Sydney to Darwin road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops

The best stops to add to a Sydney to Darwin road trip itinerary are Newcastle, Moree, Longreach, Mount Isa and Katherine. By car along sealed roads, the distance from Sydney to Darwin is 3,942km, with a driving time of around 42 hours.

Planning a Sydney to Darwin road trip itinerary

A Sydney to Darwin road trip is one of the epic Australian journeys, featuring a host of quirky outback towns and stunning natural attractions.

Sydney’s enormous collection of experiences includes all-inclusive sunset dinner cruises, behind-the-scenes tours of the Opera House and whale-watching cruises.

Also worth looking at are helicopter flights over the harbour and coastline, jet boat thrill rides and historic walking tours.

To get the best deals on Sydney accommodation, book here. To find Sydney tours and experiences that suit your tastes, step this way.

Darwin, meanwhile, brings schooner cruises, airboat tours and cage-swimming with massive crocodiles. To search for the best Darwin accommodation deals, head here. To check out the full range of tours and experiences available, go here.

There’s an awful lot to see along the way, though. This expert-researched guide should help you plan your perfect Sydney to Darwin road trip itinerary.

Sydney to Darwin distance and driving time

Using the quickest route along sealed roads by car, the distance from Sydney to Darwin is 3,942km. That makes for a driving time of around 42 hours.

The best road trip stops to add to a Sydney to Darwin road trip itinerary include Newcastle, Moree, Longreach, Mount Isa and Katherine.

Sydney to Darwin road trip: Sydney to Gosford

Leaving Sydney through the northern suburbs, worthwhile stops include the Lane Cove National Park, Cumberland State Forest in West Pennant Hills and Rose Siedler House in Wahroonga.

It’s also not much of a detour to the gorgeous Bobbin Head picnic ground in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park or Galston Gorge in Berowra Waters National Park.

Just before crossing the Hawkesbury River Bridge at Brooklyn, you can hop aboard the Riverboat Postman cruise. This quirky take on a Hawkesbury River boat trip see visitors join the local post crew as they deliver mail to river communities such as Dangar Island.

On the other side of the Hawkesbury at Mooney Mooney, the Broken Bay Pearl Farm runs a pearl farm tour which shows how pearls are cultivated.

The Pacific Motorway continues north from here, running considerably to the west of the Central Coast’s beach suburbs. The likes of Forresters Beach, Toowoon Bay and Wamberal require a significant detour.

Sydney to Darwin drive: Gosford to Newcastle

However, there are some attractions nearer the route. These include the Walkabout Wildlife Park, Australian Reptile Park and Girrakool Loop walking track near Gosford.

For more action, try abseiling, horse-riding and quad biking at Glenworth Valley near Popran National Park.

Before reaching Newcastle, you can stop at Somersby Falls and Strickland Falls, and a few attractions near Alison. The Jilliby Lookout offers views, Treetops Adventure Central Coast is all-action and Amazement Farm and Fun Park has cute animals and mazes.

The motorway then continues between Morriset and Cooranbong. It goes west of Lake Macquarie and near the southern tip of Watagans National Park.

Close to the Mount Sugarloaf Lookout, you have a decision to make – leave the Pacific Motorway and head east into Newcastle? Or keep going towards New England?

Good things to do in Newcastle include enjoying wildlife at Blackbutt Reserve, whale-watching tours, swimming at Merewether Baths and browsing the city’s museums.

You can also try boat tours along the Hunter coast, street art walks and after dark true crime tours.

Newcastle accommodation highlights include the luxurious Crystalbrook Kingsley, the buzzy QT Newcastle and the heritage-stuffed Grand Hotel.

Click through to the next section: Newcastle to Scone.