Take a Tweed road trip to the best of both worlds

Explore the Tweed’s famous coastline and lush hinterland on a 3-day drive itinerary that takes you from surf towns to valley villages.

Compact and easy to navigate, the Tweed delivers an abundance of experiences or simply a peaceful surrender to unhurried pace of life found in the regions towns.

Take a day or two for some time beside the sea, taking beach walks or just breathing in the ocean air, then head inland to discover ancient landscapes and country towns filled with art, food and plenty to do.

In between drive-days, check-in at a restored retro motel or retreat to a villa set deep in the forest.

Read on to start mapping out your journey - then all that’s left to do is pack the car, ready your road-trip playlist and head toward the Tweed.

Kick off your four-day coast to country journey with a quintessential day of beach play in the sparkling seaside hub of Kingscliff.

Arrive in the morning and find breakfast or coffee along the aptly named Marine Parade. You’ll find plenty of options, such as local favourite Choux Box.

Fuelled up, it’s time to hit the water. Book ahead for aquatic adventures with Watersports Guru, from snorkelling with turtles and kayaking on calm waters or a stand-up-paddle mindfulness experience. Check tour times to map your day.

Settle in for a laid-back pub lunch at the Kingscliff Beach Hotel before an afternoon clay-making session with the talented team at Stone Studio.

Round out your beach day with a night spent sleeping seaside. Check in in at the retro refurbed Blue Water Motel and book in for dinner at the always popular Taverna or venture a little further to Cabarita Beach to experience the casual Italian vibe at No 35 Kitchen and Bar.

Up early to the sound of waves, grab a healthy brekky bite and sip at Nectar Juice House in Cabarita Beach then stretch the legs with a short walk up to Norries Headland, a great vantage point for 360-degree views.

Follow the coastline south to Hastings Point and the Marine Discovery Centre at North Star Holiday Park, a great spot for kids and ocean-lovers alike.

Continue south to Pottsville and take a seat at Black Drop Cafe for a delicious lunch before steering your wheel west and heading inland, switching views of blue for scenes of green.

Check in overnight at the luxuriously peaceful La Rocher Eco Retreat, set in lush forest with stunning views out to Wollumbin Mount Warning and enjoy some down-time by the pool.

As dusk draws near, head to Broadway, the main street of nearby Burringbar, and settle in for a wine experience at Brooklyn Tasting Room, with well-stocked walls of take-home bottles, especially natural and organic wines.

If you land in Burringbar on a Friday and have an appetite for tacos, you’ll love Mercado Juarez, serving up take-away quesadillas, tostados, nachos and tacos each Friday night.

Awaken to bird calls and country light then head to Uki for morning coffee at Bastion Lane Espresso. Within the combination cafe and post office is also Art Post Uki, celebrating the work of local artists.

Or, for a long and leisurely weekend breakfast, head out along Wollumbin Road to Mavis's Kitchen for a menu that heroes local flavours and fresh produce from its own kitchen garden.

From here, it's a short drive to South Murwillumbah for some artistic immersion at the Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre, with a host of exhibitions and gallery spaces to explore.

More creative inspiration awaits at nearby M|Arts Precinct, where local artists work from refitted shipping containers, alongside a florist, well-stocked cheese store and an original art deco movie space at The Regent Cinema.

If you've worked up an appetite - and a thirst - unwind with lunch at Husk Distillers in Tumbulgum, home to Ink Gin and paddock-to-bottle rum, and be sure to take a tour of the distillery.

Finally, head back towards the coast for a seafood lunch and cocktails at The Oyster Shed in Tweed Heads West. Oyster fans from all over flock here for freshly shucked goodness from both the Shed’s own oyster leases as well as their favourites from further afield.

The Tweed Tourism Co is a valued partner of Must Do Brisbane.com