Port Macquarie to Brisbane road trip: Distance, drive time & stops
The Port Macquarie to Brisbane drive covers a 543km distance in a driving time of around 5h20m. Top road trip stops to add to your holiday itinerary include Coffs Harbour, Yamba and Byron Bay.
A Port Macquarie to Brisbane road trip takes you past some of the most spectacular spots on the New South Wales North Coast. Given Port Macquarie is a logical overnight stop on the Sydney to Brisbane drive, you can turn this route into a key part of a longer adventure, too.
Port Macquarie offers the Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, riding camels on Lighthouse Beach and taking scenic helicopter flights.
Brisbane, meanwhile, brings the Story Bridge Adventure Climb, river kayaking tours and the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
Port Macquarie to Brisbane distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Port Macquarie to Brisbane is 543km. Obviously, that will be longer if you add in a few road trip stops along the coast. Done in one straight hit, you can expect a Port Macquarie to Brisbane driving time of around five hours and 20 minutes.
6 supreme Brisbane day trips that will improve your holiday
- Moreton Island day trip – with kayaking, sandboarding and snorkelling or with dolphin-feeding and desert dunes adventure.
- Springbrook National Park glowworms and rainforest tour – including Tamborine Skywalk.
- Eumundi Markets day trip – Australia’s best markets, plus the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Noosa.
- North Stradbroke Island day tour – with cruise, wildlife spotting and guided walk.
- Tamborine Mountain winery tour – with gourmet lunch.
- Maialia rainforest walking and wildlife tour – visit lesser-known D’Aguilar National Park.
The first of those potential coastal detours is via Limeburners Creek National Park, Goolawah National Park and surfer haven Crescent Head.
You can keep going to Hat Head National Park and South West Rocks, where star attractions include Horseshoe Bay Beach and the historic Trial Bay Gaol in Arakoon National Park.
South West Rocks accommodation picks
The best South West Rocks accommodation options are:
- For families: NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Park.
- For an indulgent villa: Salt.
- For charm and character: Heritage Guesthouse.
- For great value: Ingenia Holidays South West Rocks.
- For good location, a pool and free parking: Rockpool Motor Inn.
Port Macquarie to Brisbane drive: Port Macquarie to Nambucca Heads
Most will stick to the Pacific Highway on the way to Coffs Harbour, however. Billabong Zoo and Cassegrain Wines come before Kempsey, home of the Slim Dusty Centre – which is devoted to Australia’s most-beloved country music star.
Kempsey accommodation picks include the riverside Park Drive Motel and the pool-blessed Motel Kempsey. It’s another 106km from Kempsey to Coffs Harbour.
Near the highway, the Yarriabini Lookout bestows great views over the Macleay River Valley, while Macksville offers birdwatching at the Valley of the Mist wetland and heritage at the Mary Boulton Pioneer Cottage.
The Mandarin Motel is the top overnight accommodation here, but coastal Nambucca Heads is a better place to stay.
Things to do in Nambucca Heads include whale-watching at the Captain Cook Lookout and kayaking through the serene Gaagal Wanggaan National Park.
Nambucca Heads accommodation picks include the kid-friendly Ingenia holiday park, the personable Riverview Boutique Motel and the pool-equipped Beach Rooms.
Port Macquarie to Brisbane drive: Nambucca Heads to Coffs Harbour
From Nambucca Heads to Coffs Harbour, try photo stops at the Oyster Creek Lookout just north of Valla Beach and the Perry’s Hill Lookout north of the Bellinger River.
A better stop, however, is Bongil Bongil National Park. See if you can spot the koalas on the walking tracks around the Bongil Picnic Area or Sid Burke Picnic Area.
Along the coast, you could drop into Sawtell Beach or Boambee Beach, but 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 rainforest tours, whale-watching cruises and skydives.
For accommodation in Coffs Harbour, take a look at the the quirky Big Windmill Motel, the nature-drenched Sanctuary Resort, the usefully central Best Western Zebra Motel and the spacious Beachpark Apartments.
Click through for the next section: Northern Coffs Coast.