Sydney to Brisbane road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops
Sydney to Brisbane road trip: Nambucca Heads to Coffs Harbour
From Nambucca Heads to Coffs Harbour, there are pleasant photo stops at the Oyster Creek Lookout just north of Valla Beach and the Perry’s Hill Lookout just north of the Bellinger River. The Raleigh Winery runs cellar door tastings near the latter.
The highway then runs through Bongil Bongil National Park, where koalas hang out on the walking tracks around the Bongil Picnic Area and Sid Burke Picnic Area.
Sawtell Beach and Boambee Beach then line up along the coast, while the Coffs Harbour Butterfly House is next to the highway.
Things to do in Coffs Harbour include rainforest tours, whale-watching cruises and skydives.
For Coffs Harbour accommodation, try the quirky Big Windmill Motel, the nature-surrounded Sanctuary Resort, the helpfully central Best Western Zebra Motel and the spacious Beachpark Apartments.
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.
Coffs Coast beaches
Leaving Coffs Harbour, you’ll go near the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden and the city’s gimmicky attractions – the Clog Barn and the Big Banana.
You might also like to visit Diggers Beach and the Solitary Islands Aquarium at Charlesworth Bay Beach, or the Forest Sky Pier and Treetops Adventure in Korora.
There are several tremendous beaches along the Coffs Coast.
Sapphire Beach and Moonee Beach are fabulous, while the Moonee Beach Nature Reserve and the Look At Me Now Headland are home to large numbers of kangaroos. The latter is just south of Emerald Beach.
Following surf hotspots Woolgoolga and Arrawarra, the Pacific Highway turns inland just before Corindi Beach.
The Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre might be worth a visit before continuing – it offers insights into local Indigenous culture.
Click through to the next section: Yamba and Ballina.