LEGENDARY PACIFIC COAST
Australia is teeming with regions that will take your
breath away, entice you with great food and entertainment, or make your heart pound with adventure activities. If you’re looking for something a
little different and love taking to the open road, the
Legendary Pacific Coast is one of Australia’s leading tourist drives.
The drive takes you from Sydney in the south to
Brisbane in the north through some absolutely stunning regions. From the Central Coast, Hunter Valley, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, you will have
the chance to embrace surf beaches and discover
intimate hide aways, stop in at the largest coastal
saltwater lake in Australia, visit some of the country’s best wineries and take a walk through gorgeous colonial towns, and enjoy a picnic on the
beach, go for a surf or stop in at a salt water ocean
bath for a refreshing dip.
Travel further north to Port Stephens, the Great
Lakes, Manning Valley and Port Macquarie; through
classic coastal country to quiet seaside towns, visit
the dolphin capital of Australia and come face to
face with hundreds of bottle nosed dolphins, enjoy
a walk or 4WD tour on the largest moving coastal
sand dune system in the country, and see where
the Hastings River meets the sea while exploring
the beaches, parks and riverways.
Further to the McLeay River, Nambucca Heads
and Coffs Harbour. See the legendary Smoky Cape
Lighthouse and Trial Bay Gaol; camp out under the
stars, catch your own fish and experience ocean
life with a diving experience, visit a historic town
in the hinterland, enjoy some shopping or take a
cruise in Coffs Harbour and, if you’re up for it, ride
a camel on the beach for something different and
exciting. Visit Woolgoolga, home to the largest regional Sikh/Punjabi population in Australia, which
was settled by Europeans in the 1870s, and before
this was home to the Gumbaingirr Aboriginal tribe.
It was an early centre of Sikh migration for families
who arrived before the White Australia Policy was
introduced.
As you reach the final stretch it will take you through
the Clarence Valley, bounded by the Kyogle in
the north, the Coral Sea in the east, Coffs Harbour
in the south and Tenterfield in the west. There are
rainforests, marine parks, rural and coastal communities and an abundance of adventure activities available. The Clarence River is the largest river
on the eastern seaboard and it stretches some 400
kilometres, through open plains, ancient forests,
lush farmland and quiet villages.