Sydney to Ballina road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops

Sydney to Ballina drive: A night in Yamba?

The highway goes around Grafton, Woodford Island and Lawrence before reaching strangely Scottish Maclean. The Bicentennial Museum delves into the town’s Scottish heritage, and the Ferry Park Gallery showcases local artists.

The Waterview Motel and Club Maclean are good choices for an overnight stay, but your much better off diverting for Yamba on the coast.

Turners Beach, Yamba Main Beach and Pippi Beach are among the top spots for swimming and surfing here.

Yamba accommodation stars include the Calypso Yamba caravan park, the affordable Aston Motel, the riverside Moby Dick and the gardens-flanked Blue Dolphin Holiday Resort.

Pippi Beach is Yamba's surf beach — Pippi Beach is Yamba’s surf beach. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

Bundjalung National Park and Ballina

Following the Coffs Harbour to Yamba section of the Sydney to Ballina road trip, you quickly reach Bundjalung National Park. For a quick photo stop, head to the Iluka Bluff Lookout. The 6km Jerusalem Creek Peninsula track from the Black Rocks campground offers a more in-depth experience, though.

At Woodburn, you can choose to detour toward Evans Head and Broadwater National Park.

Here, Evans Head Heritage Aviation Museum delves into the backstory of the town’s huge WWII pilot training base. But the astonishing 30km beach stretching towards the Richmond River is the real star.

The Pacific Highway then flits just west of Ballina, one of the main Northern Rivers hub towns. Ballina activity possibilities include private surfing lessons and half day coastal walking tours.

5 Ballina experiences to book in advance

Go on a dolphin watching cruise – sightings are very reliable.
Take a guided coastal walk – learning about the natural environment on the way.
Clink glasses as the sun goes down – on a Richmond River sunset cruise.
Take a cruise to the Julian Rocks Marine Reserve – with a marine biologist pointing out the dolphins, turtles and dramatic cliffs.
Learn to surf – on a private surfing lesson.

Where to stay in Ballina

The top Ballina accommodation options are:

For charm and personality: Ballina Manor Boutique Hotel.
For a holiday park with family-sized cabins and lots kid-friendly facilities: Discovery Parks Ballina.
For a relatively cheap, good quality motel: Almare Tourist Motel.
For riverside location: Ramada Hotel and Suites.