Waterfall Way

The road

The Waterfall Way (B78) runs 185 kilometres from Armidale on the New England Tableland down the eastern escarpment to Coffs Harbour on the coast. The inland section from Armidale through Ebor is open and fast - tableland plateau with good visibility and easy progress. Then the road reaches the edge of the plateau and the escarpment begins. The 40-kilometre descent from the tableland to the coast is one of the best motorbike roads in New South Wales. The road engineers had to lose 1,000 metres of altitude through the edge of the plateau and the result is a continuous sequence of technical corners, crests and cambered bends through subtropical rainforest, passing the Dorrigo National Park and several waterfalls accessible from the road. The surface is well maintained and traffic is light on weekdays. The town of Dorrigo sits at the top of the escarpment section with a good pub and the entrance to the national park.

The region

The New England Tableland is a high plateau running the length of northeast New South Wales at around 1,000 metres. The eastern escarpment drops sharply to the Mid North Coast and the rivers that flow from the plateau have carved deep valleys through the edge. The Dorrigo National Park on the escarpment is World Heritage listed and contains subtropical and cool-temperate rainforest in close proximity.

Before you go

Fuel in Armidale and Dorrigo. The Dorrigo National Park Skywalk is worth a stop at the top of the escarpment section. Coffs Harbour has full services at the coast. Best April to October when the tableland is clear and the surface dry.

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