Sydney to Tweed Heads road trip: Distance, drive time & stops
Driving from Sydney to Tweed Heads: Towards Nambucca Heads?
After Port Macquarie, the slower coastal route brings Limeburners Creek National Park, Goolawah National Park and surfing hotspot Crescent Head,
Keep going for Hat Head National Park and holiday town South West Rocks. Major attractions here include Horseshoe Bay Beach and the atmospheric 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.
Kempsey and Macksville
Keep going on the Pacific Highway, instead, and Billabong Zoo and Cassegrain Wines are the top attractions of interest before hitting Kempsey.
This true blue Aussie town pays tribute to the nation’s most beloved country musician at the Slim Dusty Centre.
Kempsey accommodation choices include the Park Drive Motel by the river and the pool-boasting Motel Kempsey.
From Kempsey to Coffs Harbour, it’s another 106km. But you might want to make a short detour to the Yarriabini Lookout for fantastic views over the Macleay River Valley.
The next town is Macksville, where you try birdwatching at the Valley of the Mist wetland and get a taste for the old times at the Mary Boulton Pioneer Cottage.
The Mandarin Motel is your best choice for overnight accommodation in Macksville, but the highway meets the coast a little further on in Nambucca Heads.
Things to do in Nambucca Heads include whale-watching from the Captain Cook Lookout and going kayaking through the calm waterways of Gaagal Wanggaan National Park.
Nambucca Heads accommodation picks include the family-friendly Ingenia holiday park, the amiable Riverview Boutique Motel and the pool-equipped Beach Rooms.
Click through for the next section: Coffs Coast sights.