State of New South Wales Travel Forum

Hi,
My husband and I are flying from Perth to the Gold Coast to visit family and we are then hiring a car to drive to Melbourne to watch the AFL Grand Final (hopefully the Eagles will be in it). We've never done this before. Are there any must see places to stop at. Any sort of advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi I have lived in Perth for the last 30 years and before that 27 years in Sydney. Last Sept we flew to Brisbane and hired a car drivining to Sydney , we took 17 days all up including 4 at Manly Beach. You are welcome to have a look at my pages, Noosa Heads,Maleney, Mapelton, Montville, Brisbane, Surfers Paradise, then into NSW and Byron Bay, Nimbin, Coffs Harbour,Port Macquarie, Nambucca Heads, Port Stephens,Terrigal, Manly & Sydney.

Go through those pages and sort out what you like and fit it into your time scale, as good as anywhere in this world. If you have time when in Brisbane fly to Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays Passage, we went Jetstar $70 one way, have a look at my Hanilton Island page.

Good Luck,
Mike

Thanks for that Mike, Will definately study your pages on places you stopped at. We have been to Hamilton Island so will just concentrate on the drive which is supposed to be beautiful.

Have a great trip Kathy! Whilst staying on the Gold Coast, there are 2 good day outings I would suggest. 1. Gold Coast Hinterland taking in O'Reilly's for the tree top walk and then Natural Arch. There's also lots of nice quaint gift shops around that area. 2. Through Murwillumbah to Uki and have a picnic at the base of Mount Warning and then drive out to Nimbin for a cultural experience. And just adding to Mike's great tips, these are the places I would do from Gold Coast to Sydney - Turn off at Kingscliff and go the coast road through Cabaritta and Hastings Point and hang a left at Pottsville and continue on maybe stopping along the long stretch of road to check out Black Rock beach. That's a big long stretch of beach that you should get all to yourself :o) The coast road meets the highway at a place called Mooball prounced (Mobil)...don't get it wrong or the locals will hit you with a hunk of 4b2 :o) Byron Bay (preferrably on Saturday for the markets), Yamba, Angourie, Mullaway, Big Banana at Coffs, Sawtell, Bellingen, Nambucca Heads for fish & chips, Crescent Head. Watch out for cops at Taree, they are everywhere. And be careful on the Bulahdelah pass as it is well known for accidents. The beaches out from Gosford are nice - Terrigal, Avoca, Copacabana, MacMasters, Bouddi National Park and Kilcare.
Have a great time and drive safe!

Would depend on how much time you have.

2 choices:

"Coast" road (Pacific Hwy/Princess Hwy) as others have suggested which would include going through Sydney and all its traffic.

New England Hwy/Oxley Hwy/Newell Hwy - go inland from Gold Coast and via Armidale and Tamworth (country music), then onto Dubbo (western plains zoo) and Parkes (radio telescope) and then into Vic via Shepparton (fruit growing region) - or even detour via Eucha - and then join up with the Hume Freeway into Melb.

Inland is much quicker with long stretches between towns (no problem to a WAer - LOL) and with the exception of the Armidale/Tamworth section, quite flat. We are in Melb and used to go to Gold/Sunshine coast for hols and took 3 days to do it via inland route, with a couple of do-something-along-the-way stops for the kids when they were a lot smaller than they are now.

Have a great trip - go the Pies - LOL

Yes, I would go the inland route too. If you're hoping to have ocean views on your drive, you will be sadly disappointed by the Pacific Highway once you pass Nambucca Heads. Head to Armidale from Coffs Harbour. Climb the Great Dividing Range to Tamworth. See the Warrumbungles near Coonabarabran, then Dubbo. Then just 4.5 hours south is a little surprise for you called Canberra. Not many people know about this place, so you could be the only tourist here. Then there is a lovely road (I refer to the scenery, not the surface) through the "Southern Alps" to Victoria. You meet the coast again at Orbost. Then head for Melbourne. That's the way I would go.

Good point Oisha :o) Tamworth is definately worth a visit. Make sure you check out the berry farm if you are in the area. Coonabarabran was a place we stayed at once and I want to go back because I missed star and planet gazing from the huge observatories that are located there. So as Oisha said, head inland half way down the coast. I would go past Coffs, Sawtell and head inland just before Urunga, through Bellingen (you'll love that place), Dorrigo and to Armidale and then down to Tamworth etc...
Cheers, Ann :o)