You can plan a free or low-cost overnight stop around the National Motorcycle Museum in Nabiac, on the NSW Mid North Coast, then spend the morning wandering through some 800 vintage, veteran and classic motorcycles. It sits just off the Pacific Highway, about 140 km north of Newcastle and 28 km south of Taree, which makes it one of the easiest and most interesting highway breaks on the coast.
We have been traveling this stretch of highway since 1992, and Nabiac is one of those little towns that rewards anyone who takes the exit instead of driving straight past.
The National Motorcycle Museum at a glance
Founded by Brian and Margaret Kelleher, the museum started in Mitchell, Canberra, in 1990 before moving to a purpose-built complex in Nabiac. Today it holds what it describes as Australia’s largest collection of vintage, veteran and classic motorcycles, along with a huge array of memorabilia, toys, models and a motorcycling library.
- The collection: around 800 motorcycles from the early 1900s onward, including Norton, BSA, Triumph, Vincent, Harley-Davidson, Indian, Ducati, MV Agusta, Honda and plenty of rare European and Australian marques
- Standouts: a 1919 Kenilworth scooter, a water-cooled two-stroke Scott twin and a Vincent Black Knight
- Opening hours: 10am to 3pm on most days
- Museum Entry: at our last check, $15 for adults, $5 for children under 14, $10 for students aged 14 to 17, and $45 for a family. Group rates are available.
- Good to know: the museum asks that no bags are brought inside, and there is a gift shop full of books, badges, patches and models
- More info: Visit the National Motorcycle Museum website
Allow an hour or two to have a proper look around. You do not need to be a motorcycle enthusiast to enjoy it either. The displays of old toys, signage and speedway memorabilia are a trip down memory lane for most of us, and the kids tend to love it too. Hours and prices can change, so give the museum a quick call before you plan your day around a visit.
Free camping at the museum
For travellers, the museum doubles as a handy overnight stop on the Pacific Highway. Pull in the afternoon before, settle in, and you are right at the door when it opens in the morning.
Conditions at stops like this can change, so before you roll in, check the current listing in the Camps Australia Wide App. It shows the details that matter! One of our team has actually personally checked the sites we list, and you can read how we verify campsites against our 12 criteria.
Be a good guest
- Arrive with plenty of daylight and keep your setup compact. This is a working museum, not a caravan park.
- Take all your rubbish with you and leave the ground cleaner than you found it.
- Keep generators and noise to a minimum, especially early and late.
- Say thanks by buying a ticket, grabbing something from the gift shop or spending a few dollars in town. Stops like this stay open when travelers support them.
Other places to stay near Nabiac
If the museum does not suit your rig or your plans, there are other options close by. Nabiac Caravan Park is right in town, and Riverside Holiday Park at Failford is a short drive away, both good choices if you want powered sites, showers and a laundry day.
For more free and budget stops along the coast and inland, browse our free camping sites in NSW guide, or search the Camps Australia Wide App from wherever you are. If you prefer paper on the dash, CAMPS 13 and CAMPSPendium 2 cover free, budget and paid camping right around Australia, and Caravan Parks 7 has the caravan parks.
Things to do in and around Nabiac
Nabiac means “place of the wild fig”, and the village started life in the late 1800s as a river port on the Wallamba River, shipping hardwood timber. It later turned to dairy and corn, and it is also the birthplace of the poet Les Murray. Today it is a relaxed little town with enough going on to fill a day either side of your museum visit.
In town
- Cafes and bakery: stock up at Nabiac Bakery, or grab a coffee at The Artisan Farmer Cafe or Greenhouse Cafe Nabiac.
- Nabiac Farmers Market: held on the last Saturday of each month, a good chance to pick up local produce for the fridge.
- Nabiac Show: the annual rural show is a proper country day out if your timing lines up.
- Nabiac Swimming Pool: handy on a hot day, with a water play area for the kids.
- Boutique shops: the village centre has a handful worth a browse.
Forster and Tuncurry, about 20 minutes away
- Wallis Lake: swim, kayak, paddleboard, fish or hire a boat, and keep an eye out for dolphins, rays and turtles.
- Sydney rock oysters: Wallis Lake is famous for them, and you can buy them fresh around the waterfront.
- Beaches: Forster Main Beach and One Mile Beach for a swim or surf, and the Tuncurry Rockpool for sheltered family swimming.
- Booti Booti National Park and Cape Hawke Lookout: rainforest, headlands, lake and ocean, with big coastal views from the lookout.
Taree, Wingham and the Manning Valley
- Wingham Brush: a patch of riverside rainforest at historic Wingham.
- Ellenborough Falls: one of the most impressive waterfalls in NSW, up in the hinterland beyond Wingham. Check road conditions if you are towing.
- Manning Regional Art Gallery: Taree’s arts hub, a good wet-weather option.
- Manning River: the lifeblood of the valley, lovely for a riverside picnic.
Getting there
Nabiac sits just off the Pacific Highway on the Mid North Coast, roughly 23 km from Forster, 28 km from Taree, 45 km from Bulahdelah, 140 km from Newcastle and 280 km from Sydney. Take the Nabiac exit and follow the signs to Clarkson Street. It is an easy, flat approach, and the museum has ample parking for buses and coaches.
Frequently asked questions
Can you free camp at the National Motorcycle Museum in Nabiac?
The museum is a popular overnight stop for travelers on the Pacific Highway. The camp is only available for self contained campers, so you will need your own toilet/shower facilities as well as management of your grey water waste.
How much does it cost to visit the National Motorcycle Museum?
At our last check, camping was free for unpowered sites, though limited powered sites are also available. This is a first in best dressed option and requires check-in before 3pm. Museum entry is available from $15 for adults, $5 for children under 14, $10 for students aged 14 to 17, and $45 for a family. Group rates are available. Prices can change, so call the museum on 0474 788 132 to confirm.
What are the opening hours of the National Motorcycle Museum?
The museum opens from 10am to 3pm on most days. It is worth calling ahead on 0474 788 132 before you plan your day around a visit.
What else is there to do near Nabiac?
In town there is a bakery, cafes, a swimming pool and a farmers market on the last Saturday of each month. Forster and Tuncurry are about 20 minutes away for Wallis Lake, beaches, oysters and Booti Booti National Park, and Taree and Wingham are close by for the Manning River, Wingham Brush and Ellenborough Falls.
See you on the road
Nabiac is a lovely reason to slow down on the Pacific Highway, and a night near a shed full of classic bikes is a pretty good way to break up the drive. If you would like more stops like this, sign up for our free newsletter for new campsites, travel tips and stories from the road. Happy travels from all of us at Camps Australia Wide.
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