Kempsey to Brisbane road trip: Distance, time & best stops
The best stops on a Kempsey to Brisbane road trip itinerary include Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast. By car, the Kempsey to Brisbane distance is 493km and driving time around 5h13m.
A Kempsey to Brisbane road trip heads from a country music hotspot near the Mid North Coast of New South Wales to the capital of Queensland.
For the best Kempsey accommodation deals, head here.
Top options in Brisbane include a Moreton Island day trip, climbing the Story Bridge and Segway tours through the botanic gardens. To browse the collection of Brisbane tours and experiences, step this way. For the best value Brisbane hotels, pick here.
6 supreme Brisbane day trips that will improve your holiday
- Moreton Island day trip – with kayaking, sandboarding and snorkelling or with dolphin-feeding and desert dunes adventure.
- Springbrook National Park glowworms and rainforest tour – including Tamborine Skywalk.
- Eumundi Markets day trip – Australia’s best markets, plus the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Noosa.
- North Stradbroke Island day tour – with cruise, wildlife spotting and guided walk.
- Tamborine Mountain winery tour – with gourmet lunch.
- Maialia rainforest walking and wildlife tour – visit lesser-known D’Aguilar National Park.
This guide is aimed at helping travellers plan their perfect Kempsey to Brisbane 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.
Kempsey to Brisbane distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Kempsey to Brisbane is 492km. This makes for a driving time of around five hours and 13 minutes.
Excellent road trip stops between Kempsey and Brisbane include Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast.
Kempsey pays tribute to the nation’s most adored country musician at the Slim Dusty Centre.
Good Kempsey accommodation picks include the riverside Park Drive Motel and the pool-equipped Motel Kempsey.
Kempsey to Brisbane road trip: Kempsey to Coffs Harbour
It’s 106km from Kempsey to Coffs Harbour. You might want to make a short detour to the Yarriabini Lookout for wonderful Macleay River Valley views.
The next town up is Macksville, which offers birdwatching at the Valley of the Mist wetland and local history at the Mary Boulton Pioneer Cottage.
The Mandarin Motel is your best bet for overnight accommodation in Macksville, but you may as well keep going to coastal Nambucca Heads.
Things to do in Nambucca Heads include land-based whale-watching from the Captain Cook Lookout and gentle kayaking through Gaagal Wanggaan National Park.
Find the best Nambucca Heads accommodation
If spending a night or two in Nambucca Heads, here are the best options:
- For an excellent kid-friendly holiday park: Ingenia Holidays White Albatross.
- For a high standard motel with a pool: The Beach Rooms.
- For charm and character: Riverview Boutique Motel.
Kempsey to Brisbane drive: Nambucca Heads to Coffs Harbour
From Nambucca Heads to Coffs Harbour, there are a couple of solid photo stops. Try the Oyster Creek Lookout just north of Valla Beach and the Perry’s Hill Lookout by of the Bellinger River.
The highway then runs through Bongil Bongil National Park. The walking tracks around the Bongil Picnic Area and Sid Burke Picnic Area are good places for spotting koalas.
On the way into Coffs Harbour, Sawtell Beach and Boambee Beach are on the coast, while the Coffs Harbour Butterfly House is next to the highway.
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.
Attractions between Kempsey and Brisbane: 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.
Click through to the next section: Arrawarra to Yamba.