Forbes to Goondiwindi road trip: Distance, time & best stops
The Forbes to Goondiwindi drive covers a distance of 640km in a driving time of around 7h16m. Top road trip stops to add to the itinerary include Parkes, Dubbo and Coonabarabran.
Planning a Forbes to Goondiwindi road trip itinerary
A road trip from Forbes to Goondiwindi can be an enjoyable romp up the Newell Highway into Queensland. For many, this will be part of a longer road trip – the quickest route from Melbourne to Hervey Bay passes this way, for example.
To find a great place to stay in Forbes, look here.
If you’re planning to stay in Goondiwindi, track down accommodation deals here.
This guide should help you plan your perfect Forbes to Goondiwindi road trip itinerary.
Click through on the individual places and attractions for more detailed, specific information.
If you need to hire a car, find the best rental deals. And don’t forget to do all your pre-road trip shopping.
Forbes to Goondiwindi distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Forbes to Goondiwindi is 640km. This makes for a driving time of around seven hours and 16 minutes. Obviously, you may want to make a few road trip stops along the way.
Things to do in Forbes include learning about bushranger Ben Hall at the Forbes Historical Museum and strolling the Sculptures Down The Lachlan art trail. You can stay the night at the centrally-located Ben Hall Motor Inn or the well-reviewed Town and Country Motor Inn.
Forbes to Goondiwindi road trip: Forbes to Parkes
Another 33km along the Newell Highway, and you arrive in Parkes.
Parkes hosts the Henry Parkes Centre, which houses Elvis museum King’s Castle.
Top of the list of things to do in Parkes, however, is paying a visit to the Dish. Also known as Murriyang, this powerful radio telescope at the CSIRO Parkes Observatory transmitted the images of the 1969 moon landing to the world.
The best accommodation in Parkes
The top places to stay in Parkes are:
- For overall quality: Bushman’s Motor Inn.
- For central location: Court Street Motel.
- For parkside location: Hamilton Henry Parkes Motor Inn.
Forbes to Goondiwindi drive: Parkes to Dubbo
The next leg of the journey is the 120km drive from Parkes to Dubbo, although you can stop at Goobang National Park, which has a couple of fabulous lookouts. The Caloma Lookout is easiest to reach – it’s just a 50m walk from the car park and has great views over the plains.
The 4km return Burrabadine Peak walk from the wildlife-packed Greenbah campground is steeper, but rewarding.
Dubbo has a surprisingly strong hand when it comes to attractions. Top of the list are the Dubbo Observatory and Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Book tickets for the latter online to skip the queue.
Other things to do in Dubbo include spooky ghost tours at the Old Dubbo Gaol.
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.
Click through for the next section: Dubbo to Narrabri.