Port Macquarie to Canberra road trip: Distance, drive time & stops
Port Macquarie to Canberra road trip: Western Sydney
Good stops along this section include the walks of Cumberland State Forest in West Pennant Hills. You then join the M2 Motorway at Carlingford and continue west.
There are more surprisingly good walking trails around the Bidjigal Reserve near Castle Hill before joining the M7.
13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book
- (💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
- Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
- Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
- Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
- See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
- Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
- Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
- Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
- Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
- Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
- (🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.
There are several parks and reserves nearby, with the Faulkland Crescent Reserve Lookout arguably the best bet for a photo stop.
Just after the Richmond section of the Western Sydney Parklands, the M7 turns south and passes the Chinese gardens in the Nurragingy Reserve, Bungarribee Park and Sydney Zoo.
Further south in the Western Sydney Parklands, you’ll find the gloriously good Lizard Log Playground and Calmsley Hill City Farm in Abbotsbury.
Campbelltown and the Macarthur region
The M7 then continues through Sydney’s Western Suburbs and joins the Hume Motorway. You’ll pass the Macquarie Links International Golf Club and the Australian Botanic Garden on the way to Campbelltown. Here, you’ll find the Sambar Brown Lookout and Campbelltown Steam and Machinery Museum.
The Port Macquarie to Canberra road trip roughly follows the Nepean River on the way toward the Southern Highlands. You’ll go past Sydney Skydivers in Wilton, the Australian Wildlife Sanctuary at Bargo and the Nepean Dam before reaching Mittagong, the first sizable town in the region.
Click through for the next section: Mittagong and Bowral