New South Wales: Myall Lakes and the Hunter Valley

This is the first leg of the long coastal trek from Sydney north to Brisbane (400 km). 

The Pacific Highway north of Sydney passes a number of points of interest. Just outside Gosford lies Old Sydney Town. This is a reconstruction of the city as it was 200 years ago, which had closed in 2003 and was badly damaged in a fire in February 2014 – however, plans to re-open the site are still under much local discussion.

North of Newcastle you come to Myall Lakes, a coastal area of outstanding natural beauty. Inland from here is the Barrington Tops National Park, a wooded mountainous region which is also a World Heritage Area. Here you’ll find some fine walking trails amongst the forests and the high gullies.

You can travel between Sydney and Port Macquarie in a day, but if you want to stop off to see the Hunter Valley and some of the other best places to visit you should allow three to four days.

TRANSPORT

The main towns along the coast are all connected by regular bus services and there are three trains a day from Sydney that (amongst other stations) call at Gosford and Wauchope – a short bus ride from Port Macquarie. However, if you wish to explore inland you’ll need a car. A pleasant way of seeing the Hunter Valley is by bike.