The East Coast Road Trip You Need to Do at Least Once

The Pacific Highway between Sydney and Brisbane spans just over 900 kilometres and can be tackled in a roughly 10-hour drive but, with a plethora of laid-back towns, coastal cities and sparkling beaches to visit, you’ll be tempted to stretch the journey into a leisurely week-long getaway. To help you make the most of your trip, we’ve plotted out where to stop, eat and play along the way. 

Whether you start the trip in Sydney or tackle the itinerary in reverse, hire a car with Avis and you’ll earn 4 Qantas Points per A$1 spent. Plus, for a limited time, you’ll get $100 off and receive 500 bonus points when you reserve your vehicle for seven or more days – just book by 31 October 2024 for travel by 14 December 2024. Visit qantas.com/avis to take advantage of this special offer. Apply the promo code MPAA010 at the time of booking. 

Now all you have to do is pack a bag and get ready to go – just don’t forget your swimwear.

Day 1: Sydney Airport to Newcastle (2 hours and 20 minutes)

Follow the Pacific Highway until the turn-off in Gosford then beach-hop up the coast road. Time your arrival at Caves Beach, 30 kilometres south of Newcastle on the Swansea peninsula, for low tide just after noon to explore its intricate sea caves. Dust off the sand and order a spanakopita croissant at Mylo’s Caves Beach before hitting the road again. 

In Newcastle, wander the six-kilometre Bathers Way coastal trail from Nobbys Beach. The journey ends at Merewether Beach, where you’ll be steps away from a refreshing spritz at Merewether Surfhouse’s rooftop bar. Nearby milbar-style eatery Larrie’s is the go-to for unbeatable fish burgers and soft-serve that’s nostalgia in a cone.

End the day in a Harbour View Room at elegant Crystalbrook Kingsley, the city’s first five-star hotel.

Day 2: Newcastle to Port Macquarie (2 hours and 45 minutes)

Water forms the basis of most activities in Port Stephens, a 35-minute drive from Newcastle, including swimming with wild dolphins and diving in the Great Lakes Marine Park. A Salted Caramel Crunch ice-cream from Scoop and Roll is mandatory. 

If you’re still tempted by the ocean’s call, drive two hours north to Port Macquarie, which has no fewer than 17 beaches, then check in to Sails Port Macquarie by Rydges on the tranquil Hastings River, where lazy afternoons by the infinity pool beckon. 

For a different kind of adventure, visit the fluffy joeys in the Koala Hospital’s Wild Koala Conservation Breeding Program or drive to the region’s diverse cellar doors, including Bago, where the grounds house a twisty hedge maze. 

Dinner is an easy win – enjoy ceviche tostadas and frozen margaritas at Little Shack.

Day 3: Port Macquarie to Nambucca Heads (1 hour and 15 minutes)

Drop into Social Grounds for coffee and scrambled eggs with cured salmon before you roll out of Port Macquarie. An hour north, South West Rocks is the ideal pit stop for exploring the windswept Smoky Cape Lighthouse, Trial Bay Gaol Beach’s calm water and kangaroo-strewn Little Bay Beach.

Nambucca Heads is the kind of sleepy beach town Australian holidays are made of. Paddle the Nambucca River (the Nambucca Boatshed & Cafe rents kayaks), surf at Shelly Beach and watch flying foxes launch themselves from the rainforest at dusk in Gordon Park.

Retreat to The Beach Rooms, a reimagined 1960s motel that sits atop a hill in coastal minimalist style, with water views from almost every vantage point.

Day 4: Nambucca Heads to Yamba (2 hours and 10 minutes)

Detour 30 minutes inland to Bellingen for the impressive falls, ancient Gondwana rainforest and treetop canopy walk of Dorrigo National Park. 

Back on the road, just north of Coffs Harbour lies tiny Emerald Beach. Here, at Rattle Restaurant & Bar, salty air meets Mediterranean-style share plates such as seared scallops with harissa crumb. 

Greet Yamba with a dip in the ocean pool at Main Beach before mounting the steps to the Pacific Hotel for a sundowner. Slip into something dry at whitewashed, terrazzo-floored boutique stay The Surf then head to Karrikin, an intimate restaurant that celebrates native Australian ingredients – the Yamba prawns with lemon-caper butter and local snapper with finger lime are a guaranteed palate-pleaser. 

Wake with the sun for a stroll – two self-guided historical walks start and finish at Yamba Museum, taking you past the Yamba Lighthouse and Flinders Well.

Day 5: Yamba to Bangalow (1 hour and 15 minutes)

In leafy Bangalow, a 15-minute drive from bustling Byron Bay, you’ll find a pretty Federation-era main street, plenty of eateries and fertile farmland producing everything from coffee to macadamias. Book a table at You Beauty, where the region’s bounty is put to use in chef Matt Stone’s Australiana-inspired dishes, including smoked beet and green-ant toast and kangaroo skewer with native plum.

High on a ridge overlooking the hinterland, 99 Acres Retreat is a farmstay-style escape with a gem-like pool and 360-degree views over the property’s rolling hills.

Day 6: Bangalow to Burleigh Heads (1 hour and 20 minutes)

Leave the coastal road and head to Murwillumbah to visit the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Centre, which includes a faithful re-creation of the Lismore-born artist’s Sydney studio. Next stop: Queensland. 

With the Surfers Paradise skyline in the distance, the beach at Burleigh Heads is a striking slash of sand hemmed by pandanus and lofty Norfolk Island palms. Book an apartment at Burleigh Beach Tower, just steps from the surf.

Come dinnertime, enjoy water views and pan-Asian flavours at Rick Shores – try the Moreton Bay bug rolls with sriracha mayo and Ballina king prawn with sambal for a spicy kick.

Day 7: Burleigh Heads to Brisbane (1 hour)

Drive inland towards the Scenic Rim, a wonderland of UNESCO World Heritage-listed rainforest, mountain ranges and lush farms. Your first stop is Tamborine National Park, for its bushwalking trails and thundering waterfalls (including the popular Cedar Creek Falls), followed by Tamborine Mountain’s 1.5-kilometre Skywalk – which soars 30 metres above the forest floor – and magical Glow Worm Caves. Bring your wallet to browse the 70-plus eclectic stores on the nearby Gallery Walk and fill the boot with locally made homewares, beauty products, liqueurs and more. 

Leave the magic of the mountain behind for the final one-hour drive into Brisbane, Queensland’s river-city capital.

SEE ALSO: 5 Natural Wonders to Explore From Cairns