Newcastle to Grafton road trip: Distance, time & best stops
The best stops to add to a Newcastle to Grafton road trip itinerary include Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour. By car, the Newcastle to Grafton distance is 470km and driving time around 5h3m.
A Newcastle to Grafton road trip heads from the second largest city in New South Wales to one of the major hubs of the Northern Rivers region.
Newcastle offers plenty of activities, including adventure boat cruises along the coastline, architecture and street art walking tours and whale watching cruises. For a big menu of Newcastle tours and experiences, explore here. To fix up one of Newcastle’s best accommodation options, book here.
Grafton has an impressive cathedral and is known for its gorgeous jacaranda trees. For Grafton accommodation picks, head here.
By far the best way of visiting Grafton 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 Newcastle to Grafton road trip itinerary.
Newcastle to Grafton distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Newcastle to Grafton is 470km. This makes for a driving time of around five hours and three minutes.
Excellent road trip stops between Newcastle and Grafton include Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour.
You might, however, get more joy from smaller spots such as Forster, South West Rocks and Nambucca Heads.
Top things to do in Newcastle include watching wildlife at Blackbutt Reserve, whale-watching tours and visiting several good quality museums.
9 cool Newcastle experiences you need to book in advance
- An Adventure boat cruise along the Hunter coast – with thrills and scenery.
- A mobile phone-based scavenger hunt – explore the city differently.
- An architecture and street art walking tour – see all the best murals.
- A whale-watching tour – get close to the migrating humpback whales.
- A two hour city highlights tour by bus – get orientated when you first arrive.
- A scenic helicopter flight – see the spectacular coastline from above.
- A three hour craft beer and food-matching tour – get a taste of the drinking and dining scene.
- A food, drink and history walking tour – hear stories and indulge at the same time.
Newcastle also offers coastal boat tours, street art walks and evening true crime tours.
Newcastle accommodation favourites include the lavish Crystalbrook Kingsley, the peppy QT Newcastle and the heritage-drenched Grand Hotel.
Attractions between Newcastle and Grafton: Newcastle to Port Stephens
After Newcastle, you may wish to steer off towards all-action Port Stephens. If so, drive towards Williamtown, which brings fighter jets at Fighter World and a quad biking tour across the Worimi Sand Dunes.
Further towards Nelson Bay are several wildlife attractions – Oakvale Wildlife Park, the Shark, Ray and All Creatures Rescue Centre and Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters.
6 fantastic Port Stephens experiences worth going for.
- 4WD dunes tour with sandboarding – whizz down the Sahara-style dunes
- Dolphin-watching cruise with fun boom nets 🐬.
- Quad-biking over the Worimi sand dunes – learning about local Aboriginal culture along the way.
- Snorkelling with wild dolphins – the ultimate dolphin experience
- Port Stephens koala sanctuary admission tickets 🐨.
- Shallow water shark and ray encounter 🦈.
Near Anna Bay, try riding camels on Birubi Beach, clothing-optional bathing at Samurai Beach and koala-watching at the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary.
Things to do in Nelson Bay include dolphin-watching cruises, snorkelling with dolphins and taking on the Tomaree Head Summit Walk.
For Nelson Bay accommodation, take a look at the golf course-centric Landmark Resort, the wallet-friendly Peninsula Motel and Serviced Apartments or the apartment-style Mantra Nelson Bay.
Click through for the next section: Seal Rocks and Forster