East Coast Australia - Northern NSW

"East Coast Australia - Northern NSW Coast Travel Information"  

The NSW coast between Sydney in south and the Queensland border in north is full of wonderful beaches known for good surf and golden sands, but there are also some nice coastal towns and vineyards, the beautiful Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Brisbane Water National Park, Tomaree National Park, and some lovely beaches at Fingal Bay, Stockton Bight and Bennetts Beach. In Coffs Harbour is the Big Banana, and in Port Macquarie is Australia's oldest koala hospital. Here is some information on the area, and in the end of the page is an interactive map.

Listing by Chitika



Visiting Sydney and haven't got the time to take yourself to Northern Beaches?

There are tours you can take!

FEW HOUR TO HALF DAY TOURS FROM SYDNEY TO SYDNEY NORTHERN BEACHES









East Coast Australia - NSW Coast North of Sydney
North of Sydney are Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Sydney Northern Beaches that get crowded with Sydney families during school holidays. Further north along the NSW coast you pass the small coastal towns Gosford and Swansea before you come to Newcastle – home to the popular Aussie band Silverchair. The town is also worth a stop if you want to get close to some Australian animals - Blackbutt Reserve on Carnley Avenue is free to visit and koalas are fed between 2pm and 3pm every day; and the Wetlands Centre on Sandgate Road is home for over 200 species of birds and animals.

Newcastle also has some lovely beaches, and if you stay over night, there are

* hotels and motels such as Best Western Blackbutt Inn, Best Western Travellers Motor Village, Cardiff Motor Inn, Carrington Place Hotel, Comfort Inn, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Holiday Inn Esplanade, Ibis Hotel, Mayfield Motel, Newcastle Heights Motel, Novocastrian Hotel, Palm Valley Motel, Panorama Motor Inn, Quality Hotel Apollo, Noah's On The Beach, Sunnyside Tavern Hotel, The Executive Inn, Madison Motor Inn, Sebel Beach Hotel, The Sovereign Inn, and Travelodge Hotel.


* bed and breakfast such as Hamilton Heritage B&B, Maison De May B&B, Riverview Gardens B&B, Warners Bay B&B.

* villas and apartments such as Jesmond Villas, Adeena on King Apartments, Central Apartments, Chifley Apartments, Grand Mercure Apartments, Harbourside Apartments, Honeysuckle Apartments, Maquarie Serviced Apartments, and Quest Apartments.

If you stay in Gosford, there are Bermuda Motor Inn, Best Western Motor Inn, Caroline Bay Apartments, Claddagh House B&B, Quality Inn the Willows and Wombats Bed and Breakfast.


There are truly amazing places along the northern coast of New South Wales.

Between Newcastle and Port Maquarie is Seal Rocks - a great place to learn to surf.

And there are two day tours from Sydney that take you there.

TWO DAY LEARN TO SURF TRIPS FROM SYDNEY TO SEAL ROCKS



East Coast Australia: NSW Hunter Coast and Hunter Valley Wineries
Inland from Newcastle on the east coast Australia are the famous Hunter Valley Wineries – Australia’s oldest wine district, where you can taste some top quality wines for free at the different vineyards’ cellar doors. You don’t have to buy any, but it can be hard to resist, and most of the Hunter Valley Wineries have outdoor picnic areas or small outdoor restaurants with views over the vineyards, where you can enjoy a bottle with a nice lunch. The cellar doors are open from 10am to 5pm and there are different tours offered by Grapemobile, Wine Rover, Grape-X-pectations and Hunter Valley Day Tours which will take you around in case you need a sober driver. Find out more at the Hunter Valley Visitors Centre. Some of the places to stay are Bimbadeen Mountain Retreat and Cedars Mount View, but there are many more hotels and caravan parks in towns throughout the wine district.


Take a convinient Hunter Valley tour from Sydney!

Enjoy samlping wines and on a tour, you don't have to worry about driving or how to get there and back..

ONE TO TWO DAY TRIPS, INCLUDING HELICOPTER FLIGHTS FROM SYDNEY TO HUNTER VALLEY





 
East Coast Australia - NSW North Coast Beaches
North of Newcastle on the NSW coast is the Newcastle-peoples’ getaway Port Stephens. Port Stephens is a lovely sandy bay with Jimmy’s Beach, Bennett’s Beach, Fingal Bay and One Mile Beach, the favourite one of surfers. In the south is Anna Bay with the amazing Stockton Bight, a 35km-long barrier sand dune, Australia’s largest. Dolphin tours are offered by Moonshadow, diving by Hawks Nest Dive Centre, and horse-riding across the sand dunes by Horse Paradise - find out more at the Nelsons Bay Visitor Centre.

Places to stay in Port Stephens include Bay View House, BIG4 Karuah Jetty Accommodation, Colonial Ridge Retreat, Corlette Beach House, Salamander Beach Luxury Accommodation, Shells on the Shore Holiday Accommodation, Wanderers Retreat Port Stephens and the Retreat Port Stephens.

There are also

* hotels and motels such as Corlette Palms Motor Inn, Karuah Motor Inn, Peninsula Nelson Bay Motel, Peppers Anchorage Hotel, Port Stephens Motor Lodge, Seabreeze Hotel, Sir Francis Drake Inn, Admiral Nelson Motor Inn, Motto Farm Motel and Newcastle Links Motel.

* resorts such as All Seasons Salamander Shores Resort, Cote d'Azur Resort, Landmark Resort, Mantra Aqua Resort, Marina Resort, Nelson Bay Breeze Resort, Oaks Pacific Blue Resort, Samurai Beach Resort, Shoal Bay Resort and Spa, and The Nelson Resort.

* bed and breakfasts such as Annes Waterfront Haven B&B, Botaba B&B, Larkwood of Lemon Tree B&B, Ocean Beach B&B, and Peaceful Palms B&B.

* villas and apartments such as Beaches Serviced Apartments, Leliani Haciendas Apartments, Oaks Lure Apartments, and Shoal Bay Beach Club Apartments.

* caravan parks such as Birubi Beach Holiday Park, Discovery Holiday Park, Fingal Bay Holiday Park, Halifax Holiday Park, Shoal Bay Holiday Park, and Soldiers Point Holiday Park.
 

Port Maquarie, east coast Australia. Poster by AllPosters, all rights
reserved. Buy the poster.
 
East Coast Australia: Port Macquarie New South Wales and Koala Hospital
North of Port Stephens on the NSW coast are Myall Lakes National Park and the small towns Bulahdelah, Forster-Tuncurry, Taree and Kew, before you get to Port Macquarie – a friendly town with lovely beaches, wildlife sanctuaries and a laid-back feel. North of the Port Macquarie's town centre is the Town Beach, with the famous Breakwall full of “I was here-s” from previous visitors. South from here are Oxleys Beach, Rocky Beach, Flynns Beach, Nobbys Beach, Shelly Beach, Miners Beach and Lighthouse Beach. Between Shelly Beach and Miners Beach is Sea Acres Nature Reserve - a pocket of coastal rainforest. South of the city centre is the Koala Hospital – Australia’s oldest koala hospital which takes care of injured koalas. You can check the outdoor enclosures, but if you want to get really close to koalas, there is the Billabong Koala Park about 10km south of the town on the Pacific Highway.

If you stay over night, there are Port Maquarie Holiday Cabins, Azura Beach House B&B, and Sundowner Breakwall Caravana Park, as well as  

* hotels and motels such as Aston Hill Motor Lodge, Beachpark Motel, Best Western Barracks Motor Inn, Country Comfort Hotel, East Port Motor Inn, El Paso Motor Inn, Excelsior Motor Inn, Hastings Valley Motel, Le George Motel, Mercure Centro Hotel, Mid Pacific Motel, Ocean Breeze Motel, Palm Court Motor Inn, Port Aloha Motel, Port O'Call Motel, Quality Inn Historic Well, Rydges Hotel, and The Koala Tree Motel.

* resorts such as Beach Blue Resort, Beachcomber Resort, Beaches Holiday Resort, Bermuda Breezes Resort, Flynns Beach Resort, Quality Resort Sails, Shelly Beach Resort, The Observatory Resort, Vacation Village Resort, Village Resort Port Maquarie, and Wyndham Vacation Resort.

* villas and apartments such as Beachside Holiday Apartments, Flynns on Surf Apartments, Ki-Ea Apartments, Maquarie Waters Botique Apartments, Mantra Quayside Apartments, Northpoint Apartments, Oxley Cove Holiday Apartments, Quay North Apartments, Sandcastle Apartments, South Pacific Apartments, The Beach House Apartments, and Waterview Apartments. 


Take a day tour from Sydney!

DOLPHIN WATCHING TOUR FROM SYDNEY TO PORT STEPHENS
















East Coast Australia - Coffs Coast NSW and the Big Banana
The next larger town north on the east coast Australia is Coffs Harbour – mostly known for its main attraction – the Big Banana. Australians have always liked to make Big Things, so across the Australian countryside you’ll find Big Lobsters, Big Pineapples, Big Mangoes, Big Bulls, Big Crocodiles, Big Barramundis, you name it, there are hundreds, there is even the Big Wine Cask, the Big Captain Cook and the Big Joint – but what is special about the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour is that it was the first – it has been here since the 1880s! And the Big Banana is more than just any other Big Thing. Behind the Big Banana itself, there is banana viewing on a skywalk, waterslides, banana plantation tours and a souvenir shop full of - all things bananas. As most Australian coastal towns, Coffs Harbour has some lovely beaches, and the opportunities to see australian wildlife in North Coast Botanic Gardens. Marine wildlife can be watched in Solitary Islands Marine Park and the birdlife is great on the aptly named Muttonbird Island. Diving is offered by Jetty Dive Centre, white-water rafting by Liquid Assets and surfing can be learned at East Coast Surf School.

If you stay over night, there are Coffs Harbour Beach Houses and Park Beach Cabins, as well as

* hotels and motels such as Aquajet Motel, Arosa Motel, Safari Motel, Bananatown Motel, Bells Motel, Bentleigh Motor Inn, Best Western Parkside Motor Inn, Best Western Zebra Motel, Chelsea Motor Inn, Coachmens Inn, Comfort Inn Big Windmill, Comfort Inn Park Beach, Country Comfort Hotel, Creekside Inn, Formule 1 Hotel, Hawaiian Sands Motor Inn, Matador Motor Inn, Ocean Parade Motel, Ocean Paradise Motel, Quality Inn City Centre, Royal Palms Motor Inn, Sanctuary Resort Motor Inn, Surf Beach Motor Inn, Toreador Motel, and Town Lodge Motor Inn.

* resorts such as Aqua Villa Resort, Aqualuna Beach Resort, Pelican Beach Resort, BreakFree Anuka Beach Resort, Novotel Pacific Bay Resort, Opal Cove Resort, Paradise Palms Resort, Park Beach Resort, and Wyndham Vacation Resort.

* bed and breakfasts such as Coastwatch B&B and Santa Fe Luxury B&B.

* villas and apartments such as Allambie Botique Apartments, Ambience at Diggers Beach Apartments, Beachpark Holiday Apartments, Beach Haven Apartments, Dolphin Sands Holiday Villas, Dunes Apartments, Holiday Apartments Coffs Harbour, Lilypond Apartments, Nautilus Beachfront Villas, Ocean Spray Holiday Apartments, Opal Cove Estate Apartments, Pacific Marina Apartments, Pacific Towers Apartments, Sandcastles Holiday Apartments, Sheridans on Prince Holiday Units, Smugglers on the Beach Apartments, Sunseeker Holiday Units, The Observatory Holiday Apartments, The Tahitian Holiday Apartments, Torrington Holiday Apartments, Tradewinds Apartments, and Tropic Oasis Holiday Villas.

* caravan parks such as Banana Coast Caravan Park, Emerald Beach Holiday Park, Harbour City Holiday Park, Park Beach Holiday Park, and The Clog Barn Caravans. 
 

Coffs Harbour, east coast Australia. Poster by AllPosters, all rights
reserved. Buy the poster.
 
East Coast Australia - Byron Bay and Byron Bay Markets
North from Coffs Harbour, after a few small towns and Yuragir and Bundjalung National Park is Byron Bay – the former sleepy township on the NSW coast that has turned into one of the most touristed places in New South Wales, probably the second after Sydney. You can see the influence of its hippie past: even though the streets are crowded with backpackers today, modern Byron Bay still enjoys the alternative lifestyle with yoga classes and alternative therapies such as Ambaji, Samadhi’s, Medicine Wheel, Relax Haven, Yoga Arts, Yoga with Flo and Intouch Yoga and Massage. A nice place to visit is Byron Bay Markets.
 


Here are some organised tours you can take to Byron Bay:


BYRON BAY DAY TRIP FROM THE GOLD COAST


FIVE DAY BYRON BAY TRIP FROM SYDNEY


SPRINGBROOK NATIONAL PARK FULL DAY BUSHWALKING TRIP, INCLUDING GLOW WORM TOUR














 
East Coast Australia - Byron Bay Restaurants and Byron Bay Beaches
Byron Bay's town centre is packed with surf shops, diving and other adventure companies, restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs, hotels and backpacker hostels. East of the town centre is the beautiful Cape Byron with its famous Cape Byron Lighthouse, surrounded by deep blue waters frequented by dolphins.

Where to Stay? Byron Bay Accomodation
 

Byron Bay surfing, east coast Australia. By Roberta_W.B.

East Coast Australia - Byron Bay Beaches
North of the town centre are Belongil Beach, Main Beach and Clarks Beach, and on the Cape Byron are the best surf beaches The Pass, Watergo’s and Little Watergo’s. Further out of town along the east coast are Tallow Beach and Seven Mile Beach. You can learn to surf with East Coast Surf School, Blackdog Surfing and A Real Surf Journey; kite-board at Byron Bay Kiteboarding; abseil, cave and mountain-bike with Rockhoppers, Peterpan Adventures and Wicked Travel. Byron Bay is a great place on the NSW coast where to spend at least a week and I've heard some people get stuck here until their visas run out.


Byron Bay, east coast Australia. Poster by AllPosters, all rights reserved.
Buy the poster.

Here is an east coast Australia map of NSW coast, where I have tagged the places that I mentioned on this web page. You can click on the tags to see what places they are, and double-click anywhere on the map to zoom it in and see the places closer. Drag the map to move around, and if you want to see the satellite image with Google Earth, click on "Sat" in the top right hand corner.


 
View Larger Map

 


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