Road tripping for fun is a lost art. Cheap flights and dual-lane freeways mean that getting from here to there is the prime objective these days, especially when you only have four or five days off. A road trip, on the other hand, is actually not about getting there at all, but more about savouring the moment, enjoying where you are rather than where you are heading.
There are some road trip rules you need to follow, though. First, you have to get off highway – highways are designed to get you somewhere, not go somewhere. And they serve up awful food. Second, speeding kills, or at least it kills the fun. Slow, windy roads are always more scenic than motorways. And finally, get lost – it's not a real road trip without at least one wrong turn. Getting lost transforms the journey into an adventure – if you end up somewhere you don't like, just move on. This five-day loop from Sydney follows these three golden rules, winding north on back roads and coiling up over the Great Dividing Range on some of the most scenic roads in the state. It's one of those classic road trips where no-one ever asks "are we there yet".
DAY ONE Back roads to Port Macquarie
You can zoom up the M1 and Pacific Highway from the northern edge of Sydney to Port Macquarie in just under four hours. It's pretty much dual lane all the way these days, which makes it fast and easy, but also dead boring. Instead, spear left off the highway at Raymond Terrace onto Bucketts Way and take the road less travelled north via Stroud, Gloucester, Wingham, Comboyne and Wauchope. The road's a bit pot-holed here and there, and there's a section of gravel that winds up over the mountain in the middle, but the bucolic country scenery and lush rainforest more than compensates for the dust.
Reasons to go this way, beyond the passing picture show that unfurls outside your window, are the range of eateries along the way – if it's lunchtime in Gloucester try Roadies or the Perenti Cafe; both serve up delicious light lunches made with mainly local ingredients and good coffee; in Wingham, Bent on Food is a fail-safe bet; if it's a weekend, Blue Poles Cafe & Gallery in Byabarra (between Comboyne and Wauchope) does lunch with a killer view. Beats roadhouse dining any day of the week.
How far? Approx 430km.
DAY TWO Up over the range to Walcha
Today's a shorter driving day, but stretch the legs before you start with a walk along the beach on part of the 9km coastal walk from Town Green to Lighthouse Beach. Once you're ready to hit the road, retrace your steps out to Wauchope and then follow the twists and turns of the Oxley Highway up over the range to Walcha. It's a slow, bendy road, but beautiful, with lush rainforest forming a long, green tunnel almost the whole way up the mountain until you emerge on to the high rolling plains around 50km or so before Walcha. Stop along the way at the first two of many waterfalls that are a recurring highlight of this road trip – Tia Falls and then Apsley Falls, where the Apsley River spills over the edge of the New England Escarpment down a 65-metre drop into a circular gorge.
How far? Approx 185km.
DAY THREE Across the plains to Armidale
It's an easy drive across the Salisbury Plains to Armidale, so treat yourself to a sleep-in and a leisurely breakfast at either the Royal Cafe, or Graze Cafe on the main street. Walcha's a bit of an arts hub and there are 41 sculptures scattered around town, as well as a couple of good galleries in the main street.
You're in the middle of Thunderbolt Country now, and as you head north to Uralla it soon becomes obvious that there you're not going to get through town without at least one encounter with the "gentleman bushranger", Captain Thunderbolt, aka Fred Ward. Thunderbolt has the distinction of being the longest-roaming bushranger in Australian history and the rocks he used as a lookout are just south of town. There are all sorts of Thunderbolt artefacts in the McCrossin Mill Museum, the bakery sells a mean Thunderbolt pie, and there are cafes, motels and monuments named in his honour.
Take the long way to Armidale via Gostwyck – the ivy-covered church here is beautiful in autumn – and stop at Dangars Gorge to check out the 120-metre-high waterfall and call into Petersons Winery on the edge of Armidale for tasting or take a storeroom tour of NERAM Art Gallery, home to one of the best collections of late 19th and early 20th century Australian art outside a capital city.
How far? Approx 90km.
DAY FOUR The Waterfall Way to Bellingen
It's waterfalls galore today on the 155km section of road between Armidale and Bellingen officially known as the Waterfall Way. The first, Wollomombi, is one of the highest in Australia. Point Lookout is worth a short detour. On good days you can see as far as the coast, 70km away, although mist and fog can roll in at a minute's notice. The next falls are a highlight. If you only stop at one, stop at these, Ebor Falls. At 1500 metres above sea level, the Guy Fawkes River rarely runs dry, making these magnificent double falls one of the most reliable of all the falls on the Waterfall Way. There's not much to Ebor itself, but the service station-cum-cafe is a great place to pick up some local smoked trout. In spring and summer the paddocks around here are often carpeted in white and yellow daisies.
Just before you get to Dorrigo you'll see the sign to Dangar Falls, which topple 30 metres over the eastern edge of the Great Escarpment. There's more waterfalls and rainforest to explore on the other side of town, too, at the Rainforest Centre in Dorrigo National Park. Skywalk is a rather dramatic boardwalk above the rainforest canopy that leads out over the edge of the escarpment and rewards with views of the coast. The Canopy Cafe here does good cake and coffee.
The hippy, trippy town of Bellingen, with its array of cafes, restaurants, art galleries and boutiques, is at the bottom of the mountain range. If you've got time, take the beautiful 45-minute loop drive just north of town through the valley known as the Promised Land, following the course of Never Never Creek, through lush rainforest and green valleys.
How far? Approx 155km.
DAY FIVE Coasting back to Sydney
A straight run down the highway will get you from Bello to the end of the M1 in around five and a half hours, but put the fun back into the commute by stopping off for a decent lunch midway. Good spots include Laurieton, the riverside fish-co-op does fantastically fresh fish and chips or try Oasis by the River in North Haven. Or a bit further south the Greenhouse Cafe in Nabiac is a good pitstop and the National Motorcycle Museum, which has 800 mostly vintage bikes on display, is a five-minute walk up the road.
How far? Approx 520km.
Great Ocean Road, Victoria Australia's most well-known coastal drive lives up to the hype. You could do it in one long day, but take your time and enjoy the drive over a couple of days. Go mid-week to avoid crowds. See visitgreatoceanroad.org.au
Great Alpine Way, Victoria Some 339km from Wangaratta to Bairnsdale across the Australian Alps. It's another iconic Aussie road trip that you could do in a day, but there's enough to see and do to fill three or four. See visitvictoria.com
The Wild Way, Tasmania Driving Hobart to Strahan is the definitive Tasmanian sampler: you get a bit of everything the island state is famous for on this 250km road trip. See discovertasmania.com.au
Red Centre Way, Northern Territory This drive will take you to all the icons of the Australian outback in one short trip: Alice Springs, Kings Canyon and Uluru via the West MacDonnell ranges. See travelnt.com
Grape Drive, South Australia Take a week and explore three of the country's best wine regions. Start in the Adelaide Hills, wind your way north to loop around the Barossa Valley before moving on to the Clare Valley. southaustralia.com
portmacquarieinfo.com.au, walchansw.com.au, armidaletourism.com.au, coffscoast.com.au
Round trip from Sydney is approximately 1380km.
Port Macquarie: Observatory Hotel has great views in the middle of town from $179 see observatory.net.au. Byabarra: Blue Poles has a studio apartment for $225 and is a good alternative for those that don't want to backtrack to Wauchope on day 2, seebluepoles.com.au. Walcha: Anglea House offers country-style B&B rooms five minutes' walk from the centre of town for $135, seeangleahouse.com.au. Armidale: beautiful rooms in the historic homestead at Petersons winery start at $200, seepetersonsguesthouse.com.au. Bellingen: CasaBelle Guest House has hilltop views and gorgeous gardens, rooms start at $245, seecasabelle.com
McCrossin Mill Museum: Salisbury St, Uralla; uhs.org.au. NERAM: bookings essential for storeroom tours (02) 6772 5255, 106 Kentucky St, Armidale; neram.com.au. Dorrigo Rainforest Centre: Dome Rd, Dorrigo. National Motorcycle Museum: 33 Clarkson St, Nabiac; nationalmotorcyclemuseum.com.au.
Roadies Cafe: 77 Church St, Gloucester; Perenti Cafe: 69 Church St, Gloucester; Bent on Food: 95 Isabella St, Wingham; Blue Poles Cafe & Gallery: weekends only, 1086 Comboyne Rd, Byabarra; Cafe Graze: 21 Derby St, Walcha; Walcha Royal Cafe: 26 Fitzroy St, Walcha; Laurieton Riverside Seafoods: Mill St, Laurieton; Oasis by the River: 613 Ocean Dr, North Haven; Greenhouse Cafe: 72 Clarkson St, Nabiac.
The writer paid her own way.
