Waterfall Way Drive - One of the Best Road Trips in Australia!

Waterfall Way is a scenic drive stretching 185km from the coast near Urunga to Armidale in the west. This picturesque route is known for its countless hiking trails, secluded campgrounds, and gorgeous waterfalls, making it a must-do road trip in NSW! We're talking about some of the most photographed lookouts in the region, lush rainforests, walking behind waterfalls and diverse wildlife to spot throughout your trip. This guide is a customizable 3-5 day itinerary with stays, hikes and accessible lookouts so you can make the most of the time you have in the region, no matter your travel style! You can extend it by a day with Coffs Harbour too (which we have included). Whether you're interested in hiking, photography, or simply immersing yourself in nature, Waterfall Way offers a truly unforgettable experience so slow down to explore the twists and turns of this scenic drive, and discover the cultural and natural wonders that make Waterfall Way an irresistible gem on the Australian coast!

Read less

Updated ago

So excited to bring this one to you! Welcome to Waterfall Way! You can choose to do the trip from the coast into Armidale or vice versa, but we preferred going from Armidale to the coast with Coffs Harbour being optional because Coffs Harbour can totally be another trip and we wanted to make the most of Waterfall Way itself!

When to visit?

Starting from the Armidale side helps you start your trip with some of the most magnificent waterfalls but the west side waterfalls are seasonal so PLEASE CHECK with the Armidale Visitor centre - (02) 6770 3888 if it has rained recently/ waterfalls are full if you plan to head this side. When we visited the west side waterfalls were AS DRY AS IT COULD GET so do call and confirm! If that's the case for you, don't worry, the rest of the east side of the trip has plenty of perennial falls and you can still choose to visit for the stunning gorges if you want to go all the way!

If it rained recently, it's a good thing! Call the visitor centre to confirm the west side waterfalls are full incase you want to cover that side of the region! And either way pack for potential rainfall and full length track pants/ athleisure to reduce the chances of leaches on trails! 🙈

You can visit in Summer to escape the Australian heat as you trail along the waterfall tracks but it does get humid so you can choose based on your preference. Alternatively you can go Spring time for peak birdlife! In our opinion, this is a trip you can do any time during the year based on if its rained sufficiently in the region

Buy to unlock full guide

Access all the local insights and recommendations from @Hat_Explores when you purchase this guide.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hat Explores

Available for hire

🧭Travel Lovers and Content Creators with 9-5s 🌏On a mission to experience the best of Australia and 🗺️Save you time and $$ as you plan your next adventure Hey! Welcome to our slice on the internet! We moved to Australia for our masters in 2019 and have been in love with the country ever since. We lived in Melbourne for 3 years before moving to Sydney for work and that's where Hat Explores was born to help you Travel Smart with a 9-5 like us! We help you money go further and our style of travelling is a mix of adventure, food and nature based experiences perfect for solo travellers, couples and even families looking for a fun filled trip. Each of our guides are curated and made after hours of research and planning including all activity links, an interactive map, directions, videos and links for more in depth detail as well. So just choose one and lets explore Australia together!

Read less

What's included

Digital Map

Fully interactive, digital map for finding places nearby

43 places

43 hand-picked places with notes from the creator

2 extra guides

Access to additional guides curated by the creator.

5 links

5 links from the creator to go even deeper with more info

DESTINATION(S) COVERED

Armidale NSW, Australia

Dorrigo National Park, Lyrebird Link, Dorrigo Mountain NSW, Australia

Ebor NSW, Australia

Dangars Falls picnic area, Dangarsleigh NSW, Australia

Wollomombi NSW, Australia

Dorrigo NSW, Australia

Coffs Harbour NSW, Australia

FOCUSES AND THEMES

Family

Couples

Groups

Adventure

Photography

Outdoors

Budget

Road Trip

Format

Itinerary

Itineraries typically include day-by-day plans, with food, lodging and activity recommendations for each day.

COMMON QUESTIONS

What is Thatch?

Thatch is an online marketplace that provides instant access to thousands of vetted local experts and premium travel guides - making it the easiest and most affordable way to take high quality trips with less stress. For travel creators (tastemakers, travel advisors, influencers and local experts) Thatch makes it easy to curate, publish, and sell digital travel guides, itineraries and personalized planning services.

What if I’m not satisfied with my purchase?

How do I access my purchased guides?

Can I access my guide offline?

How often are guides updated?

Can I request a personalized guide or itinerary?

Can I sell my own travel guides and itineraries?

Save for Later