The Waterfall Way is a beautiful scenic drive in New South Wales, about half way between Sydney and Brisbane. Officially, it stretches 185km between Coffs Harbour on the coast and Armidale inland, passing through five national parks as you go.
We're currently living full-time in our campervan, a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter, and exploring Australia, with a plan of "driving the lap" (completing the entire perimeter of the country). I first visited Australia in 2019, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport. This time, with the freedom of our campervan, we're trying to hit the lesser known spots and go slower.
We did not drive the entire Waterfall Way, instead starting at Urunga on the coast and then making it as far inward as Dorrigo, a route of just under 50km. This blog post will cover that stretch, one of the prettiest regions of New South Wales we have yet visited!
For thousands of years, the Gumbaynggirr people lived on this land, long before any Europeans arrived.
The first Europeans arrived in the mid-19th century to farm along the Bellinger River. It grew to support timber, dairy and agriculture industries and a Victorian-style town, Bellingen, was built, of which most of the buildings are still the focal point of the main road through.
Every single spot (and more) that I mention in all my blog posts about Australia can be found in my Australia | Ultimate Map!
This is a digital map featuring hundreds of my favourite restaurants, campgrounds, accommodations, shops, photo spots, museums, beaches, lakes, animal spots, bridges, viewpoints, hikes and SO much more in Australia, including its three external territories.
Each pin includes exact locations, images, detailed information, the ability to open and save the spot in your Google Maps and a link to my relevant blog post to read more.
COMING SOON → Buy the Australia | Ultimate Map!
Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to the Waterfall Way in the Shire of Bellingen. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. In the Shire of Bellingen, the traditional language of the Gumbaynggirr people is Gumbaynggirr.
→ Learn more about the language of the Gumbaynggirr people.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data/WiFi: Telstra provides the best coverage of Australia's three mobile phone network providers on the Waterfall Way (the other two being Optus and Vodafone). Even then, be prepared for patchy coverage outside the towns along the way.
We travel with a Starlink in our campervan which enables us to have unlimited WiFi wherever we are, even in places without coverage.
There is free WiFi available at the three libraries in the Shire of Bellingen.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. The Waterfall Way and Shire of Bellingen can get very hot and busy especially around the school summer holidays and cool in the winter months. I recommend visiting in spring (September-November) or autumn (March-May) for pleasant, sunny days.
Length of stay: The Waterfall Way stretches 185km between Coffs Harbour on the coast and Armidale inland, passing through five national parks as you go. It can be done in a day but most travelers spend at least a night or two in the area as there is so much to explore. We spent three days along the Waterfall Way stopping at different towns, viewpoints, camping spots, waterfalls and hikes.
Dorrigo National Park
By car: The best way to experience the Waterfall Way is with your own wheels. The most popular way of exploring Australia is by camping - whether with a motorhome, campervan, caravan or a roof tent on top of a car. This gives you the ultimate freedom of going as fast or as slow as you like.
If you have a car without camping options, there are plenty of accommodation options to sleep in along the way.
By shuttle: Dorrigo Transit runs a regional shuttle along the Waterfall Way running all the way from Byron Bay to Tamworth. They also have on-demand transport available from Dorrigo.
By guided tour: If you don't have your own wheels or simply don't want to tackle the 185km yourself, there are a number of different guided tour options for all sorts of interests. Cross Country Tours runs a four-day tour of the jacaranda trees in Grafton and the Waterfall Way. Coffs Harbour Trike runs a half-day trike tour through the Waterfall Way.
Our van at the free camp in Thora
Hotel: Not traveling by campervan? Driving in a car? Whatever your reason for needing a place to stay, there are some great accommodation options all along the Waterfall Way.
→ Check out all the accommodation options on the Waterfall Way.
Camping: We are driving "the lap" around Australia, exploring the country in our campervan. As with the rest of Australia, New South Wales permits freedom camping on designated sites. These sites can vary greatly; some offer a variety of facilities such as toilets, trash bins, picnic tables, outdoor cooking stations and others have none of this and might simply be a pull-out on the side of the road.
The best way to find legal freedom camping spots is to use an app. We use Wikicamps Australia, a cheap app that has every single amenity listed (both free and paid) that you might need on the road. This includes things like where to fill up fresh water, where to dump grey water, where to empty toilets, where to stay, gas stations, information points and also has suggestions for things to do as you go.
→ Download the Wikicamps Australia app.
We stayed in Thora for three nights while exploring the Waterfall Way. This lovely little campground is tucked into a curve of the road - it's marked as "chicken joe's park" on Google Maps - and offers a few levels of grass for you to park up on. It's right next to a river and next door to a cute general store, the perfect place to camp. There are toilets and bins available, too.
The main town of the stretch of the Waterfall Way that we drove is Bellingen which has so many cool cafes, restaurants and gelato shops. Along the drive, we also found a few other great spots.
Bellingen
The Crepe de France is a cute food truck is usually parked next door to the Habitat Coffee House in the heart of Bellingen right on the Waterfall Way. We loved their crêpes which they serve up sweet or savoury and they even offer gluten-free crêpes!
Our favourite place in Bellingen was the Bellingen Gelato Bar, which was so good we went back twice. They serve some really creative flavours all made on site in a vintage-style spot at the end of town.
Crepe de France
Dorrigo
After our swim in Dangar Falls, we grabbed drinks from the adorable Dangar Falls Lodge Coffee Van at the top of the steps down to the waterfall. Delicious coffee, refreshing slushies and a super nice owner. Highly recommend!
The Waterfall Way is a beautiful scenic drive in New South Wales, about half way between Sydney and Brisbane. Officially, it stretches 185km between Coffs Harbour on the coast and Armidale inland, passing through five national parks as you go.
We did not drive the entire Waterfall Way, instead starting at Urunga on the coast and then making it as far inward as Dorrigo, a route of just under 50km which is the region in which my recommendations lie.
Here is everything we stopped to see along the way, listed in geographical order from coast to inland (Urunga to Dorrigo):
Best things to see and do on the Waterfall Way
Walk the Urunga Boardwalk
The Urunga Boardwalk is a beautiful stretch of boardwalk sitting on top of the water where the Kalang and Bellinger Rivers meet to head out into the Pacific Ocean. The water is so clear and blue and the walk is flat, easy and so pretty.
You can also swim at Urunga Lido Beach at the start of the boardwalk.
Pick up fresh fruit and veg from Fullers Farm Shop
On our way from Urunga into Bellingen, we stopped at Fullers, an adorable roadside farm market, to grab fresh fruit and vegetables including some of the best passionfruit we've ever had. Prices can be a bit on the high side but that's to be expected.
Wander around Bellingen
We loved Bellingen, the Victorian Era-style town at the heart of the Waterfall Way. This adorable town is full of lovely cafes, great restaurants and shops and boutiques of all kinds. This would be a great base from which to do day trips around the Waterfall Way if you aren't camping!
Some of our favourite shops in Bellingen:
- Hyde Bellingen - cute boutique with fashoin and home decor (they have a cafe too, but I don't recommend it, both the coffee and service were terrible)
- LifeHouse Care Op Shop - delightful secondhand shop with clothes, accessories, home goods and books
- A Chair In There - amazing antique store crammed full with treasures
- Alternatives Bookshop - gorgeous bookshop stocking books on alternative medicine, education and art
Hyde Bellingen
LifeHouse Care Op Shop
A Chair In There
Alternatives Bookshop
Go swimming at the Angel Gabriel Capararo Reserve
This amazing spot along the Waterfall Way feels like a slice of paradise. The Angel Gabriel Capararo Reserve is home to the Never Never River, a beautiful river with lots of little swimming holes all along the way. There is a small sign-posted car park from which you can easily walk along the river to find your perfect spot to hang out for the afternoon.
Find the secret swimming spot at Rosewood River Bridge
We crossed the Rosewood River Bridge unintentionally after taking a wrong turn off the Waterfall Way and found a gorgeous secret swimming spot where a few people were hanging about just off the bridge in the shallow river.
Explore Dorrigo National Park
Dorrigo National Park is home to one of the world-famous Gondwana Rainforests. The Gondwana Rainforests are UNESCO-listed collection of stunning rainforests across Queensland and New South Wales that are millions of years old. They are considered some of the world's best examples of demonstrating evolution, geology and biological diversity. Many of the plants and animals found in the Gondwana Rainforests are only found here.
COMING SOON → Check out my complete guide to visiting Dorrigo National Park!
Go swimming at Dangar Falls
Swimming at Danger Falls just outside Dorrigo was one of the most fun days we've had in Australia! First, check out the viewpoint from the car park so you can see the 30-metre waterfall cascading into the pool from above then head down a set of steps to the base of the falls. You can get in the pool and swim right up to the waterfall and, if you're brave, even go behind the falls and perch on the (slippery!) rocks. Such an incredible feeling.
Make sure to stop for coffee and slushies at the Coffee Van at the top!
BOOK AN EXPERIENCE IN BELLINGEN!
PIN THIS POST TO REFER BACK TO LATER!
GET READY TO TRAVEL!
— Book tours and experiences - with GetYourGuide
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (North America)
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (Europe)
— Find a place to stay - with Booking.com
— Choose a hostel to stay at - with Hostelworld
— Purchase global travel insurance - with World Nomads
— Load an international eSim on your phone - with AirAlo
— Start your own travel blog - with Hostinger
— Join the GetYourGuide Travel Creator Community - with GetYourGuide
Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
