5 Days Legendary Pacific Coast

Day One

Savour a plate of local seafood while gazing out at the sparkling ocean and be sure to watch the legendary pelican feeding. Newcastle is Australia's second-oldest city, bound by a working harbour and glorious surf beaches.

Tunnel into 200 years of history with a guided tour of Fort Scratchley Historic Site.  Overlooking Nobbys Beach and lighthouse, the Fortress boasts panoramic ocean, coastline, harbour and city views.

Head to Port Stephens for your overnight accommodation.  The region is legendary for its nature and abundance of aquatic marine life and adventure activities.

Highlights:

• Boudi National Park- small secluded beaches fringed by rainforests, sandstone cliffs.
  
• Explore 3000 acres of the finest unspoilt wilderness at Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventures.
  
• Zip through the trees at TreeTop Adventure Park including various flying foxes.
  
• Merewether Beach is a national surfing reserve home to the annual International Surfest competition.
  
• Honeysuckle precinct by the wharf, one of the best places to sit back and unwind with a drink or meal.

Day Two

Explore glorious Port Stephens, whether it’s a on dolphin cruise, with a chance to see some of the 160 Bottlenose Dolphins in residence, a whale watching cruise or a ferry ride to various destinations around the bay.

Experience the exhilarating high dunes on the Worimi Conservation Lands.  Discover the 32 km of shifting sand dunes leading down to Stockton. Try sand boarding or a 2-hour discovery tour taking you to Tin City, where they filmed Mad Max or head southwards until you uncover the Sygna Shipwreck from 1974.  Fresh water lagoons & midden sites (tool and burial sites) can be spied from this vantage point.

Travel to Port Macquarie -  overnight accommodation.

Highlights:

• Tomaree National Park - stretching along 20km of windswept coastline. Encompassing rocky shores, white sandy beaches, wetlands, spring-flowering heath, scrublands and coastal forest.
  
• Karuah, a quaint riverside village, with wetlands, National Parks and waterfront walking trails. Don’t leave without trying the famous oysters, fresh from riverside farms.
  
• Swim with Wild Dolphins - The curious dolphins swim back and forth between the bows, whistling and clicking, clearly fascinated with watching the humans watching them!

Day Three

Take the 1.3km boardwalk through Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, the largest coastal rainforest reserve in NSW. Join an Aboriginal bushtucker tour, a guided walk and view the Spirit of the Land interactive exhibition.

Enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the Bago Maze and Vineyards. Find your way through the largest hedge maze in NSW, with 2000 metres of pathways, lookout towers and bridges.

Visit The Koala Hospital which is the world's first hospital dedicated solely to the care and preservation of koalas. Head towards Coffs Harbour for your overnight accommodation.

Buy freshly shucked oysters farmed straight from the calm waterways and experience unspoilt beauty where pelicans land and dolphins play.

Highlights:

• Join a seaplane tour for a wonderful experience taking in the region by air. Soar over the spectacular coastline and waterways; enjoy a bird- eye view to the Great Dividing Range.
  
• A flourishing food bowl offering an authentic experience.  Go behind the scenes at Black Duck Brewery, internationally renowned Cassegrain Wines or join a farm tour at Ricardoes Tomatoes and Strawberries.

Day Four

View the amazing panoramic views from mountains to the Coffs Harbour coastline at Forest Sky Pier.  Kayak with C-Change Adventures, who offer eco-tour experiences on the Coffs Coast. Enjoy a round of golf or lunch at Bonville Golf Resort. Travel to Bellingen, the riverside town is nestled between the coast and the Dorrigo Plateau on the scenic Waterfall Way. Browse the treelined streets and eclectic range of cafes and retail outlets.

Dorrigo Rainforest Centre in the World Heritage listed national park is an area of exceptional natural beauty and is one of Australia's most accessible rainforests.  Travel into Byron Bay for  your overnight accommodation.

Highlights:

• Watch the playful seals and dolphins in action at Dolphin Marine Magic.
  
• The Yuraygir Coastal Walk is a multi-day walk that stretches from Angourie to Red Rocks within Yuraygir National Park.
  
• 20 National Parks, Forests and Reserves with 84,000 ha of World Heritage listed area.
  
• Over 20 waterfalls dotted through-out the region including 15 along the aptly named Waterfall Way.

Day Five

Take a guided tour of Cape Byron Lighthouse, find out about shipwrecks and stories from the sea.

Head to Main Beach where you can experience an authentic taste of surfing.

Enjoy lunch by the beach at one of the many cafes and restaurants or treat yourself to one of the resorts nearby. Explore Byron Bay’s eclectic retail shops, galleries and cafes, or take a stroll on the beach. Visit Crystal Castle and Shambhala Gardens.  A Place of Magic and Wonder. Travel via the scenic Tweed Valley Way, visit picturesque villages of Stokers Siding, Murwillumbah and  Mt Warning National Park and continue your journey.

Highlights:

• Unspoilt hinterland and numerous beaches.
  
• Soak up the sun at Australia’s most easterly point, Cape Byron Lighthouse.
  
• Farmer’s markets are held in Byron, Mullumbimby, New Brighton and Bangalow, with great produce.
  
• World class festivals and events are held regularly.
  
• Sample the local produce and find international quality cuisine and creative vegetarian dishes.
  
• Renowned for an array of exotic indigenous delicacies, tropical fruits, bush tucker and Byron’s award winning coffee.