do while using it as a base.
- Deluxe Tamborine Mountain winery tour – with gourmet lunch.
- Full day Springbrook National Park tour – with waterfalls and bush tucker tasting.
- Snorkelling with turtles at Cook Island.
- Evening glowworm-viewing experience – with guided stargazing.
- Lady Elliot Island day trip – with glass bottom boat & guided Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tour.
- Hopping between microbreweries – with lunch included.
- Northern Rivers fruit & distillery tour – with Tropical Fruit World and Husk Distillers.
However, there are several excellent attractions between Coffs Harbour and Surfers Paradise. This guide is aimed at helping travellers plan their perfect Coffs Harbour to Surfers Paradise road trip itinerary.
Coffs Harbour to Surfers Paradise distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Coffs Harbour to Surfers Paradise is 312km. This makes for a driving time of around three hours and 21 minutes.
Excellent road trip stops between Coffs Harbour and Surfers Paradise include Ballina, Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads.
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 Surfers Paradise road trip: Coffs Harbour to Corindi Beach
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.
Coffs Harbour to Surfers Paradise drive: Arrawarra to Bundjalung National Park
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.
The route runs past Woodford Island 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.
Further along, 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.
Woodburn to Ballina
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.
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. The home of the Big Prawn 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.
Click through to the next section: A stop in Byron Bay.