Sydney – Pacific Coast Drive

• By: Editor
• On: 31/Oct/2008
• In: Australia Travel Tips

This 950km coastal route follows the Number 1 National Highway along the coast of the Pacific Ocean.   

Firstly you'll need a car. You can pick up your car hire at either end of the route. Book car hire Sydney or car hire Brisbane. Avail of excellent rates with no hidden extras and choose from a large fleet of vehicles.

Leave Sydney and head for the Central Coast via the Number 1 National Highway, or Pacific Highway, as it's also known. Continue up along the coast to Newcastle. En route you'll come across the Brisbane Waters National Park about 60km north of Sydney.

There's plenty to see and do in the area. A stop off is highly recommended to take time and explore the park, avail of the many little cafés and restaurants and check out the arts and craft shops onsite. 

If you're into water sports then a visit to Lake Macquarie, Australia's largest coastal saltwater lake, is a must. It's about 2 hours north of Sydney and here you can get your adrenaline pumping with the many activities available.

Why not try wind surfing, canoeing, water skiing, sailing and as well as a range of other outdoor activities? If you fancy spending the night in the area, Newcastle isn't too far from here and there's a good selection of guest accommodation to choose from in the town.

The next part of the journey will take you to Nelson Bay. En-route you could stop off at the Hunter Valley, one of Australia's premier wine producing regions.

Next stop is a cultural visit to Gringai Aboriginal and afterwards you can head north from Nelson Bay and join a dolphin watching tour. Again if you fancy spending the night here there's plenty accommodation in the Nelson Bay area.

Leaving Nelson Bay head for Port Macquarie. On the way you'll find that there's plenty to see and do on this leg of the journey. You can swim in the clear waters of the Myall Lakes. Myall is an Aboriginal word for 'wild'.

The Myall Lake National Park covers 31,562 hectares of forests, swamplands and headlands. If you have a few hours to spare you can go whale watching off Crowdy Head. You can finish your journey to Port Macquarie with another wine tasting experience at The Bago Vineyards.

After a night in Port Macquarie your next destination is Coffs Harbour. Drive towards Kempsey and take in Hat Head National Park. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and beaches and keep a look out for dolphins and whales which are regular visitors to the area.

Continue on to South West Rocks where you can tour the Maritime Museum and Smoky Cape Lighthouse. It's also worth stopping in the pretty little village of Bowraville. At Nambucca Heads you can learn all about Aboriginal culture, the music, dance, song, art and bush craft before driving onto Coffs Harbour. 

The coastal city of Coffs Harbour is located about 570km north of Sydney. It has a thriving banana industry and one of its most popular tourist attractions is the Big Banana.

It's located north of the city on the Pacific Highway. You can enjoy a toboggan ride through the banana plantation, go ice skating, waterslides and much more. And for the golf enthusiast a visit to Bonville International Golf Resort, just 10km south of Coffs Harbour is a must. 

From Coffs Harbour continue on the coastal road taking in the local sights. Why not stop off for a swim in the warm waters of Angourie’s or the ‘Blue Pool’ (seaside pool with an underwater spring) as it is also known? There are also a number of scenic walking trails through the lush green rain forests of Iluka Nature Reserve, 136 hectares of protected rainforest, to choose from. 

From Iluke continue north towards Murwillumbah. Attractions along the way include the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum or you can take a lazy historic river cruise in Ballina. Pick up the pace when you arrive at Byron Bay, one of Australia's premier surfing destinations. It's just off the Pacific Highway about 175km south of Brisbane.
 
Next port of call is Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, and the end of the Pacific Coast Drive…

If you've driven this route or have any tips we'd be delighted to hear from you. Leave a message in the comment box below and we'll get back to you.