Newcastle to Byron Bay road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
Newcastle to Byron Bay road trip: Coffs Coast
On the way into Coffs Harbour, you’ll drive past Sawtell Beach and Boambee Beach on the coast, plus the Coffs Harbour Butterfly House next to the highway.
Things to do in Coffs Harbour include rainforest tours, whale-watching cruises and skydives.
For Coffs Harbour accommodation, try the oddball Big Windmill Motel, the nature-peppered Sanctuary Resort, the helpfully central Best Western Zebra Motel and the spacious Beachpark Apartments.
Leaving Coffs Harbour, you’ll drive near the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden plus the gimmicky Clog Barn and Big Banana.
You might also wish to make short detours towards Diggers Beach and the Solitary Islands Aquarium at Charlesworth Bay Beach, or the Forest Sky Pier and Treetops Adventure in Korora.
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.
The Coffs Coast offers several excellent beaches, including Sapphire Beach and Moonee Beach. Wildlife-lovers should plump for the Moonee Beach Nature Reserve or at the Look At Me Now Headland, just south of Emerald Beach.
At the northern end of the Coffs Coast, Woolgoolga and Arrawarra have good surf, while the Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre educates visitors on local Indigenous heritage.
Next section: Detour to Yamba?