Newcastle to Yamba road trip: Distance, time & stops
The Newcastle to Yamba road trip covers a 517km distance in a driving time of around 5h35m. Top road trip stops include Taree, Port Macquarie and Nambucca Heads.
The drive from Newcastle to Yamba connects the second largest city in New South Wales to one of the state’s top beach towns. It’s a fair old drive, but the good news is that there’s plenty to do along the way. A Newcastle to Yamba road trip can be taken slowly and punctuated with several excellent attractions.
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.
Newcastle to Yamba distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Newcastle to Yamba is 517km. That makes for a driving time of around five hours hours and 35 minutes. This means largely sticking to the Pacific Highway, although there are several good coastal detours worth considering that will add time to your journey.
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 to Yamba drive: Newcastle to Taree
The first leg of the Newcastle to Yamba road trip is the 172km drive from Newcastle to Taree. That said, going via the longer coastal route from Newcastle to Forster allows you to take in the gorgeous Seal Rocks, Myall Lake, Boomerang Beach, Booti Booti National Park and Forster.
Forster accommodation picks include the family-friendly Forster Holiday Village, the Lakes and Ocean Hotel and the Hotel Forster, which has a large pool.
Stick largely to the Pacific Highway out of Newcastle, though, and the first road trip attractions are the Hunter Wetlands National Park and Hunter Region Botanic Gardens in Heatherbrae.
The Pacific Highway goes around the western and northern edges of Port Stephens. Firstly, it runs through Raymond Terrace. Then it goes along the southern fringes of Wallaroo National Park and Karuah National Park. Karuah National Park offers campgrounds and 4WD trails.
It’s tempting to turn off towards the northern Port Stephens towns of Karuah, Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest. Jimmys Beach in Hawks Nest is especially lovely.
Next section: Towards Taree.