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Australia's East Coast: Sydney to Brisbane by Byron Bay and the Lamington Rainforest
8 days by road from Sydney to Brisbane: the Hunter Valley, koalas in Port Macquarie, two nights in Byron Bay and a night inside Lamington National Park, with drives of about four hours or less.
8 jours · Sydney à Brisbane · jusqu'à 12 voyageurs
Cliffs and surf near Byron Bay Photo: Amy Mackay amykatesc, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Byron_Bay,_Australia_(Unsplash_U6KmF4RpgiU).jpg)
Les faits
En bref
- Durée
- 8 jours, 7 nuits
- Départ et arrivée
- Sydney à Brisbane
- Taille du groupe
- 7 à 12 voyageurs
- Niveau d'activité
Modéré
Mostly easy walking of 1 to 4 km a day on made paths: the 3.7 km Cape Byron loop with steady climbs and steps, a headland walk at Diamond Head and rainforest tracks in Lamington of about 3 km. One morning of sea kayaking in double kayaks, no experience needed; every longer walk and the kayak can be swapped for an easier choice.
- Repas compris
- 7 petits-déjeuners, 5 repas du midi, 1 repas du soir
- Chambre individuelle
- + CAD 585 (prix estimé)
- Saison
- March to November
Points forts
Pourquoi ce voyage
- A 9 am walk around Sydney Harbour before the cruise-ship crowds, then the ferry to Manly
- West Head lookout over Pittwater, then a winery lunch and a tasting of Hunter Semillon and Shiraz
- Diamond Head's glinting cliffs in Crowdy Bay, and the patients of the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie
- A morning sea kayak in the Cape Byron Marine Park, often with dolphins
- Cape Byron lighthouse in the late light, at the most easterly point of the Australian mainland
- A night inside Lamington's World Heritage rainforest, with a canopy walk and pademelons on the lawn at dusk
- Lunch beneath the Story Bridge and a river ferry to South Bank before your flight
Ce qui distingue ce voyage
Le temps libre fait partie du programme
Le temps libre et les choix sont indiqués les jours où ils ont lieu.
En solo, sans pénalité
Une chambre individuelle coûte + CAD 585 (prix estimé).
Jour par jour
Itinéraire
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Arrive in Sydney
Sydney Airport to your hotel near Circular Quay
- Welcome dinner
- Nuit : Sydney
- Environ 30 min de route
Fly into Sydney Airport (SYD), where a driver meets you in arrivals for the half-hour drive to a central hotel within walking distance of Circular Quay. Sydney is on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and your guide begins the week with that story. If you land early, walk down to the water: the Opera House forecourt and the Royal Botanic Garden beside it are free to wander, and the green-and-yellow ferries crossing to and from the Quay are a show of their own.
Soir
The airport pick-up covers flights landing by about 3 pm; if you land later, send us your flight and we arrange the transfer so you join the group at dinner. At the early-evening briefing your See Sight Tours guide walks the group through the week ahead: the road north, what to pack for the kayak and the rainforest, and how each day is paced. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner at a restaurant near the harbour.
Compris
- Pick-up at Sydney Airport (SYD)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Temps libre : Free until the early-evening briefing
Sydney Harbour on foot and by ferry
The Rocks, the Opera House and the Royal Botanic Garden, then the ferry to Manly
- Petit-déjeuner
- Nuit : Sydney
- En traversier

We set off on foot at 9 am, ahead of the cruise-ship crowds, through the city centre past Harry Seidler's round Australia Square tower and down into The Rocks, the oldest part of colonial Sydney, with its sandstone lanes and first close views of the Harbour Bridge. From Circular Quay we walk around the Opera House, listed by UNESCO in 2007, and on through the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, where the bridge and the Opera House line up across the water.
Matin
Late morning we board the public ferry at the Quay for the half-hour crossing to Manly, passing close to the harbour heads.
Après-midi
Lunch in Manly is your choice. Afterwards your guide walks anyone who wants along the shore path to Shelly Beach, a sheltered cove in the Cabbage Tree Bay aquatic reserve where you can swim or snorkel among fish near the rocks.
Soir
The afternoon and evening are free, and ferries back run all day.
Compris
- Guided morning walk: the city centre, The Rocks, Circular Quay, the Opera House and the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Chair
- The ferry from Circular Quay to Manly and back
- The shore walk to Shelly Beach
Activités en option
- A guided tour inside the Sydney Opera House (price shown at booking)
Option plus facile : Stay in the city after the morning walk and take the ferry to Manly later at your own pace.
Option plus active : Walk the Spit Bridge to Manly track, about 10 km of harbour bushland and beaches, with the guide's directions, and meet the group in Manly.
Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free
Activité : About 2 to 3 hours on foot in the morning on city pavements and garden paths.
West Head, then the Hunter Valley
Sydney to West Head in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, then north on the M1 to Pokolbin
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Hunter Valley
- Environ 3 h de route
We leave Sydney at 9 am and drive about an hour north to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, on the land of the Guringai peoples. From West Head lookout the view runs across Pittwater to Barrenjoey Head and Lion Island at the mouth of the Hawkesbury River. A short bush walk nearby leads to Aboriginal rock engravings cut into flat sandstone, and your guide explains what is known of them. Then it is about two hours on the M1 motorway to Pokolbin, in the Hunter Valley, one of Australia's oldest wine regions, where vines were planted from the 1820s.
Après-midi
We sit down to a late lunch at a winery restaurant among the vines, then a guided tasting at a cellar door, where the winemakers pour the region's two signatures, dry Semillon and medium-bodied Shiraz, and explain why the hot valley suits them.
Soir
The evening is free at our hotel among the vineyards, with kangaroos often grazing at the edge of the vines around dusk.
Compris
- West Head lookout in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, with the park vehicle fee
- Short walk to Aboriginal rock engravings with your guide
- Sit-down lunch at a Hunter Valley winery
- Guided wine tasting at a cellar door
Option plus facile : Stay at the West Head lookout while the group walks to the engravings.
Temps libre : Evening free in the Hunter Valley
Activité : The engravings walk is short on a sandy bush track with some uneven rock. Non-drinkers are welcome at the tasting; ask for juice or sparkling water.
Diamond Head and the Koala Hospital
Pokolbin to Crowdy Bay National Park, Laurieton and Port Macquarie
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Port Macquarie
- Environ 4 h de route

We leave Pokolbin at 8:30 am and head north on the Pacific Highway, about three hours with a coffee stop, to Crowdy Bay National Park. At Diamond Head, named for the quartz crystals that glint in its cliffs, we walk out over the headland through heath and paperbark, with views down long empty beaches and, from June to November, a chance of whales offshore. Eastern grey kangaroos often graze around the campground.
Après-midi
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Laurieton, on the Camden Haven River below the forested slopes of North Brother mountain. Then it is 40 minutes to Port Macquarie and the Koala Hospital, where volunteers treat koalas hurt by cars, dogs, disease and bushfire; on a guided visit you see patients in their yards and hear how they are returned to the wild. We end the day at Tacking Point Lighthouse, built in 1879 on the headland above Lighthouse Beach.
Soir
The evening is free in Port Macquarie.
Compris
- Diamond Head headland walk in Crowdy Bay National Park
- Sit-down lunch in Laurieton
- Guided visit to the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie
- Tacking Point Lighthouse
Option plus facile : Stay at the Diamond Head lookout and picnic area while the group walks the headland.
Option plus active : Walk the full Diamond Head loop, about 4.8 km through forest and along the cliffs, and meet the group at the end.
Temps libre : Evening free in Port Macquarie
Activité : About an hour on foot at Diamond Head on a mix of sand, grass and forest track.
Up the coast to Byron Bay
Port Macquarie to Coffs Harbour and Yamba, then Byron Bay
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Byron Bay
- Environ 4.5 h de route
This is the longest drive of the trip, about four and a quarter hours over roughly 410 km, a little over our usual cap because there is no shorter way between the two towns and no useful flight. We split it into three stretches of about an hour and a quarter to an hour and three quarters each. The first ends at Coffs Harbour, where we walk the breakwall from the jetty up Muttonbird Island, a nature reserve sacred to the Gumbaynggirr people, where wedge-tailed shearwaters nest in burrows from about August to April and the summit looks back along the coast.
Après-midi
The second runs through banana and sugar cane country to Yamba at the mouth of the Clarence River, for a sit-down lunch near the main beach. The last stretch brings us into Byron Bay, a surf town on the far north coast of New South Wales, by mid-afternoon, with time to settle in and walk to the beach.
Soir
The evening is free.
Compris
- Muttonbird Island walk at Coffs Harbour with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Yamba
Option plus facile : Walk the jetty and breakwall at Coffs Harbour and skip the short climb up Muttonbird Island.
Temps libre : Late afternoon and evening free in Byron Bay
Activité : The Muttonbird Island path is paved, about 1 km each way from the jetty with a short steady climb.
Byron Bay by kayak and Cape Byron at dusk
A morning on the water in the Cape Byron Marine Park, a free afternoon and the lighthouse walk
- Petit-déjeuner
- Nuit : Byron Bay

At about 8:30 am, while the sea is usually calmest (the operator sets the exact start by the conditions), we go out on a guided sea kayak tour in the Cape Byron Marine Park with a licensed local operator. The double kayaks are stable and no experience is needed; the guides lead you along the bay, where bottlenose dolphins are often seen and, in the migration months, humpback whales pass further out.
Matin
Back on land by late morning, the middle of the day is yours: walk the length of Main Beach, try a beginner's surf lesson at The Pass, browse the cafes of the town centre or rest at the hotel.
Après-midi
In the late afternoon your guide leads the Cape Byron Walking Track, a 3.7 km loop through rainforest and over the headland to the lighthouse, first lit in 1901, at the most easterly point of the Australian mainland.
Soir
We reach it as the light turns gold, then walk down into town for a free evening.
Compris
- Guided sea kayak tour in the Cape Byron Marine Park
- The Cape Byron Walking Track to the lighthouse with your guide
Activités en option
- A beginner surf lesson at The Pass (price shown at booking)
Option plus facile : Skip the kayak and walk the beach to The Pass with your guide; on the cape walk, follow only the flat beach section to Wategos and meet the group there.
Option plus active : Walk up to the lighthouse at sunrise as well, before the kayak.
Temps libre : Middle of the day and evening free
Activité : About 2 to 3 hours of easy paddling in double kayaks with a life jacket. The cape loop has steady climbs and steps.
Burleigh Heads and up into Lamington
Byron Bay to Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast, Canungra and the Green Mountains in Lamington National Park
- Petit-déjeuner, repas du midi et repas du soir
- Nuit : Lamington National Park
- Environ 3 h de route

We leave Byron at 9 am and cross into Queensland at Tweed Heads; from October to early April the clocks go back an hour at the border. An hour from Byron we stop at Burleigh Head National Park, Jellurgal to the Yugambeh people, and walk the short path around the headland through pandanus and rock, with surfers below and the towers of Surfers Paradise lined up along the beach to the north.
Après-midi
Then we turn inland to Canungra, a small town in the green valleys of the Scenic Rim, for a sit-down lunch. The last stretch is about an hour up the narrow, winding mountain road to the Green Mountains section of Lamington National Park, part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. In the afternoon your guide leads the Tree Top Walk, a chain of suspension bridges through the canopy, and the forest tracks nearby.
Soir
At dusk red-necked pademelons come out to graze on the lawns, and dinner is together at the lodge.
Compris
- Burleigh Head National Park headland walk
- Sit-down lunch in Canungra
- The Tree Top Walk and rainforest tracks at Green Mountains with your guide
- Dinner at the lodge
Option plus facile : Rest at the lodge after the Tree Top Walk instead of the longer forest tracks.
Temps libre : Late afternoon free at the lodge
Activité : The mountain road is slow and twisty for about an hour; tell your guide if you get carsick and sit at the front. The suspension bridges sway a little underfoot.
Rainforest morning, Brisbane afternoon
Green Mountains to Brisbane, the CityHopper ferry to South Bank, then Brisbane Airport
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Environ 2.5 h de route

Matin
Before breakfast, anyone who wants can join your guide on a short bird walk at first light, when crimson rosellas, king parrots and, with luck, a regent bowerbird or an Albert's lyrebird are about. At 8:30 am we walk the Python Rock track, about 3 km there and back through the forest to a lookout over the Albert River valley and the cliffs beyond. At about 10:30 am we drive down the mountain to Brisbane, about two hours, the land of the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples.
Après-midi
Our farewell lunch is at Howard Smith Wharves, under the steel girders of the Story Bridge on the river. Afterwards we ride the free CityHopper ferry upriver past the city towers to South Bank for a short walk through the riverside parklands and past Streets Beach, the free public swimming lagoon. At about 3:30 pm the driver takes you to Brisbane Airport (BNE), or drops you at a central Brisbane hotel if you are staying on.
Soir
A flight before about 6 pm is not possible on this day; book a later one or add a night in Brisbane.
Compris
- The Python Rock track with your guide
- Farewell lunch at Howard Smith Wharves
- The CityHopper ferry to South Bank and a walk through the parklands
- Drop-off at Brisbane Airport (BNE) or a central Brisbane hotel
Activités en option
- A short bird walk with your guide at first light, before breakfast
Option plus facile : Sit on the lodge terrace with a coffee and watch the birds instead of the Python Rock walk.
Option plus active : Walk the longer Morans Falls track instead of Python Rock, with an earlier start (we confirm the length and timing at booking).
Activité : A flight leaving Brisbane before about 6 pm is not possible; book a later one, or ask us to add a night in Brisbane.
- Sydney2 nuits
- Hunter Valley1 nuit
- Port Macquarie1 nuit
- Byron Bay2 nuits
- Lamington National Park1 nuit
- Brisbanearrivée
- Étape avec nuitée
- Excursion d'une journée
- En bateau ou en train
Faune et météo : March to May and September to November bring mild days on the coast. Humpback whales pass Cape Byron and the north coast of New South Wales from about June to November, and winter days are clear and cool. December to February is hot and humid, with summer storms in the ranges and busy beach towns in the school holidays.
Vous voulez recevoir ce programme par courriel?
Recevez l'itinéraire jour par jour par courriel, ou posez-nous vos questions sur ce voyage. Un conseiller en voyages vous répond le jour même ou le jour ouvrable suivant.
Avant de réserver
Ce voyage est-il pour vous?
Ce voyage vous convient si vous recherchez
- Travellers who want the Sydney to Brisbane coast by road without long bus days
- A first trip to Australia with a week to spare, or the start of a longer east coast journey
- Wine, wildlife and easy walks more than nightlife
- Solo travellers who want a small group and a hotel room, not a hostel dorm
Ce voyage ne vous convient pas si vous recherchez
- A party trip: this is not an 18 to 35s hostel tour
- Travellers who want the Great Barrier Reef: it starts much further north
- Anyone who wants a theme-park or nightlife stay on the Gold Coast
- Travellers who need step-free paths: the cape walk and rainforest tracks have steps and roots
Réservez vos vols une fois votre place confirmée.
7 nuits
Où vous logerez
Vos hôtels sont nommés dans la confirmation de votre voyage.
- Sydney2 nuits
- Hunter Valley1 nuit
- Port Macquarie1 nuit
- Byron Bay2 nuits
- Lamington National Park1 nuit
Un seul prix
Ce que le prix comprend
Compris
Hébergement
- 7 nights in central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard and a rainforest lodge, all with private bathrooms: 2 in Sydney near Circular Quay, 1 among the vineyards in the Hunter Valley, 1 in Port Macquarie, 2 in Byron Bay and 1 at a lodge inside Lamington National Park
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Sydney Airport (SYD) and drop-off at Brisbane Airport (BNE) or a central Brisbane hotel
- A private air-conditioned vehicle with a licensed driver for the whole road trip from Sydney to Brisbane
- The Manly ferry
- The CityHopper river ferry from Howard Smith Wharves to South Bank (a free service) with your guide
Votre guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the Sydney welcome dinner to the Brisbane drop-off
- Licensed local guides for the Byron kayak
- Volunteer guides at the Koala Hospital and the winemakers at the tasting
Activités
- Sydney walk: The Rocks, the Opera House and the Royal Botanic Garden
- West Head lookout and Aboriginal rock engravings in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, with the park fee
- Hunter Valley winery lunch and guided tasting
- Diamond Head in Crowdy Bay National Park
- The Koala Hospital and Tacking Point Lighthouse in Port Macquarie
- Muttonbird Island at Coffs Harbour
- Sea kayak tour in the Cape Byron Marine Park
- The Cape Byron Walking Track to the lighthouse
- Burleigh Head National Park
- The Tree Top Walk and the Python Rock track in Lamington National Park
- Howard Smith Wharves and South Bank in Brisbane
Repas
- 7 breakfasts
- 5 sit-down lunches: at a Hunter Valley winery, in Laurieton, in Yamba, in Canungra and a farewell lunch in Brisbane
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Sydney and dinner at the Lamington lodge
- Wine tasting in the Hunter Valley
Non compris
- International flights to Sydney and home from Brisbane
- Your Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or visa
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks, apart from the Hunter Valley tasting
- Tips
- Optional activities: a surf lesson in Byron Bay and the Opera House tour
- Donations at the Koala Hospital
- Personal expenses
Suppléments
- Chambre individuelle
- CAD 585 (prix estimé)
Quand partir
Dates et prix
Choisissez votre date de départ au moment de votre demande de réservation. Nous vérifions cette date et la confirmons dans votre devis.
Vous préférez voyager sans groupe ni guide? Demandez-nous d'organiser vos hôtels, vos transports et vos visites de ville pour voyager en autonomie.
Avant de réserver
Conditions de réservation
Rien n'est facturé maintenant. Les conditions complètes et le barème d'annulation accompagnent votre devis, avant que vous acceptiez.
Adresses de l'entreprise
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Avis des voyageurs
Ce que disent nos voyageurs
Avis de voyageurs ayant participé à nos visites d'une journée.
5/5
5/5
5/5
5/5
5/5
Bon à savoir
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels and a Lamington rainforest lodge, airport pick-up in Sydney and drop-off in Brisbane, a private vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, 7 breakfasts, 5 sit-down lunches and 2 dinners, and every activity in the day plan, including the Byron kayak, the Hunter Valley tasting, the Koala Hospital and the Manly ferry.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, against up to 16 to 20 on most Sydney to Brisbane tours. That keeps us in one vehicle, at one table for lunch and quick in and out of the lookouts.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome dinner in Sydney to the drop-off in Brisbane, on every road day. Local experts join where they add something: kayak guides in Byron Bay, volunteers at the Koala Hospital and the winemakers at the Hunter Valley tasting.
How long are the drives?
Most road days are three to four hours, broken by walks and a sit-down lunch. The longest is Port Macquarie to Byron Bay, about four and a quarter hours over 410 km, split into three stretches with Muttonbird Island and lunch in Yamba. Two full days in Sydney and Byron have no driving at all.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. The longest walks are the 3.7 km Cape Byron loop with steps and climbs and rainforest tracks of about 3 km in Lamington. The kayak needs no experience. Every longer walk has an easier choice, such as waiting at a lookout or walking only the flat section.
I'm travelling solo. Do I pay more?
Prices are per person sharing a twin room. A room of your own is from CAD 585 more for the whole trip, shown before you request to book and never added later, with the same room standard as everyone else. If you would rather share, tell us when you book and we will say whether a same-gender roommate is possible on your departure.
When is the best time to go?
March to November. Autumn and spring are mild, and from about June to November humpback whales pass Cape Byron. Winter days are clear and cool, and the Lamington lodge is cold at night. December to February is hot, humid and busy with school holidays, with storms in the ranges.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. The small group starts from CAD 3,445 per person sharing, taxes included; international flights to Sydney and home from Brisbane are extra.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 6,200 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels and activities without a guide.
Do I need a visa for Australia?
Most visitors need permission before flying. Canadian and US passport holders apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) in the official Australian ETA app, usually approved quickly; other passports may need an eVisitor or a visa. We remind you when you book.
Can I see koalas and kangaroos on this trip?
Yes. At the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie you see koalas in care up close with a volunteer guide, and eastern grey kangaroos often graze at Diamond Head and around the Hunter vineyards at dusk. In Lamington, pademelons, small wallabies, come out on the lawns in the evening. Wild sightings are likely but never promised.
How is this different from your Sydney to Cairns trip?
This is the short road leg: 8 days from Sydney to Brisbane through the Hunter Valley, Port Macquarie, Byron Bay and Lamington. The 14-day Sydney to Cairns trip flies from Sydney to Byron and carries on north to K'gari, the Whitsundays, the outer reef and the Daintree, without the Hunter Valley, Port Macquarie or Lamington.