Macksville to Coffs Harbour road trip: Distance, time & best stops

The best stops to add to a Macksville to Coffs Harbour road trip itinerary include Nambucca Heads and Sawtell Beach. By car, the Macksville to Coffs Harbour distance is 56km and driving time around 43m.

A Macksville to Coffs Harbour road trip heads from a pleasant Pacific Highway town in New South Wales to one of the major hubs of the Northern Rivers region.

Coffs Harbour is an action-packed 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.

By far the best way of visiting Coffs Harbour is as part of a road trip, taking in several highlights of the New South Wales North Coast along the way. This guide should help you plan a great Macksville to Coffs Harbour road trip itinerary.

Macksville to Coffs Harbour distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Macksville to Coffs Harbour is 56km. This makes for a driving time of around 43 minutes.

Excellent road trip stops between Macksville and Coffs Harbour include Nambucca Heads and Sawtell Beach.

Macksville 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 the next town along the drive is the more appealing Nambucca Heads.

Macksville to Coffs Harbour drive: Nambucca Heads to Bongil Bongil National Park

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.

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.

Bongil Bongil National Park to Coffs Harbour

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.