Sydney to Brisbane on the Pacific coast takes you past countless beaches through the Central Coast, Hunter Region, North Coast and Northern Rivers regions, before crossing the border and on to the shiny Gold Coast and Brisbane.
Before you go
- Distance: 1055km
- Duration: Four to seven days
- Flight gateway: Sydney
- Departure time: Any time out of peak hour
- Best view: SkyPoint Observation deck on the Gold Coast
- Spot it if you can: Dolphins at Byron Bay
Don't miss
The Pacific Coast Touring Route begins with the Central Coast region less than an hour north of Sydney.
You'll know you've hit the Central Coast when you spot a large fibreglass dinosaur promoting the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby. It's not a bad place to stop on the way to the region's beaches, especially for their very entertaining reptile shows.
Straight off the highway after Somersby, head to Ettalong or Pearl Beach — old-fashioned seaside towns that have sprouted a few decent cheap cafes. Further north, Terrigal is also a great coastal town to visit, not just for the beach but for its great range of curio shops one block back from the beach. Terrigal also has a great range of restaurants and cafes so lunch here is a great option. The Reef is a modern Australian restaurant and a great option for families, whereas Onda's might be better if you're dining as a couple.
From Terrigal, take the scenic route along the peninsula that separates Lake Macquarie from the Pacific Ocean. There are some great walking tracks to be found here from Murrays Beach on the lake-side to Caves Beach by the sea.
The Hunter region, and its capital Newcastle, lies between the Central Coast and North Coast. Historic Newcastle has good surf beaches and a laid-back surf culture but unless you're a surfer, it's best to bypass the city and head straight to the Hunter Valley.
The Hunter Valley is Australia's oldest wine-producing region and now boasts many fine eateries. All meals come with a view, from a meal under the wisteria covered courtyard at Bistro Molines looking out onto the vineyards of Mountview at of Tallavera Grove to the kitchen garden at Margans.
If you'd rather view the vineyards from above, there's plenty of ways to do that too. Choose from a romantic float through the clouds in a balloon with Balloon Aloft or a joyride in a Top Gun Jet Fighter.
Just an hour from the Hunter Valley the sheltered bay of Port Stephens is home to more than 160 bottlenose dolphins. Go on dolphin-watch cruises to get closer to the intelligent mammals, or simply walk to the end of the jetty at dawn and you're bound to get a visit. Dolphin watching is best between November — April, however in the other months you may be able to spot whales.
Port Stephens is also home to some enormous sand dunes (on Stockton Beach), which you can explore on a four-wheel drive tour, on camel back or simply armed with a boogie board to surf down the slopes.
Shortly before you hit Coffs Harbour, it's worth turning left off the highway for a visit to the rather bohemian little village of Bellingen and its cafes, delis, galleries and antique shops.
Coffs Harbour is of course home to the Big Banana, but unless you've got kids screaming in the back of the car it's not really worth more than a wave. It's now a theme park with waterslides, ice-skating and a truly horrible canteen.
At the nearby Pet Porpoise Pool you can feed, kiss and even swim with its resident dolphins and seals, but for a wilder experience, Liquid Assets can take you for an ocean kayak through the subtropical waters off shore, where you're likely to get up close and personal with a dolphin or turtle or two.
Byron Bay, at Australia's eastern-most point, is famous for its long beaches, yoga and massage therapies, and hippie markets and street performers. Treat yourself to a spa treatment at one of the many retreats here, including Olivia Newton-John's award-winning Gaia Retreat.
Tweed Heads and Coolangatta sit on either side of the NSW-Queensland border and are often referred to as the Twin Towns. They take their surfing and surf life saving seriously, so you'll frequently see the nippers and ironmen in training on the expansive beaches.
Crossing the Queensland border also marks the beginning of the Gold Coast. There's a shift in gear here as the open spaces and laid-back low-rises give way to towering apartment buildings. The Gold Coast’s 24/7 neon-glow is like Las Vegas by the beach.
Get a bird's eye view from the heart of Surfers Paradise at the observation deck of SkyPoint, the world's tallest residential tower. Take a high-speed lift to its 77th and 78th floors and check out the awesome 360-degree views.
If you've got kids in the car, it would be cruel not to stop by at least one or two of the five worlds: Dreamworld
, Sea World
, Warner Bros Movie World
, Wet'n'Wild Water World and WhiteWater World.
After all that fun and excitement, you might just limp into Brisbane, so for a quick and easy way to explore it, hop onto the City Cat, the local river taxi.
Worth a visit here, before you drop onto your pillow, is "The Valley", Fortitude Valley, which offers a great range of cafes, boutiques, designer dress shops in its Brunswick Street Mall by day and a heaving nightclub scene by night.
