Toowoomba to Hervey Bay road trip: Distance, time & best stops
The Toowoomba to Hervey Bay drive through rural Queensland covers a distance of 350km in a driving time of around 4h15m. Top road trip stops along the route include the Crows Nest Museum, Coomba Falls and Maryborough.
Planning a Toowoomba to Hervey Bay road trip itinerary
The drive from Toowoomba to Hervey Bay takes you from Queensland’s biggest inland city to the main gateway for K’gari (formerly known as Fraser Island).
It’s a route you may end up taking on a longer road trip from New South Wales, as the first stretch is along the New England Highway.
For Toowoomba accommodation, book here.
Hervey Bay offers sunset cruises, whale-watching and wildlife cruises in the Great Sandy Strait. To pick out Hervey Bay experiences that pique your interest, look here. For Hervey Bay accommodation, nosy around here.
This guide should help you plan your perfect Toowoomba to Hervey Bay road trip itinerary.
Toowoomba to Hervey Bay distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Toowoomba to Hervey Bay is 350km. That makes for a driving time of around four hours and 15 minutes.
Top Toowoomba accommodation recommendations
The best Toowoomba accommodation options are:
- For central location and undercover parking at a 4.5 star with a pool: Oaks Toowoomba.
- For well-equipped apartments: Athena Motel Apartments.
- For a holiday park with plenty for the kids: Big4 Toowoomba Garden City.
- For a surprisingly good motel at cheapish rates: Applegum Inn.
Leaving Toowoomba, the drive to Hervey Bay starts along the New England Highway, passing the Borneo Barracks Golf Club and Black Forest Hill in Cabarlah. Black Forest Hill is a quirky taste of Germany, specialising in grandfather clocks and cuckoo clocks.
The highway then goes through Geham State Forest and Pechey State Forest. The latter is more of interest to visitors, as it is home to the Pechey Forest Arboretum.
Toowoomba to Hervey Bay road trip: Crows Nest and Cowboy Up
Next come a couple of creekside beauty spots in Crows Nest. Bullockys Rest makes for the best photo stop, while the Crows Nest Museum and Historical Village caters for local heritage enthusiasts.
The New England Highway then tracks alongside Bald Hills Creek for a while. Wannabe horse riders can saddle up with trail-riding outfit Cowboy Up about 20 minutes north of Crows Nest.
Just north of Cooyar, you’ll need to come off the New England Highway along the Kingaroy-Cooyar Road.
Toowoomba to Hervey Bay drive: Coomba Falls to Nanango
The top attraction near this section of the drive is Coomba Falls, sometimes known as the Coomba Waterhole. This small, picturesque waterfall and swimming hole is backed by granite walls, and is particularly inviting for a swim on a hot day. The nearest village is Maidenwell.
The road also skirts the edge of Tarong National Park and Tarong State Forest and Archookoora State Forest before arriving in Nanango.
Nanango proudly boasts that it is Queensland’s fourth oldest town, but it’s not a particularly charming one. The main attraction in Nanango is the South Burnett Energy Centre, a museum about power generation. Let’s just call it niche.
There are a few Nanango accommodation options. Pick the Homestead Caravan Park for low prices and the Nanango Fitzroy Motel for a decent quality motel with a pool.
Click through to the next section: Nanango to the Bruce Highway.