Dubbo to Gold Coast road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The best stops on the drive from Dubbo to the Gold Coast include Tamworth, Armidale and Byron Bay. By car along sealed roads, the distance from Dubbo to the Gold Coast is 855km, with a 9h55m driving time.
A Dubbo to Gold Coast road trip takes you from one of the most inland towns in New South Wales to Queensland’s most famous holiday strip.
Dubbo is best known for the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, where you can stay overnight and do safari-style tours. To find good quality Dubbo accommodation that suits your tastes, explore the options here.
When you finally reach the Gold Coast, 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.
This guide should help you plot out your perfect Dubbo to Gold Coast road trip itinerary.
Dubbo to Gold Coast distance and driving time
By car along sealed roads, the distance from Dubbo to the Gold Coast is 855km. That makes for a driving time of around nine hours and 55 minutes.
This is assuming that Surfers Paradise is the final destination on the Gold Coast – for other areas of the Gold Coast, it’ll be a few minutes either side of that figure.
The best stops to add to a Dubbo to Gold Coast road trip itinerary include Tamworth, Armidale, Grafton and Byron Bay.
Dubbo accommodation picks
Australia specialist booking site Wotif offers Dubbo accommodation for from $80 a night. To search through the options, visit the top deals page.
However, the following well-reviewed Dubbo accommodation options are particularly worth considering.
- For families: Discovery Parks Dubbo holiday park.
- For business travellers and anyone who wants a bit more space: The Quest apartments.
- For good value in a central location: Surestay Hotel.
- For a high quality motel with indoor AND outdoor pools: Cattlemans Country Motor Inn.
Dubbo to Gold Coast road trip: Dubbo to Coolah
Leaving Dubbo along the Golden Highway/B84, the first realistic stop is an hour away in Dunedoo. There’s nothing to get massively excited about here, but there are a few places to eat, plus a swimming pool and golf course. The highlight for visitors is likely to be the silo art – massive murals have been painted on Dunedoo’s grain silos.
The Dubbo to Tamworth leg of the Dubbo to Gold Coast drive then continues towards Coolah along Black Stump Way.
From Coolah, you can potentially make a detour into Coolah Tops National Park a potential detour from here. There are several waterfalls, lookouts, walking trails and campgrounds to enjoy.
Dubbo to Gold Coast drive: Coolah to Tamworth
Otherwise, continue along the uneventful Black Stump Way before eventually turning right down Purlewaugh Road. This becomes Coonabarabran Road and passes the Spring Ridge Rifle Range.
Just after the Mooki River crossing in Caroona, you’ll need to branch left onto Waverley Road, cross the Kamilaroi Highway and continue east along Gap Road.
This will take you to Werris Creek, arguably the most interesting town between Dubbo and Tamworth.
The Rail Journeys Museum here is devoted to all things train travel. There’s also the Australian Railway Monument, which pays tribute to 2,700 railway workers who died in the course of duty.
Werris Creek Road will take you north-east into guitar-twanging Tamworth.
Things to do in Tamworth include the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Tamworth Powerstation Museum, which explores electricity and electronics. For natural beauty in the vicinity, try Chaffey Dam near Nundle.
The best places to stay in Tamworth
There are several Tamworth accommodation options. These, however, are the best picks…
- For excellent value and a pool: Roydons Motor Inn.
- For design flair: CH Boutique Hotel.
- For central location: City Sider Motor Inn.
- For spacious apartments: Cadman Motor Inn and Apartments.
- For heritage and charm: Quality Inn Ashby House.
Click through to the next section: Tamworth to Uralla.