Road trip: Sydney to Brisbane in 3 days

An easy 1.5 hours’ drive north of Sydney, NRMA Ocean Beach Holiday Resort is well worth checking out for another weekend away. The resort is ideal for families craving a mix of relaxation and adventure. After you’ve visited the café for a snack and toilet break, stroll along the beach while kids bounce on the jumping pillows.

If you’d prefer something more scenic than a highway view at the main fuel stops, divert west a few minutes at Raymond Terrace to visit King Street, which was transformed into Main Street, Wirrawee, for the filming of John Marsden’s Tomorrow, When the War Began. There’s also a great variety of cafés, shops and petrol stations in the main shopping area along the river.

If you're refuelled and ready to go but want to pack in a little adventure to your day, swing past Sand Dune Adventures in Nelson Bay where you can ride quad bikes over the famous sand dunes. 

Two hours up the road from Raymond Terrace is a little town that was bypassed a decade ago, but doesn’t seem to mind. Head along Nancy Bird Walton Drive (named after the pioneering aviator, who was born here) to the Visitor Information Centre, for a rest and photo under the Big Axe.

A skip north of Nambucca Heads, the Headland Café & General Store on Valla Beach Road is internet-famous for its food, coffee and live music on weekends. If the weather is kind, a quick dip at the beach is definitely in order.

For those who like to start the day early, take a drive up through banana plantations to the Forest Sky Pier, Niigi Niigi – Sealy Lookout, offering magnificent views over the city of Coffs Harbour and up and down the coastline. This lookout sits within a flora reserve in the Orara East State Forest on Gumbayggirr Country. There are several walks through the rainforest ranging from 1 to 3 hours.

Before you hit Grafton, the A1 follows the Clarence River on a broad sweep to meet the South Pacific Ocean. There are several excellent cafés in this cute coastal town famous for prawns, dolphins and whales (May to October is typically whale-watching season), including Uptown Cafe & Bar, Latitude 29 and Bean Scene.

Set at the north end of the main beach at Lennox Head, this beautiful lake gets its caramel colour from the tea trees growing along its shores. The Bundjalung people discovered the healing wonders of tea tree in this area millennia ago and have been using the oil to treat skin ailments ever since. The water looks murky, but it’s remarkably clean and revitalising.

Our most eastern town of Byron Bay is a hotbed of artists, musicians, philosophers, healers, farmers and fashion designers, attracted by the weather and incredible landscapes… plus a dash of counterculture. These days it’s more chichi than hippie, with plenty of gorgeous eateries such as Bay Leaf Café, Top Shop, and Targa Restaurant.

After lunch, pay the small National Parks entry fee and take a walk from Wategos Beach to Cape Byron Lighthouse. If you have a few hours, immerse yourself in a unique experience and make a booking to learn about Walgun from the Arakwal Aboriginal people.

Drive 12km from Brisbane City to visit the world’s oldest and largest koala sanctuary. Set up in 1927 to give the popular little marsupials a new home as the city expanded, Lone Pine is also home to lots of other native animals of the flying, hopping and waddling variety.

Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens regularly hosts concerts at its Riverstage and weddings all year round, although on any day the real stars are natural beauties like the weeping figs, the bamboo grove and local wildlife.