However, expect the driving time to be about 12 hours (plus stops). Stops include Terrigal, Hunter Valley, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Barrington Tops and New England National Parks, Byron Bay, and Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. Check out our post on free camping in Australia to find out more. All of these routes can be completed in a day. In need of an escape from the daily 9-5? The Emmaville mining museum has more than 4,000 gem and mineral specimens to admire, and a pretty impressive old bottle collection too. Not only do these luxury villas have a private pool and hot tub, which is perfect for when you need refuge from the glare of the sun, they are also within short walking distance of the major beach, as well Byron's buzzy main strip of hip bars and restaurants. Or visit Lamington National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site where you can explore the rainforest via a treetop suspension bridge. To help you to plan your perfect trip from Brisbane to Sydney weve put together our ultimate road trip planner, complete with distance, driving time, things to do, and places to stay. But either way I hope youve saved some energy to explore one of the most iconic cities in the world. Please see printing instructions below. On the Burning Mountain walk you can learn about the fire thats been burning in a coal seam underground for at least 5,500 years, and see how the landscape changes as the fire slowly moves at a rate of about one metre a year. Visitors love Coffs Harbours fishing tours and seafood dinners but its also worth moving inland to explore nearby countryside and rainforest. Keep reading to find out all about the route, best places to stop and things to do along the way. Sydney to Brisbane Road Maps Tourist drives & Driving Directions for Australian Highways via New England Highway- route 2. Up the road in the eclectic artisan village of Murrurundi the shops include crystals and collectibles in the Emporium in the old post office building, and a mix of new and old clothing, jewellery and gifts including some gorgeous hand-knitted toys made by rural women in Kenya, at Adawn. But it is definitely worth doing. The rural scenery on this particular drive is incredible and will definitely take your breath away. From Brisbane you will make your way on the A39 through the Darling Downs towards the beautiful Garden City' of Toowoomba. If you havent yet had your fill of surfing, visit Mereweather Beach, home of international surfing competition, Surfest. Drive to Bellingen and buy local gifts and snacks at the Bellingen Park Market (on the third Saturday of each month). Click here to find out more. Search. Strip maps : [Australia], Sydney-Brisbane via Pacific Highway [cartographic material] / NRMA 2000. You can find out more about the route on its website. Its on the southern approach on the New England Highway, so you cant miss it and despite the clichs its rather a cool tribute to the towns country music roots: so too the bronze statues along the main street featuring an assortment of country music legends. The Moonbi Range rises from around 500 to 1,300m above sea level, and if you get stuck behind a truck just think that this is one to drive up slowly and enjoy the view and those huge boulders on the side of the road. 3:49 pm Angourie. This article may contain affiliate links. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The best thing about Byron Bay is its endless beaches and rich marine life. When I stayed I met a couple that had driven more than 600km just to have the steak and wrote about it in Escape, and now that I know how good it is Im adding a stop whenever I can when Im road tripping along that highway. Made by Kelly Kap. However, if you like driving through country towns and not past them, then an inland journey through New England High Country might just be for you. Get Distance & Directions. 6:44 pm arrive in Melbourne. Hike in the forests of Gaagal Wanggaan National Park, 211kms (131 miles), 2 hour, 20 minute drive, Visit the Koala Hospital for a Walk and Talk tour, Up the pace of your trip by hiring a jet ski, Take a drive out to nearby hinterland villages and enjoy a long hike through the Wauchope, Byabarra, Comboyne, Ellenborough, Wingham, or Taree regions, Finish up your trip in Port Macquaries famous, 117 kms (72.7 miles), 1 hour 36 minute drive, Take the 25km Wallingat Forest Drive through, Visit the Golf and Tennis clubs at Forster-Tuncurry for an afternoon of sporting action, Dip in the Forester Ocean Baths to cool off, Take an Oyster Farm boat tour then eat the famous local Wallis Lake Oysters for dinner, 165 kms (103 miles), 2 hours and 5 minutes, Hike the Tomaree Headland for the best 360-degree view in the area. If you're having issues using the site, please enable JavaScript and refresh your browser. After 5+ years of full-time traveling, I learned a lot about travel insurance. Length: 724km Northern Terminus: NSW/QLD Border, Tweed Heads Bypass Southern Terminus: Pacific Hwy & New England Hwy, Hexham Focal Points: Sydney, Newcastle, Taree, Kempsey, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Ballina, Tweed Heads, Brisbane RTA Internal Classification: State Highway No. And for a special B&B stay, I loved spending the night at Loloma Luxury Bed and Breakfast. Joining the road as it passes close to Brisbane, and travelling the section from Warwick to Tamworth, encapsulates one of the most densely packed stretches of things to do and see. The Whitebull Hotel is my go-to for a great pub meal in Armidale, while if youre in more of a fine dining mood the Tattersalls Hotels restaurant is led by French chef Jean-Luc Morcellet who previously worked at The Savoy in London and the Shangri-La in Doha. 3:30 pm Benalla. Overall this journey can be completed non-stop in around 9 hours and 30 minutes. No time for sightseeing though. This tour of Australia's east coast is ideal for travelers drawn to the sun and sea. And speaking of horses, make sure you dont skip around Scone on the highway bypass. This distance and driving directions will also be displayed on an interactive map labeled as Distance Map and Driving Directions Australia. Decide on your designated driver before you pull up a seat at his steampunk with a prohibition vibe micro distillery to sample his wares. When I first walked into my room I fell in love with the look of the bed. LazyTrips is a trading name of Uncle Bob Media Ltd. The New England Highway is gazetted State Highway No. Cost Go! Sydney to Scone - 282kms Scone to Tamworth - 132km Tamworth to Armidale - 113km Armidale to Tenterfield - 187km Now if you really needed to motor you could do a Sydney to Brisbane road trip the New England highway way in one long day. stay for about 1 hour. Another great reason to choose an inland journey is to show your support and inject some much needed money into the local community. Cost Go! And as well as a long list of cheese to try theres a licenced caf for breakfast and lunch. Head to the Hunter Valley (a 1.5 hour drive), Australias premier wine-growing region. Or, stop at Arthur Clives Bakery at Aratula the perfect half way spot for a cheeky cake and coffee as you head toward your final destination. 1) Fastest route is driving to the airport, leasing a car when you get to Brisbane. For more of the best in travel sign up to our newsletter! But a very simple drive. New on the scene, The Social Club is the latest venture by charismatic owner Caleb Harvey. Well one major one is being built right now and while you may have to wait a little while for the roadworks traffic light to go your way, its a pretty cool thing to see. Visitors to this area of New South Wales find it hard to leave without exploring the cliffs, canyons, waterfalls and forests that make up this enchanting national park. This includes Surfer's Paradise, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour and Terrigal. Tip: Book your stays with Hotels.com and get a free night for every 10 nights you book. 2) Second fastest is via Dubbo/Narrabri - but do it over a couple of days 3) Don't use caffeine or other stimulants - they keep you awake but not alert! Youll find some stunning beaches and incredible ocean pools. An unforgettable place to stay during your time here is The Villas of Byron. Sydneys world-class cultural venues host a busy calendar of events and the citys restaurants pull in tourists from around the world. 93kms (58 miles), 1 hour and 4 minute drive. And dont forget to pass by the Forester Ocean Baths for a dip in the ocean while the waves are crashing over the walls of the pool. To reach the midway point from Sydney to Brisbane, you would drive for about 5 hours, 33 minutes or roughly 470 km from Brisbane to the halfway stop. Choose the length of walk you prefer by picking destinations from Coffs Jetty, Sawtell Headland, Woolgoolga Headland and Emerald Beach Headland. The 915-km road trip from Brisbane to Sydney takes 9 hours 30 minutes to drive. If youre visiting on the second Saturday of the month, check out Woolgoolga beach market. I defy anyone to visit Tenterfield and not start breaking in to song! Live updates, traveller information and personalised alerts for NSW roads. Housed within Tamworths beautiful old bank building, The Pig & Tinder Box is more contemporary restaurant than gastro pub with a menu of creative share plates and traditional wood-fired pizzas. Also if you are a fan of the TV show Home and Away you will definitely want to check out Palm Beach in New South Wales, which is where their beach scenes are filmed. Calories Bicycling 58.306 kcal Running 56.097 kcal Jogging 53.888 kcal CO2 Emission VS Trees Flight 202.52 kg (3395Trees) 60's hippies have been seemingly immortalised here everything's dreadlocks, campervans, and marijuana. The Country Way is a touring route stretching 1615km (1003mi) from Sydney to Rockhampton, linking jewels of the countryside along the Great Dividing Range. A couple of short sections through both Newcastle and Coffs Harbour do have traffic lights which can also slow things down a little when the traffic is heavy. And in Australias horse capital of Scone an old pub from the 1800s has been reborn as The Thoroughbred, with a gourmet bakery, caf and steakhouse with rooms to stay upstairs. Well Im here to tell you, so are the beds. Go bar-hopping and enjoy some music in Byron Bays live music venues. Ngarabal, Ngoorabul and Anaiwan Country. After a 10-month renovation the Courthouse Hotel reopened its doors in September and has indoor and outdoor dining areas, including a family area with soft play equipment. From Sydney, drive 36km south to Royal National Park. one of the best places to stay here is the Q1 Resort & Spa, An unforgettable place to stay during your time here is The Villas of Byron, you could also stay at the magnificent Harrigan's Irish Pub & Accommodation too. The New England portion of this highway lasts about 211km from Tenterfield to Uralla. Nambucca Heads is a perfect place to stretch your legs and chill out! Conveniently wander downstairs to the restaurant and bar for a local wine or craft beer and relax by the fire. All rights reserved. There are so many places to visit on a road trip from Brisbane to Sydney that you really need a good few weeks to see them all. As you continue your Sydney to Brisbane road trip along the New England highway youll travel through farmland where racehorses graze behind timber fences before making your way up over the Liverpool Range and onto the Liverpool Plains. RACQ's Trip Planner allows you to find places, get directions or plan your next road trip. find more stops. And just across the Beardy Street Mall is a magical little shop called Granny Fis Toy Cupboard where they hand make dragons, goblins, mandrakes, house elves, and more. Want to get out of the city and get back to nature? And for a special B&B stay, the Bungalow and Ivy Leaf Chapel is a beautiful 1915 home with one and a half acres of stunning gardens, including its very own chapel covered in Boston Ivy. Day Itinerary; Day 1. It has some fantastic, secluded beaches like Main Beach, Pippi Beach, and Turner Beach. The sunny weather lasts all year round here. The areas rugged headland is a famous whale-watching spot so you can catch glimpses of these sea creatures without getting your feet wet! For a historic farm stay, Corunna Station was once the largest sheep shearing station in the Hunter, and the Country House has five bedrooms and three bathrooms to share with friends. One of Australias best travel blogs, Adventures All Around has a sense of fun and a love for life, with a little luxury along the way. The 24 stones have been laid out as a calendar and theres marker on the ground that shows the length of the shadow on the shortest and longest days of the year, the winter and summer solstice, when dawn services are held at the stones. Any and all suggestions are appreciated. For a delicious pub meal you cant go past the Railway Tavern in Glen Innes, and if youre craving a great Thai fix Yim Thai at the New England Club is the place to be. Sydney to Brisbane Road Maps Tourist drives & Driving Directions for Glen Innes to Tamworth via New England Highway NSW Road Maps - route 2 Armidale to Sydney NSW Road Maps Sydney to Brisbane Road Map 2 - Route 2 As well as visiting iconic spots like the Gold Coast and Byron Bay. Every spring The Makers Shed hosts the High Country Writers Festival, with next years event to take place on the 16th of October 2021. Thats another one of my all time favourite drives, but for now, back to our Sydney to Brisbane road trip fun. Show only these on map 1 Toowoomba Save Toowoomba is a city in the Darling Downs region of southern Queensland, Australia. The New England Highway is the quieter, inland route that takes you up over the Great Dividing Range, through some pretty spectacular scenery and into country towns and villages that I love. Either, way you could select a route that gives you a bit of each - inland and coast. Distance from Brisbane 117 KM | Distance from Sydney 806 KM About 60 to 90 minutes driving time from Brisbane, take the Kingscliff turn-off on the Pacific Highway and head for the quaint seaside village that is Kingscliff. Length: 914km Start: Yarraman, Queensland End: Hexham, New South Wales Towns to Visit: Tenterfield, Glen Innes, Armidale. Sydney to Tamworth Sydney to Tamworth 407 KM | 5 hours . Pick up a rental car and hit the road for the stunning beauty of Blue Mountains National Park, just 1.5 hours west of Sydney.Here a dusty blue horizon of eucalyptus trees appears to stretch on forever. Melbourne to Brisbane, via the Newell Highway and the East Coast [cartographic material] / Hema Maps ; c. Kidman Way & Matilda Highway, Jerilderie to Karumba [cartographic material] / Hema Maps ; cartography Ca. Famous for being one of Australia's coolest and well known coastal towns, it boasts stunning beaches, gorgeous hinterland and a vibrant dining and party scene. Located at the mouth of the Nambucca River, Nambucca Heads is a perfect jumping-off point to explore Gaagal Wanggaan (South Beach) National Park. This is a great place for hiking or zip lining. When I last visited I spotted a pair of True Religion jeans for $10, that sadly werent my size, but I did buy a couple of lovely, brand new jumpers that Ive loved wearing since. This is the perfect journey for those who love the coast, as you will be able to check out some of the best beaches in Queensland and New South Wales. The pig and tinderbox is a local favourite. When youre travelling through one of Australias best wine regions, it would be a shame not to slow down and visit a cellar door or two. Thunderbolts Way Route. The Gold Coast is one of Australias largest cities and one of the most desirable places to live in the world! Use the calculator or tables provided below to obtain a guide of times and distances between towns and cities along the Newell Highway. ; Stop . TIP: You may also find places to free camp during your road trip from Brisbane to Cairns. The Celtic Capital of Australia, Glen Innes is home to Australias Standing Stones, which were inspired by the Ring of Brodgar in Scotlands Orkney Islands and when viewed from above also includes the Celtic Cross and the Southern Cross. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. Check out this route on Google Maps. Australia's highest city, Armidale, is the gateway to a stunning gorge wilderness with 500km of rivers and waterfalls. Minnie Water is another of NSWs secluded beach towns. Far from the tourist centers of the Gold Coast and Byron Bay, you can enjoy a seafood dinner and a walk along the beach. and leave at 4:49 pm. This is a small coastal city with lots to see and do. Distance: 245km. There are many routes that can be explored when you travel between Brisbane and Sydney. This journey proceeds past the stunning Nowendoc National Park, and the gorgeous Barrington Tops National Park, before joining the Pacific Highway towards Sydney at Twelve Mile Creek. In Tamworth the Big Golden Guitar has been a popular happy snap spot for years, and as of January 2020 has a new museum to explore too. Yes, the one from Pretty Woman. With more than 150 wineries and cellar doors youre spoilt for choice, and in the original Pokolbin Church you can try Usher Tinklers unique mix, while Lisa McGuigans VAMP Wine Rooms are a sexy blend of fashion, art, music and wine where you can both taste her own creations and some of her favourite drops from around the world. The beaches here are among the nicest on this list but nearby Tomaree National Park, with its Koala colonies and gorgeous vistas, is the real draw. Check out this route on Google Maps. When making a road trip from Brisbane to Sydney you definitely want to get out of the car every now and then. Check out this route on Google Maps. The drive between Brisbane and Sydney is now straightforward; the entire route is now dual carriageway. A visit to Tenterfield is not complete without visiting Tenterfield Saddler. Possibly more scenic is the New England Hwy and Newell Hwy to Seymour, then Hume Hwy into Melbourne. Stone mason and history lover Ray Collins was inspired to create the garden when he discovered he was the descendent of a First Fleet convict and approached ten councils before Liverpool Plains saw the potential in the plan. As we leave Australias country music capital behind youll see some mountains in the distance. Technically known as the A1 and M1 route, depending on what state you are in, the Pacific Highway is essentially one long stretch of road that connects Brisbane to Sydney. Sydney to Brisbane via the Pacific & New England Highways [cartographic material] : another Hema road ma. The drive takes around 11 hours and youd get to see the scenery but not much else. Grab a takeaway coffee from one of these excellent cafes, Equium Social, Praise Joe Urban Pantry or The Hood Milk Bar and continue your road trip north.