Lismore to Gold Coast drive: Distance, time & road trip stops
The Lismore to Gold Coast drive covers a distance of 125km, with a driving time of around 1h39m. Good road trip stops to add to your itinerary include Bangalow, Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads.
The drive from Lismore to the Gold Coast connects one of the largest towns in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales to Queensland’s most famous holiday strip. It’s a fairly short drive by Australian standards, but there’s plenty to explore along the way.
Lismore to Gold Coast distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Lismore to the Gold Coast is 125km. That makes for an estimated driving time of around one hour and 39 minutes. This is assuming you’re heading to Surfers Paradise. Obviously, for other areas of the Gold Coast, the distance and driving time will be slightly different.
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.
You’ll leave Lismore along B62/ Bangalow Road, which passes Bexhill Quarry. The centrepiece of this quarry site turned into a park is the bizarrely bright blue pool in the middle.
The drive continues through Clunes, which offers charming shops and handsome churches. The rainforest walks of the Booyong Nature Reserve are nearby, too.
The best stop on the Lismore to Byron Bay leg of the Lismore to Gold Coast drive, however, is Bangalow. Here, Common People Brewing provides the craft beers, while there are several cafés and restaurants inhabiting Federation-style buildings.
Click through for the next section: Byron Bay.