Forster to Parramatta

Follow the Pacific Coast Highway for beautiful blue waters, secret beaches, spectacular surf and family-friendly activities.

Forster (Photo credit: Destination NSW)

What to expect

Duration 2 days. Distance 210 kms.

Nature

Food and drink

Family-friendly

Day 1: Forster to Newcastle

2 HRS 50 MINS | 197 KMS

Before you embark on your journey, check the My NRMA app for your nearest and cheapest fuel. There are plenty of fuel stations to choose from.

Stop 1: Breakfast at Forster

Kick off your morning with a coffee and order of eggs benny with salmon at Cafe Brass Bell. Tucked away at the end of Forster Arcade, this gem is both handy for parking and avoiding the morning crowds. Prefer to dine fresco dining? Tartt Café offers indoor and outdoor seating, with a menu that includes mouth-watering blueberry waffles if you don’t fancy the usual brekkie staple of eggs and avocado.

Stop 2: Soak in coastal views on the Forster Bicentennial Walk

Renowned for its 145km of coastline, the Great Lakes is a haven for water babies and nature lovers alike. Walk off breakfast while taking in breathtaking scenery on the Bicentennial Walk. Starting near the ocean baths at Forster Main Beach, the trail connects a number of beaches, each with its own appeal. Stop at Pebbly Beach or the Tanks for some sunbathing, snorkeling or swimming, or continue on to One Mile Beach where sliding down the sand dunes is a must.

arial view of waves breaking on a section of sandy beach with rocks to the right and pebbles to the left

Pebbly beach, Forster (Photo credit: Destination NSW)

Stop 3: Visit a farm in Bungwahl

Have you ever wondered where your food comes from or how it is produced? Offering a unique agricultural experience, Topi Open Range is a family-run farm welcoming visitors to spend a day, a morning or hour learning how a working farm operates. Highlights include following a farmer on their rounds, learning about holistic farming, interacting with and feeding farm animals, and collecting eggs.

Stop 4: Snap a selfie with NSW’s tallest tree

It might be surrounded by many similar giants, but at 76.2m in height and 11.5m in diameter, the 400-year-old Grandis Flooded Gum holds the title for tallest tree in NSW.

Stop 5: Dinner in Bulahdelah

Offering country hospitality and overlooking the beautiful Crawford River, the Plough Inn Bulahdelah is the perfect setting for a cold drink and a bistro meal in its beer garden. Order the glazed salmon for dinner and follow with a sticky date pudding for desert.

Stop 6: Stay in Newcastle

Located right in the city’s beating heart is Novotel Newcastle Beach, on King Street. A short walk from the restaurants, cafes and bars of Honeysuckle Drive and Wharf Road and within easy distance of beaches and Newcastle Harbour.

Across the breakwater, you’ll find dog friendly Stockton Beach Holiday Park. Featuring camping and caravan sites and a large selection of two and three bedroom cabins, the holiday park maintains easy contact with the city via the Stockton ferry, while offering a base from which to explore adjacent Stockton Beach’s famed sand dunes. If you’ve brought your rod, you can fish off the beach or the breakwall, and if surfing or swimming at the patrolled beach isn’t to your fancy for some reason, the Stockton Swimming Centre is next door.

Day 2: Newcastle to Parramatta

3 HRS 41 MINS | 214 KMS

Stop 1: Morning swim and breakfast in Newcastle

Following a dip at Merewether Beach, do like the locals and head to the Blue Door Kiosk after your swim for acai bowls, salads, toasted sandwiches and coffee, before perching on beachfront stools to enjoy the million-dollar views.

large infinity-style ocean pool with person diving in creating a splash

Ocean pool, Merewether (Photo credit: Destination NSW)

Stop 2: Take in breathtaking views at Heaton Lookout

With a total coastal view of at least 120km from Stockton Beach north of Newcastle all the way down the coast, past Lake Macquarie to The Entrance on the Central Coast, Heaton Lookout is certainly a contender for having the best view in Australia.

Stop 3: Get up close with native Australian wildlife at Somersby

Feed free roaming kangaroos laying out in the natural bushland setting and admire some of Australia’s most famous native animals including koalas, echidnas, wombats, cassowaries, dingos, kookaburras, cockatoos and Tasmanian devils at Australian Reptile Park.

close up of koala in a tree looking down

Australian Reptile Park, Somersby (Photo credit: Destination NSW)

Stop 4: Dine and shop in Parramatta

here's more to Sydney than the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach. Ease rumbling tummies at the hearty and rustic Sicilian, which offers a menu filled with authentic wood-fire pizzas and gutsy pasta dishes, or experience a Brazilian churrasco barbecue at Rio Brazilian Barbeque Restaurant. Those looking for a diet-specific nibble will be in for a treat at Lord of the Fries, where the 100 percent vegetarian menu also includes low gluten, halal, kosher and vegan. And don't forget, Members also save on food and drink at a range of venues around Parramatta. Just search for your nearest food and drink in the My NRMA app. Once you're fully fuelled-up, head to Westfield Parramatta and peruse the 400-plus retail stores on offer.

Stop 5: Swing from the treetops in Western Sydney

Located in the forests of the Western Sydney Parklands, Treetops Adventure Park Sydney, ascend metres from the ground to take part in an array of courses, zipping, climbing and flying from one point to the next.

happy girl in orange hard hat and rainbow-coloured leggings pauses inside cylinder suspended from the treetop climbing course

Treetops Adventure Park, Abbotsbury

Stop 6: Stay at Blacktown

After a long day, check in at Atura Blacktown where rooms are simple, stylish and modern. Stay connected with free Wi-Fi, parking, restaurants, a bar, swimming pool and gym available to hotel guests.

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