Who got it in between which cities I was travelling? Ok whoever read the caption should know it by now.
I started close to Sydney and made my way all up to Brisbane. Along this 1000km trip I stopped at lots of lovely towns along the coast with great beaches and scenic coastlines.
Here a few of the stops I recommend:
1. Newcastle (2h north of Sydney, 8,5h south of Brisbane)
Known as hidden gem but with good transport connections to Sydney Aussies told me the try to keep it this way by not telling people in Sydney about Newcastle – sorry guys. Trough lots of coal companies which were located in Newcastle in the last century it was mostly overlooked by people just seeing the industrial areas. But nowadays the big companies got less and Newcastle can impress with beautiful beaches, nice parks and a calm setting. There is even a Hostel for all the Backpackers located in Newcastle 😉
2. Tuncurry/Forster (3,5h north of Sydney, 7,5h south of Brisbane)
With a nice drive from the Highway to the coast these two cities are worth a visit. Both are separated by a bridge over a canal and the local rivals – I guess it’s the same everywhere 😀 Nice beaches and saltlakes are close to Foster with plenty of Camping spots available. Do a day trip to one of the lakes and hike trough the water or one of the national parks.
3. Port Macquarie (4h north of Sydney, 6,5 h south of Brisbane)
— Australians will just call it Port so don’t be confused 😉 —
Being one of the must stop places along the eastcoast this town has a wide range of good cafe’s, restaurants and shopping options.
But even better there is a FREE Koala Hospital where you get the chance to see koalas close up and learn more on how to protect them. Also worth is the walk along the harbour with all the painted boulders and personal messages.
If you have the time walk south along the cost having some impressive views down the cliffs!
4. Coffs Harbour (6h north of Sydney, 4,5h south of Brisbane)
— Australians like to shorten so call this city just Harbour —
Similar to Port Macquarie but a little bit bigger. If you’re looking for good restaurants and shopping that’s the place to go, if you are after a scenic coastline Port Macquarie is slightly better off.
Sure there are plenty more cities along the coast but these where the ones I visited and I believe are worth to have a look at. Further north you’ll pass by Byron Bay and the Gold Coast but both don’t fit this post about laid back coastal towns anymore 😉
I hope I could help a few of you and if you see a picture and want to know where I took it or how to get there drop a comment down below and I’l tell you all I know!
Lukas