The Legendary Pacific Coast
Take a detour to Newcastle, home to rock band Silverchair, a thriving pub rock scene, and a large regional art gallery. Meet koalas at Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, which has daily tours. Walk above the rainforest canopy at Dorrigo National Park’s Skywalk.
Two kilometres off South West Rocks is Fish Rock Cave, one of the best cave dives in NSW. Most major towns along the drive have golf courses open to the public. In Byron Bay, enjoy the many restaurants and cafés and take part in activities including skydiving and surfing.
Sydney to Byron to Tweed coastal drive
Discover NSW at your own pace on the Legendary Pacific Coast Drive. You’ll see spectacular scenery along the way, from rolling green hinterland, dotted with macadamia farms and banana plantations, to rugged national parks and great surf beaches.
You’ll enjoy the hospitality of towns and villages on your journey along the North Coast and spot native wildlife, such as kangaroos and echidnas, even dolphins and whales.
The drive, best divided into four days, takes in the Central Coast, Port Stephens, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and the Tweed area. A range of accommodation options are found along the route.
Your first port of call after leaving Sydney could be The Entrance, where pelicans are fed by hand and you can enjoy a variety of water sports, including sailing. Don’t miss a detour to Newcastle, Australia’s second-oldest city, which has a thriving music and arts scene and great surf at Merewether Beach.
Port Stephens, 200 km north of Sydney, has a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins, with whales off the coast from May to November. Farther north is Coffs Harbour, where you can enjoy dolphin shows at Dolphin Marine Conservation Park.The famous Big Banana celebrates the region’s banana industry.
In Grafton, picnic under shady jacaranda trees on the banks of the Clarence River. Two hours north is Byron Bay, a popular resort town and alternative lifestyle destination. You’ll find a host of cafés and restaurants serving the local produce for which the area is renowned.
