The Big Banana, a must stop on your Pacific Highway Road Trip
The East Coast of Australia stretches, well, all along the East Coast of Australia! From Melbourne up to the tip of Cape York Peninsula. The most well-worn section of this Australia East Coast stretch of road is the Pacific Highway – the road linking Sydney and Brisbane. Now you can drive it in one day which can take around 10 hours. But there is so much to see and do along the Pacific Highway. If you have the time it would be well worth your while to spend a few days or even longer enjoying your road trip of the Pacific Highway between Sydney and Brisbane.
Having driven between Sydney and Brisbane on many occasions, I have stopped in different spots along the way. There are many beautiful coastal towns, fabulous beaches, three of the biggest cities in Australia and plenty of points of interest to visit on this Pacific Highway road trip.
Here are my suggestions of what to see and do on your road trip between Sydney and Brisbane. I’ve included as much information as possible about different towns and cities along the route to help you decide where to stop and explore. Though, I would suspect, when you see a place that attracts you, you will want to stay there a little longer. So I have made suggestions of where to stay along the Pacific Highway as well.
Table of Contents
Driving The Pacific Highway FAQs
Where Does the Pacific Highway Start and Finish?
The Pacific Highway links the cities of Sydney and Brisbane. It starts and finishes in these cities. Starting in North Sydney, NSW and ending in Brisbane, Queensland, although it is officially known as the Pacific Motorway once it crosses the Queensland/New South Wales border.
How far is the drive between Brisbane and Sydney?
The drive between Brisbane and Sydney along the Pacific Highway is a little over 900 km.
How long does it take to drive between Sydney and Brisbane?
As long as you stick to the recommended speed limit, and along with upgrades to the Pacific Highway, the drive between Sydney and Brisbane will take you about 9 hours.
Can you complete the drive between Brisbane and Sydney in a day?
Yes. You can quite easily complete the drive between Brisbane and Sydney in a single day. However, there are plenty of places to stop along the way. If you are slow travelling your way around Australia, you could take a week or two to drive up or down the coast.
How easy is the drive between Brisbane and Sydney?
With upgrades to the Pacific Highway, the drive between Sydney and Brisbane is pleasant and simple with the entire route now being dual carriageway. As you now by-pass many of the towns, there are plenty of service centres to pull in to to get petrol and food. You could stock up on some Australian iconic snacks to take with you on the drive rather than buying food.
What’s halfway between Sydney and Brisbane?
Coffs Harbour roughly marks the halfway point between Brisbane and Sydney. If you are looking for somewhere to break the trip, try an overnight stay in Coffs Harbour.
What Transport Options are available to travel the East Coast of Australia?
There are bus services between the two cities but the best option for travelling the East Coast of Australia is by car. A car will provide you with the flexibility to stop and to deviate when and wherever you want. If you don’t already have a vehicle then consider renting one. To discover what vehicles are available and their cost check out DiscoverCars.com.
When is the best time to drive along the Pacific Highway?
You can drive the East Coast of Australia anytime. The Pacific Highway is always open, well mostly, except for when there are bushfires threatening, flooding or road works. If you are chasing good and warm weather then the warmer months of late Spring, Summer and early Autumn will be your best options.
Where to Stay along the Pacific Highway?
There are many accommodation options to stay in along the Pacific Highway route. If you are towing a caravan or driving a van there are many free camping spots and caravan parks where you can set up. Otherwise, there are many hotels, motels and resorts to stay in along the way. I have mentioned accommodation options under recommended spots to stop on this Pacific Highway road trip holiday.
TIP: Before any road trip it is best to give your vehicle some road trip checks. You can thank me later!
Best Places to Stop Along the Pacific Highway Road Trip
For the purposes of writing this post on a Pacific Highway road trip, we are driving Sydney to Brisbane. If you are travelling from Brisbane to Sydney, you will need to read this Pacific Highway road trip backwards! HaHa! An alternative to travelling the Pacific Highway is to head inland and drive along the New England Highway.
The New England Highway is another kettle of fish and takes a little longer to drive. However there is plenty to see and do on the New England Highway route. From visiting inland towns, seeing historic old buildings, farming land and learning about bushrangers, the New England Highway is another of Australia’s great road trips. But for now, we are driving the Pacific Highway.
This map reproduced from my guide Live Work and Play in Australia
Sydney
This road trip of the East Coast of Australia starts in Sydney. Have you explored Sydney yet? If you would like to know what to see and do in Sydney before your road trip here are a couple of suggested reads. See the best of Sydney Harbour on my One Day Walking Itinerary of Sydney Harbour. It will walk you around the most famous harbour in the World. From the Rocks to the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Sydney Opera House to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. Put your walking shoes on and discover Sydney Harbour. There is plenty more to see in Sydney than just the harbour, here’s what to See and Do in Sydney on a 7 Day Sydney Itinerary.
Click here to book your accommodation in Sydney.
NSW Central Coast
Leaving Sydney, you will travel north along the Pacific Highway to the NSW Central Coast. Long been a fabulous area for Sydney weekend getaways, your first stop could be at Gosford on the Central Coast some 80km north of Sydney. There are some beautiful beaches here and this is why so many Sydney-siders escape to chill out for weekends. The Entrance is a popular Sydney weekend escape also with its magnificent surrounding water-ways where you can spend your days on pristine surf beaches, hire a boat or go fishing on Tuggerah Lakes. Terrigal is famous for its boutique shopping, upmarket restaurants and its position right on the surf beach. All great places to visit on this Pacific Highway road trip.
Click here to book accommodation on the NSW Central Coast.
Newcastle
Newcastle, some 2 hours north of Sydney, is the second largest city in New South Wales. It is an industrial town and home to the Newcastle Steel Works. There are some beautiful beaches here with historic ocean baths and numerous coastal walks that make for some of the best things to do in Newcastle. Some of the best beaches to visit are Merewether Beach, Newcastle Beach and Nobbys Beach. Why not put your walking shoes on and walk along Bathers Way, a coastal walk stretching between Merewether Beach and Nobbys Beach. If you’re lucky, you might see some migrating whales – if it’s the right time of year!
Merewether Beach, one of the best beaches in Newcastle
Newcastle is more than great beaches, it was founded in the 1790s, after colonists arrived to find escaped convicts. Instead, they discovered a beautiful place with a deep harbour and thought it a great place to settle. You can discover Newcastle’s heritage at the Newcastle Museum. History buffs might want to visit the Fort Scratchley Historic Site which is the only fort in Australia to have engaged in a maritime attack, having returned fire on Japanese submarines during WWII in June 1942.
Newcastle is also a good stopping off point for a visit to the Hunter Valley, one of Australia’s major wine producing regions. Viticulture dates back to the 1800s here and the area is known for producing Semillon and Shiraz wines. There are plenty of cellar door wine tastings and vineyard tours you could do during a visit to the Hunter Valley. Definitely worth visiting for a day, or more. And it is a fabulous place for a weekend escape from Sydney.
Click here to book your accommodation in Newcastle.
Beach-side Towns along the Coast
Leaving Newcastle to continue this road trip along the Pacific Highway, you could head to Nelson Bay and Port Stephens. Here you will find many more beautiful pristine beaches and waterways to enjoy. Port Stephens is off the main highway but this huge port houses many bays and beaches. A great de-stressing area. If you have your own transport you could travel from Nelson Bay at the south end of the port around to the Great Lakes at the north. There you will find the Myall Lakes National Park where you might see kangaroos and koalas in their natural habitat.
Forster is another place Sydney-siders go for a weekend. Some 312km north of Sydney, this area draws large numbers of visitors to experience dolphin cruises, sailboarding, fishing, scuba diving as well as beautiful beaches.
Port Macquarie is another place to lie on a beach and relax for a while. And from here there are multiple holiday destinations – Crescent Head, Kempsey, South West Rocks, Nambucca Heads and Bellingen. Then on to Coffs Harbour.
Coffs Harbour
The beautiful harbour of Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour is a beautiful coastal town along the Pacific Highway and is roughly located halfway between Sydney and Brisbane. It is an ideal place to stop on your road trip along the Pacific Highway. Being one of the largest urban centres on the NSW North Coast, it has plenty of beaches, a great harbour with the Solitary Islands Marine Park, fun activities, yummy places to eat and plenty of accommodation. If turning your Pacific Highway road trip into a 2 day road trip, Coffs Harbour would be a great mid-way stop. And the perfect place for a stay of a couple of days as Coffs Harbour has plenty of things to see and do.
Coffs Harbour owes its name to John Korff, who named the area Korff’s Harbour after he was forced to take shelter from a storm in 1847. The name was accidentally changed by the surveyor for the crown when he reserved land in the area. The economy of Coffs was once based on timber and agriculture of bananas, hence it was known as the Bananancoast. Today, Coffs Harbour and many towns around it make up the the wider region known as the Coffs Coast.
The biggest attraction in Coffs Harbour is undoubtedly the Big Banana Fun Park. Everyone has their photo taken in front of the Big Banana. Come on, be a tourist. It is easily found as the Big Banana is on the highway on the left in the north of Coffs Harbour. After your photo, go inside and discover bananas and have a ride or two in the amusement park area.
There are plenty of accommodation options for your overnight stay in Coffs Harbour. There are free camping areas, Big4 Caravan parks for those with vans and plenty of backpacker hostels and family friendly Coffs Harbour hotel and motel accommodation along with a few resorts with fabulous water views.
Click here to book your accommodation in Coffs Harbour.
More Coastal Towns
Heading on up the coast are the towns of Grafton and Yamba in the Northern Rivers region of NSW at the mouth of the Clarence River. Yamba, a sleepy little town has become one of the hippest towns on the coast. Check out the beaches, restaurants, cafe’s and day spas. For the nature lovers don’t miss out on the World Heritage listed coastal rainforest at the Iluka Nature Reserve. And surfers, well surfers will love the surf breaks of Yamba, particularly at Angourie Point, a National Surfing Reserve. There are also plenty of places to swim, Yamba Main Beach, Turners Beach and Pippi Beach. Yamba is one of the best stops on a road trip Pacific Highway has. Well, in my opinion, Yamba is one of my favourite stops along the Pacific Highway to kick back and relax.
Click here to book accommodation in Yamba.
Lismore & Nimbin
On leaving Yamba, you are about 10 hours north of Sydney and will encounter Lismore and the surrounding area. Lismore is a hidden jewel between the rainforest and the sea. The area is also known as the Rainbow Region as it contains nearly one third of New South Wales’s forest reserve where you can explore heritage-listed rainforests and national parks. Unfortunately, Lismore experienced its highest flood on record on 28 February, 2022, where the flood level reached 14.4m. The town was flooded and this natural disaster caused many to lose their homes and businesses. The town is in recovery mode.
Some 30km north of Lismore is Nimbin, hippy capital of Australia. Nimbin shot to fame in 1973 when it hosted the Auqarius Festival, a 10 day festival for sustainable living, music, art and culture. So discover this for yourself as you see colourful mural facades of heritage buildings or people watch in one of the cafes. Or head into the bush in one of Nimbin’s World Heritage listed rainforests. Which leads us to the next stop on our Pacific Highway road trip – Byron Bay.
Byron Bay
Byron Bay Lighthouse – the most Easterly point in Australia
The coast road from Ballina to Byron Bay is spectacular. At Byron, as it’s affectionately called, you will encounter a collection of souls from backpackers, alternative living hippies and wealthy Aussies who call this area home. There’s even a few Hollywood movie stars like the Hemsworth’s calling Byron home.
Byron Bay locals and visitors mostly don’t wear shoes but I suggest you do wear some to undertake the Cape Byron walk. This Byron Bay Headland National Park walk will take you to the Byron Bay lighthouse where you could dolphin and whale watch. Also take in the fact that you are visiting the most eastern point of Australia. Another photo opportunity. Or maybe just enjoy relaxing on the beach or sitting in one of the organic food cafes. Maybe learn to surf.
Byron Bay also hosts a couple of music festivals which brings an influx of visitors. There is the Blues Festival held in early April each year and Splendour in the Grass in October. Byron Bay is a wonderful place to spend a few days or so while travelling along Australia’s east coast. There are plenty of accommodation options on offer. From free camps to caravan parks to backpacker hostels to wellness retreats to family friendly Byron Bay resorts.
Book your accommodation for Byron Bay here.
Murwillumbah
From Byron you may like to stop at Murwillumbah which is slightly inland and is in the Tweed Valley. This town has old buildings and wide roads to enjoy. Mount Warning dominates the skyline behind Murwillumbah and is a world-heritage listed area of some 2210 hectares. It was named by Captain Cook in 1770 as he sailed the coast. Many like to climb to the top of Mount Warning and take in the views but check whether it is open or not. But check that the walk is allowed an open. Many like to be at the top of Mount Warning for dawn breaking to experience the first rays of sunlight that touch Australia each day.
Click here to book accommodation in Murwillumbah.
The Gold Coast
Me and my bestie Bugs Bunny at Movie World on the Gold Coast
This epic road trip of Australia is nearing its end with one more stop to go. Cross the NSW-Queensland Border – yep, photo stop, to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is one of Australia’s holiday hot spots. The region stretches some 42km along South-East Queensland’s sun-drenched coastline. Then some 100km out to the Gold Coast Hinterland where you will find the Natural Arch and be able to walk through rainforests.
The Gold Coast area strip of hotels and high rise buildings has rolling surf beaches, non-stop entertainment for all ages and is home to theme parks – Movie World, Dreamworld and Seaworld which are fun to visit. You might want to try your luck at Jupiter’s Casino or be entertained at the Outback Experience. Or feed the birds at the Currumbin Wildlife Park. As there is so much to see and do on the Gold Coast you might want to turn your time here into a week long holiday. There is something for everyone to do for solo travellers to the Gold Coast, couples on a honeymoon to the Gold Coast and for families visiting the Gold Coast with kids.
Accommodation on the Gold Coast is vast. Ranging from backpacker hostels to camping grounds, hotels and Gold Coast family friendly resorts with kid’s club.
Book accommodation for a holiday on the Gold Coast here.
Brisbane
It is about an hour’s drive north up the road from the Gold Coast to Brisbane, Australia’s third largest city. This last part of the road trip can be slow, as this depends on the traffic. On reaching Brisbane, this is the end of this road trip up the East Coast of Australia along the Pacific Highway. Read my post for some inspiration on what to see and do in Brisbane here. Before is definitely worth a few days visit. You can celebrate the end of this road with a drink or two at one of the bars at Howard Smith Wharves along the Brisbane River. Or perhaps enjoy a swim and the activities happening at the vibrant South Bank.
Book accommodation for your time in Brisbane here.
If driving back to Sydney and you don’t want to hug the coast, take a road trip along The New England Highway.
Suggest Pacific Highway Road Trip Itineraries
1 Day Pacific Highway Road Trip Itinerary – drive direct Sydney to Brisbane.
2 Day Pacific Highway Road Trip Itinerary – Sydney – Coffs Harbour – Brisbane
3 Day Pacific Highway Road Trip Itinerary – Sydney – Newcastle – Coffs Harbour – Brisbane
4 Day Pacific Highway Road Trip Itinerary – Sydney – Newcastle – Coffs Harbour – Byron Bay – Brisbane
5 Day Pacific Highway Road Trip Itinerary – Sydney – Newcastle – Coffs Harbour – Byron Bay – Gold Coast – Brisbane
Are You Ready to Road Trip Pacific Highway?
So there you go, a drive along the Pacific Highway can be as epic as you want it. It could be a quick Sydney to Brisbane drive of some 9 hours or can be turned into a few days or longer holiday. No matter which you choose this well worn track is one of Australia’s great road trips. If you have travelled along this well worn route I would love to hear in the comments.
That banana 🙂 Some beautiful things to see on a road trip along the Pacific Highway.
The Big Banana is one of the best places to visit. It is a great place to enjoy a banana split!
This looks like a great area to do a road trip through, with lots of unique stops and fun locations for photos!
Yes it is a great road trip, probably the most popular in Australia as it has unique stops and lots of great beaches to visit.
This looks like such a scenic road trip! Would love to do it one day 🙂
It is very scenic and I hope you can do it one day. I’m sure you will love it.
I have lived in Australia and roamed around all these places. But I liked this name “The big banana” :). I hope I am able to visit Australia again soon.
The Big Banana is a fun place. I hope you can visit Australia again soon to visit it.
The big banana! What an interesting attraction. Australia is SO high on my bucket list. This sounds like an incredible road trip. Thanks for sharing!
Australia loves big things. As well as the Big Banana, there is the Big Crayfish, the Big Merino to name a couple. I hope you get to Australia soon and can add a tick to your bucket list.
I hope to do this trip before long? Is summer too hot? Would spring or Autumn be better?
Summer time will be hot and also very busy as many Australians take their holidays then. Spring and Autumn offer nice weather too and won’t be so busy as kids will have returned to school. I hope you get to do this trip very soon.
I’ve never been to Australia, but every time I read about traveling there, it makes me want to visit! I love road trips, and this looks like an awesome route – I definitely want to check out Byron Bay 🙂
The Pacific Highway from Sydney to Brisbane is one of the most popular road trips in Australia to undertake. It offers so much. I do hope that one day you will be able to travel it.
This is a really great guide, I will definitely be using this when I plan a trip along the Pacific Highway.
I’m about to do this road trip – again – shortly myself!