Sydney to Tweed Heads road trip: Distance, drive time & stops
Sydney to Tweed Heads drive: A night in Yamba?
The highway dodges Grafton and Lawrence before reaching remarkably Scottish Maclean. The Bicentennial Museum explains away the Scottish heritage, while the Ferry Park Gallery shows off local artists.
The Waterview Motel and Club Maclean are solid choices for an overnight stay, but your much better off plumping for Yamba on the coast.
Yamba beaches worth investigating include Turners Beach, Yamba Main Beach, Pippi Beach and Green Point Beach.
Yamba accommodation picks include the Calypso Yamba caravan park, the competitively-priced Aston Motel, the riverside Moby Dick and the gardens-flanked Blue Dolphin Holiday Resort.
Bundjalung National Park and Ballina
After the Coffs Harbour to Yamba section of the Sydney to Tweed Heads road trip comes Bundjalung National Park. If you want a rapid photo stop, try the Iluka Bluff Lookout. To spend more time exploring, go for the 6km Jerusalem Creek Peninsula track from the Black Rocks campground.
At Woodburn, you can choose to branch off toward Evans Head and Broadwater National Park.
Here, Evans Head Heritage Aviation Museum is all about the town’s huge WWII pilot training base. But the staggering 30km beach stretching towards the Richmond River is the real star.
The Pacific Highway continues just west of Ballina, one of the main towns in the Northern Rivers region. Ballina activity options 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.
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