Newcastle to Grafton road trip: Distance, time & best stops

Attractions between Newcastle and Grafton: 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.

Newcastle to Grafton drive: Arrawarra to Grafton

The Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre just north of Arrawarra is worth a look if you want to understand local Indigenous heritage, but otherwise this is where the Pacific Highway heads inland.

Much of the rest of the Coffs Harbour to Grafton leg is wild and rural. The Yuraygir State Conservation Area to the north of the highway is not set up for tourists.

You branch off the Pacific Highway at the junctions with the Big River Way, which heads into Grafton over the Clarence River.

Grafton’s attractions are mainly handsome heritage buildings such as Schaeffer House and the Christ Church Cathedral, although it is also famed for its jacaranda trees.

Top Grafton accommodation options

The best places to stay in Grafton are:

For central location: Civic Motel.
For charm and personal touch: Andavine House Bed and Breakfast.
For a relatively cheap, good quality motel with a pool: Grafton Lodge Motel.