Coffs Harbour to Wilderluxe Lake Keepit - The Ultimate Roadtrip Guide

There’s a particular kind of magic that comes from veering inland. When you leave the salt behind and start climbing toward cool air, old gold towns, and those soft, eucalyptus-drenched valleys that stretch long and quiet, it feels like the start of something. The Coffs Harbour to Lake Keepit drive is that kind of journey. It’s not long, not loud, and not overly curated. But it’s layered, beautiful, and rich with moments you’ll want to tuck away for later.

At around four hours driving time (plus however long you’re willing to linger), it’s a route that shifts you from the lush, laid-back coast into a much quieter, considered landscape, where time feels like it has slowed just enough for you to notice things again. And at the end of it? Lake Keepit’s wide, still waters, and the gentle luxury of Wilderluxe await.

Here’s how to take it slow and make the most of the trip.

Setting Off: The Last Taste of Coffs Harbour

Start your journey with a stroll along the Jetty or a barefoot wander across Park Beach. There’s something about that last breath of sea air before you head inland that feels symbolic, like closing a chapter on chaos and opening one on calm.

Credit: Destination NSW

Before you go, grab a coffee (and maybe a pastry for the road) from Supply Specialty Coffee or Artisti, two staples of Coffs' burgeoning café scene. This isn’t the kind of drive you want to do in a rush, so fuel up well and savour your departure.

Dorrigo and the Waterfall Way: Through the Rainforest

Once you hit the Waterfall Way, the road begins to wind and lift, pulling you gently up into the clouds. This is one of the most spectacular scenic drives in New South Wales, and yet it’s still something of a well-kept secret. Rainforest clings thick to the hillsides, mist moves like breath across the road, and birdsong competes with the whisper of waterfalls.

Dorrigo is your first proper stop, and it’s worth more than just a passing glance. The Skywalk Lookout in Dorrigo National Park is the kind of view that hushes a conversation. Standing out on the platform overlooking Bellinger Valley, surrounded by air, forest, and coastal horizon, it’s hard not to feel something shift internally. You don’t need to do a full hike to feel the impact here, it’s more about just taking your time, letting your shoulders drop, and breathing it all in. Grab a coffee from award-winning Canopy Cafe, situated in Dorrigo Rainforest Centre, purveyors of fresh local ingredients and environmental consciousness in the national park.

Credit: Destination NSW

Back on the road and just a few minutes from Dorrigo town centre is Dangar Falls, a stunning 30-metre drop into a cool, shaded gorge. If it’s warm, you can swim. If it’s not, sit and just watch the water fall. That’s the beauty of Dorrigo, it doesn’t demand anything from you, simply invites you to pause.

Armidale: Cultural Corners and Crisp Air

From Dorrigo, the road continues west into New England high country. It’s a drive that unfurls slowly, fields widening, sheep dotting hills, and old trees standing like sentinels along the roadside. Only one-and-a-half hours’ drive and Armidale arrives like a quiet surprise. It’s grander than you might expect, with historic buildings, leafy streets, and a cultural depth that feels rare in a regional centre.

Credit: Destination NSW

Take some time here to wander through New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM), a gallery with serious pedigree and a genuinely inspiring collection. If you’ve been feeling a little disconnected, art like this helps realign you with your senses.

For lunch, the beautifully restored Tattersalls Hotel offers a dining experience that’s just elevated enough to feel like a treat without tipping into the overly fancy. Expect good wine, local ingredients, and the kind of slow, confident hospitality that makes you feel at home.

Credit: Destination NSW

Uralla: A Small Town with Big Stories

Just 25 minutes further on, Uralla is tiny but not to be missed. It’s a town that seems to hum with a quiet self-awareness, steeped in gold rush history and bushranger lore, yet grounded in a creative, contemporary spirit.

Thunderbolt’s Grave offers a slice of Aussie legend (Captain Thunderbolt, bushranger and local icon, lies buried here), while The Alternate Root Café serves up excellent coffee and the kind of homemade food that speaks to heart and place. Uralla’s main street is peppered with small surprises from bookstores, artisan shops, and possibly the best jam you’ll ever accidentally buy.

This is a great town for a walking break. No agenda, no big-ticket attractions. Just real people, real history, and that rare kind of country town charm that’s quietly magnetic.

Tamworth and the Barraba Silo Art: Country Grit Meets Artistry

By now, you’re descending again, off the tablelands and toward the wide plains around Tamworth. Known mostly for its country music festival, Tamworth has a softer, quieter side the rest of the year: tree-lined streets, good cafés, and a growing reputation for public art.

Tamworth is also a great place to refuel, both your car and your appetite. If you’re looking for standout food options, Hopscotch Restaurant in Tamworth’s Bicentennial Park delivers a relaxed but polished dining experience, perfect for celebrating the final stretch of your journey.

If you’re looking for stunning silo art, take a detour outside the city, 99km north, where the Barraba Silos loom large and beautiful. The towering mural depicts a local water diviner searching for groundwater, using a y-shaped twig or rod or two L-shaped ones. It’s a reminder that art lives everywhere, not just in galleries. There’s something deeply moving about standing beneath this colossal piece of creativity in the middle of the wide open.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit

The drive from Tamworth to Lake Keepit only takes about 40 minutes, and it’s the most peaceful part of the trip. The light changes here, becomes more golden, more forgiving. The road narrows. The hills start to roll gently again. Then, just as you begin to wonder if you’ve missed the turn, Wilderluxe appears, elegant and understated against the expanse of the lake.

Lake Keepit itself is enormous, serene, and utterly still at times. You can walk to the water’s edge and feel like you’re the only person on the planet. The Wilderluxe tents are thoughtfully designed, canvas and timber, soft light and linens, it’s carefully calm. You won’t find flashy luxury here, but you will find comfort. And space. And stillness.

It’s the kind of place where time stretches. Where you stop checking your phone.

Why This Trip Stays with You

The Coffs Harbour to Wilderluxe Lake Keepit road trip is more than just a scenic route, it’s a shift. A rebalancing. It peels away the layers of busyness and brings you back to something simpler: movement, landscape, connection, quiet.

It’s a trip for the romantics, the curious. This is one of those places to visit in NSW by car that doesn’t just fill your camera roll, it fills your cup.