Melbourne to Coffs advice

Go to www.travelmate.com.au then the map section and type in you departure and destination points and it will give all the info required.

At around 1,460 K's from Melb. to Coffs you are looking at some long driving days. I have found for long trips like yours that if I work on averaging 90 kph including fuel and food stops it seems to work out pretty spot on. I must admit that we don't travel with kids, (or dogs), so that probably allows us to do a better time.

As far as "mild" 4wd treks are concerned you are probably going to an ideal spot.

Might I strongly recommend the following:

Coffs Harbour to Dorrigo and return via Bellingen.

Coffs to Coramba (15k's), then 52k's to Dorrigo. This route allows you to visit Lowanna, Ulong etc...: all old railway stops on the old Coffs to Dorrigo Railway. This when built was the most expensive piece of railway in Australia as it climbed from the seaport of Coffs to the level of the New England Tablelands in less than 50k.
The town of Dorrigo is worth looking at together with the old railway yards and heaps of old loco's and rolling stock, the highlight however is the Skywalk which allows you to walk out over the forest canopy. Great place to visit.
Return via Bellingen (28k's), some beautiful old buildings in the town together with the usual tourist trap "shoppe's", it's then 14k's to the Pacific Highway at Urunga and then twenty minuts north to Coffs.

Give serious consieration to investing in a NSW State Forests Map of the area which will show you lots of tracks/drives in the area.

As far as Coffs itself is concerned, nice town, big town, expensive town, should you enjoy the area and feel you might like to return I would suggest you have a look around some of the adjoining towns, you only have to drive 15/20 minutes from Coffs and can experience significant savings in accomadation costs. I would suggest you might give consideration to having a good look around Urunga. Pretty town on the junctions of the Kalang and Bellinger Rivers where they enter the sea.
If it's full room service etc: that your after then yes, you are going to have to stay around Coffs itself.

Hope I may have been of some help.

Ian

2 days of no rush driving.

Baz.

travelmate suggests going via sydney 1400km but I'd do the extra 60km and go inland, if you can make coonbarabran on the first day then the second will be more pleasant, If you make dubbo that would be ok too, ok, coonabarabran with kids might be tough actually, take DVDs, got no player? get one
NickR

Don't know if it is still available but we had an excellent day out while staying in Coffs years ago.

We were staying at Anuka Beach Resort (very nice but $$$$$) and booked a Tag-a-long through reception.

Great trip, reasonable price, good food and some driving tips along the way, via UHF he would hire you one if needed.

The missus and kids will also feel more confident if they watch someone else do it first.

If you get confident adn decide you do wnat to scare mum off just turn into the hills behind Timbertown at Wauchope.

Have a good trip
Duncs

Hi Greg,

I'm doing the same trip in a weeks time. My first stop is in Yass, then onto Toukley and finally Coffs Harbour. With a couple of squids on board I don't like (can't cope!) more than driving 6-7 hours.

Cheers,

Maddog.