An EPIC Road Trip Along Waterfall Way in New South Wales

The Waterfall Way, stretching from just outside Coffs Harbour to Armidale in the Northern Tablelands, is one of Australia’s must-do road trips. This is a drive that everyone will appreciate; from the twisty turns up Dorrigo Mountain to the long straights through prehistoric rainforests with just a fair few waterfalls along the way. This is my guide a road trip along the Waterfall Way in New South Wales.

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Welcome to the Waterfall Way; a scenic drive stretching over 180km from the north coast of New South Wales at Coffs Harbour to Australia’s highest town, Armidale in the New England Highlands. One of Australia’s finest roads, it passes the quaint riverside town of Bellingen, winds up the steep Dorrigo Mountain before revealing dramatic waterfalls, ancient Gondwana rainforest and five national parks.

As part of my wife and I’s failed attempt at the lap of Australia, we spent four days and three nights taking this epic detour along the Waterfall Way. If you’re looking for the best things to do on the Waterfall Way, I’ve pulled together my thoughts in this helpful guide!

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A GUIDE TO THE WATERFALL WAY IN NEW SOUTH WALES

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BELLINGEN

Our first stop along the waterfall way was at the delightful town of Bellingen; a quaint little town full of independent cafes, gelato bars, breweries and art galleries. We had a lovely few days here (both on our way out along the waterfall way and back) and easily could have stayed a lot longer; it’s really chilled.

If you’re after a quick and easy free camping spot, we stayed at Burdett Park east of Bellingen each night and it only took around 5 minutes to drive from the town.

NEWELL FALLS

Don’t make the same mistake as me and miss a photo opportunity of this unique waterfall as you crawl up Dorrigo Mountain. Newell Falls plunges down the rocks right by the side of the road before heading under and out the other side. There’s a little turn off before the waterfall if you heading up the mountain (or after if you’re coming down) so make sure you take the chance to capture the first major waterfall!

DORRIGO NATIONAL PARK – SKYWALK

Once you make it up Dorrigo Mountain (and it’s not necessarily a foregone conclusion if your vehicle struggles as much as our campervan did), you’ll want to head straight to Dorrigo Rainforest Centre for a truly magnificent introduction to this beautiful national park. The skywalk observation deck is accessible by a small $2 donation and offers the most incredible views across the valley and the Gondwana Rainforest. You can’t come to the Dorrigo National Park without spending a few peaceful moments standing in awe of the view.

DORRIGO NATIONAL PARK – DANGAR FALLS

Within the Dorrigo National Park, Dangar Falls is probably the most popular waterfall here and extremely easy to access. The waterfall is one of the widest we saw in Australia and plunges into a huge open pool area perfect for swimming in. Honestly, I gave it a good go but it was far too cold for me even with the heat of the Australian sun on my back.

There’s a quick and easy viewing platform next to the car park or you can head on the short walking trial down to the bottom of the falls.

DORRIGO NATIONAL PARK – CRYSTAL SHOWERS FALLS

Another very popular waterfall is the Crystal Showers Falls which is accessible from the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre thanks to a relatively easy 3.2km return trail through ancient lush rainforest. Once you reach the falls, you can choose to walk right behind it but of course you should expect to get a little wet! You can also cross over a suspension bridge which offers a great perspective of the falls.

DORRIGO NATIONAL PARK – WONGA WALK

This fantastic 6km walk is a must-do when visiting Dorrigo National Park and the waterfall way. This trail will take you deep into ancient Gondwana rainforest where you can wander past trees older than the dinosaurs and past more beautiful waterfalls (including Crystal Shower Falls).

GUY FAWKES RIVER NATIONAL PARK – EBOR FALLS

Ebor Falls was probably my favourite of all the waterfalls we saw during this scenic drive. Many people go no further than the Dorrigo National Park but there’s still so much to see! There are two sections to these falls; an upper and a lower section. The viewing platform for the upper waterfal, the most recognisable of the two sections, is only a matter of minutes from the car park. I had chance to get the drone up too and got some great shots over the entirety of Ebor Falls.

For those able to camp, we stayed at the Ebor Sport and Rec Free Camp for, well not free, but a small donation. There’s room for probably 6 campervans or so but it’s a great spot if you get there early enough to stay the night. You can walk to Ebor Falls from here too.

CATHEDRAL ROCKS NATIONAL PARK

For some odd reason, perhaps being obsessed with timings and wanting to try and complete the lap of Australia within 6 months, we didn’t head any further up the waterfall way past Ebor Falls so I will only cover the next couple of sections really briefly.

Cathedral Rocks National Park is one place that I wish we’d visited; it’s like the Devil’s Marbles but within misty eucalyptus forest.

OXLEY WILD RIVERS NATIONAL PARK – WOLLOMOMBI FALLS

Ah, I’m absolutely gutted we missed Wollomombi Falls. These mighty falls tumble 220m down into the deep grey gorge. The Wollomombi Falls Lookout has spectacular views.

ARMIDALE

Congratulations! You made it to the end of the incredible Waterfall Way to Armidale, one of the biggest towns in the New England High Country, sitting at over 3,000ft above sea level. You’ll find heritage buildings, the brilliant Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place, gorges for swimming in and the impressive Dangars Falls (not to be confused with Dangar Falls in Dorrigo).

NEARBY ALONG THE COAST

We completed the waterfall way as an out and back therefore we were able to enjoy this beautiful coastline both to the north and to the south. I’d highly recommend visiting Nambucca Heads with its glorious sandy inlet and Coffs Harbour for local markets, walks along the marina and, of course, the Big Banana.

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WHERE NEXT?

Ok, let’s be honest, it’s taken me long enough to find the time to publish guides covering my time in Australia. Now though, the majority of them are linked below, so wherever you’re heading you’re likely to find what you need below!

VISITING PEAK HILL GOLD MINE IN NEW SOUTH WALES
HOW TO SPEND 24 HOURS IN CANBERRA
7 BRILLIANT THINGS TO DO IN YOUNG, NEW SOUTH WALES
5 INCREDIBLE THINGS TO DO IN RAINBOW BEACH, QUEENSLAND
6 AMAZING THINGS TO DO IN BOWEN, QUEENSLAND
8 BEST THINGS TO DO IN KIAMA, NEW SOUTH WALES
7 THINGS TO DO IN COWRA, NEW SOUTH WALES
MY INCREDIBLE 5 DAY GOLD COAST ITINERARY
7 GREAT THINGS TO DO ON MAGNETIC ISLAND, QUEENSLAND
7 AMAZING THINGS TO DO IN TOWNSVILLE, QUEENSLAND
THE MOST BREATHTAKING THINGS TO DO AT ULURU
THE MOST WONDERFUL THINGS TO DO IN NOOSA, QUEENSLAND
8 WONDERFUL THINGS TO DO IN JERVIS BAY, NEW SOUTH WALES
40 INCREDIBLE PHOTO SPOTS IN MELBOURNE
A GUIDE TO VISITING THE DEVIL’S MARBLES IN AUSTRALIA
A GUIDE TO THE GOLD COAST HINTERLAND
9 WONDERFUL THINGS TO DO IN BYRON BAY, NEW SOUTH WALES
WHERE TO FIND WILD CASSOWARIES IN AUSTRALIA
KANGAROOS ON THE BEACH AT CAPE HILLSBOROUGH
FEEDING WILD DOLPHINS AT TIN CAN BAY
A RIDE ABOARD THE KURANDA SCENIC RAILWAY IN CAIRNS
A VISITOR’S GUIDE TO PORT STEPHENS IN NEW SOUTH WALES
MY GUIDE TO EXPLORING MOSSMAN GORGE, QUEENSLAND
WALLAMAN FALLS, QUEENSLAND: THE TALLEST WATERFALL IN AUSTRALIA
THE MOST IMPRESSIVE WATERFALLS IN AUSTRALIA
16 INCREDIBLE THINGS TO DO IN SYDNEY
A WEEKEND IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

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