5 Road trips you have to make in New South Wales »

Whether with family, college friends, or office buddies, road trips are always fun. They are more exciting, flexible, and affordable than a plane journey. Besides, road trips are filled with moments of laughter and friendly banter among friends throughout the trip. But what if you also get breathtaking views all along? Wouldn’t it be the stuff of dreams? Well, in New South Wales, Australia, it’s not just a dream! New South Wales is home to some epic road trips that bring you endless highways, winding mountain ranges, coastal beauties, valleys, farmlands, and a waterfall safari.

Already excited? Let us show you what’s in store for you guys in these 5 epic road trips.

Kosciuszko National Park – Photo by Kate Trifo on Unsplash

1. The Kosciuszko Alpine Way

This road trip starts in Canberra, ends in Kosciuszko National park and sets you up to witness picture-perfect views of mountains and valleys.

The total drive is around 500 kilometers and offers a range of activities along the way — fishing stops, walking trails, mountain biking, and other exciting things. While you’ll surely enjoy each moment of the trip, with your car constantly on the road, there is always a possibility of a minor accident. But when there are sites like DingGo, you don’t need to roam around asking mechanics for quotes to repair it. With a few taps on your smartphone, local repairers will get in touch with you. Choose the best offer, get your car repaired, and be on the move again.

Coffs Harbour – Photo by Ev Ko on Unsplash

2. The Waterfall Way

This is your ultimate one-day road trip. Stretching just under 200 kilometers, your journey starts at the beautiful Coffs Harbour coast. It takes you through breathtaking waterfall views, lush green forests, and national parks.

Going past the charming little village of Bellingen, you’ll reach Dorrigo National Park, where you park your car and enjoy the luscious Crystal Shower Waterfall. It has a really cool suspension bridge that you will definitely capture and post on Instagram.

Before ending your trip at Armidale, you’ll have lunch in the town of Dorrigo and then stop at the epic Wollomombi Falls that are an insane 220m high. The trip is perfect for your weekend escapes as it takes just one day to complete it.

Blue Mountains – Photo by Alana Harris on Unsplash

3. The Greater Blue Mountains

If you love getting lost in nature, this trip is for you. It brings you up close with Mother Nature as you pass through mountains and valleys, historic towns, ancient forests, and delectable local cuisine. It’s an incredible 1200-kilometers journey in a loop that starts and ends in Sydney.

The best thing about the trip is the choice it gives you once you reach Lithgow. You and your friends can either vote or decide with a coin toss to go North or South from there. While both routes are extraordinary, the moment (and uncertainty) of the decision adds fun to your trip.

Major highlights of the trip are the Blue Mountains of Katoomba, bubble tents of Capertee Valley, Wollemi National Park, Hunter Valley, the beautiful Hawkesbury River, and Southern Highlands.

4. Darling River Run

Starting in the small town of Walgett, this route follows the flow of Darling River from northern New South Wales and gives you the chance to see exotic birds and animals.

The Darling River and its tributaries are home to countless birds, mammals, reptiles, and plants. You can spot Emus, Koala bears, and Western Grey Kangaroos in the neighboring wooded regions of the river. Talking about the activities, besides seeing natural scenery and wildlife, you can enjoy fishing and taking a dip in the river. Since the trip also features New South Wales’ Outback, some people enjoy it as a 4WD adventure and take more off-the-beaten-path to enjoy natural sights and attractions.

This trip follows a rather flexible route than a point A to B kind of drive. You’ll get to enjoy approximately 700 kilometers of pure country goodness.

Byron Bay – Photo by Brad Halcrow on Unsplash

5. The Rainforest Way

Another great weekend escape, taking a road trip along the Rainforest Way, is the best way to explore the spectacular rainforests of Australia in northern New South Wales.

Beginning at the iconic Byron Bay, this trip stretches about 200 kilometers and can be completed at your own pace. If you are short on time, you can do it in a day. Else, you can truly savor each stop and take two days to complete it. We recommend the latter because you’ll be spending a total of 9 hours in the car and some rest would be definitely useful.

In any case, you’ll get to enjoy exhilarating walks and discover breathtaking lookouts as you traverse through World Heritage-Listed Gondwana Rainforests. Also, a part of the trip will be seeing old volcanic plugs, volcanic craters, and spectacular views of the iconic Mount Warning, which is 1159m high.

The final stretch of the trip towards Tabulam will take you through Casino — the Beef Capital of Australia. It’s a large rural town with vast cattle farms, hence the nickname. Overlooking this town will be the green goodness of Richmond Ranges and Tooloom National Park!