Taree to Coffs Harbour road trip: Distance, driving time and stops
Taree to Coffs Harbour drive: Port Macquarie and Kempsey
At the junction with the Oxley Highway, you can branch off to Port Macquarie, the most obvious overnight stay on the Taree to Coffs Harbour road trip.
Things to do in Port Macquarie include the Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, riding camels on Lighthouse Beach and taking scenic helicopter flights.
Port Macquarie accommodation picks
The best Port Macquarie accommodation options are…
- For a great value motel: East Port Motor Inn.
- For families: NRMA Port Macquarie Breakwall Holiday Park.
- For quality apartments with a heated pool: Northpoint Apartments.
- For beachside location: Flynns Beach Resort.
- For overall quality: The Mid Pacific.
If you skip Port Macquarie, you’ll pass Billabong Zoo on the highway, plus Limeburners Creek National Park, Goolawah National Park and surfer hotspot Crescent Head on the coast.
A little further along the Pacific Highway, you’ll pass Cassegrain Wines, which is worth a stop for the restaurant and cellar door.
Otherwise, keep going to Kempsey, where the Slim Dusty Centre celebrates Australia’s most revered country music legend.
Kempsey accommodation picks include the Park Drive Motel by the river and the Motel Kempsey, which has a children’s pool.
Click through to the next section: South West Rocks and Macksville.