Learn to drive in Coffs Harbour - Automatic or manual
Lessons with Ilyas Khalaf, in English, Arabic or Ezidi. Picked up from home, school or work across Coffs Harbour, Toormina, Sawtell, Boambee and ten more suburbs.
What you get with every lesson
Automatic and manual
Learn in the car you plan to drive after your licence. Both cars have dual controls.
English, Arabic and Ezidi
The lesson runs in the language you are most comfortable with. I can explain to your parents in their language too.
Early starts, seven days
From 6am to 8pm on weekdays, and 6am to 3pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Picked up where you are
I pick you up from home, school or work. You do not have to come to me.
Lessons and packages
Live from the booking system — prices and availability always current.
Automatic driving lesson
One-on-one lesson in a dual-control automatic car. For complete beginners and for learners getting ready for the test.
Manual driving lesson
One-on-one lesson in a dual-control manual car. Clutch control, gear changes and hill starts.
Automatic Test Day Package
Use my automatic car for your driving test, with a warm-up lesson beforehand. Two hours in total.
Manual Test Day Package
Use my manual car for your driving test, with a warm-up lesson beforehand. Two hours in total.
Automatic driving lesson Packages
Five 1 hour lessons or ten hours, paid together and used one at a time. Cheaper than booking the same lessons on their own.
Manual driving lesson Pacakges
Five 1 Hour lessons or ten hours, paid together and used one at a time. Cheaper than booking the same lessons on their own.
Ilyas Khalaf
Coffs Harbour · Automatic and manual · English, Arabic, Ezidi
Every learner is different. Some need more time behind the wheel. Some need more explaining. I work out which one you are, and I teach that way.
Before starting I Drive Best, Ilyas spent years helping people around Coffs Harbour learn to drive as a volunteer — more than fifty of them, most getting their first licence. He works with complete beginners as well as learners who already have hours up and are getting ready for the test.
Booking a lesson takes about a minute
Enter your suburb
Check that I cover you, and see the times that are actually free this week — not a call-back request.
Pick a time and pay
Book up to 30 days ahead. The latest you can book online is three hours before the lesson starts.
I come to you
I pick you up from home, school or work, and the lesson starts from there.
How lessons count towards your log book in NSW
If you're under 25, you need 120 hours of supervised driving in your log book before you can sit the driving test, and 20 of those hours have to be at night. You also need to have held your learner licence for 12 months.
Lessons with a NSW licensed driving instructor count triple. One structured hour goes into the log book as three. The bonus is capped at ten lessons, so the most you can add this way is 20 bonus hours on top of the 10 hours you actually drove.
A lesson at night still only counts as one night hour. The bonus hours from it don't go towards your 20 night hours.
The Safer Drivers Course adds another 20 hours. It's run by approved providers around the region, not by I Drive Best.
If you're 25 or over, the log book doesn't apply to you at all. You still have to pass the driving test.
The full rules are on the Transport for NSW learner drivers page.
Common Questions
Which suburbs do you cover?
Coffs Harbour, Korora, Sapphire Beach, Moonee Beach, Emerald Beach, Boambee, Boambee East, Toormina, Sawtell, Bonville, North Boambee Valley, Karangi, Upper Orara and Coramba. Enter your suburb at the top of the page to confirm.
Do you teach automatic and manual?
Yes, both. If you are not sure which one to choose, think about the car you will drive after you get your licence. If you pass the test in an automatic, your licence says automatic vehicles only.
How far ahead do I need to book, and can I cancel?
You can book up to 30 days ahead, and up to three hours before a lesson starts. You can cancel or change a lesson free of charge up to 24 hours before. Inside 24 hours the lesson fee applies.
Do my lessons count as three log book hours?
Yes. Every hour with a licensed instructor is recorded as three hours, for your first ten lessons. One thing to watch. If the lesson is at night, only the real hour counts towards your 20 night hours. The bonus hours are recorded as day hours.
Can you take me to the driving test?
Yes. Tests run from the Service NSW centre at 32-34 Gordon Street, Coffs Harbour. The test day package is two hours - A ~1 hour warm-up lesson on the roads around the centre, and then your test in the same car. You book the test with Service NSW yourself and pay their fee separately.
Can lessons be in Arabic or Ezidi?
Yes. Ilyas speaks English, Arabic and Ezidi, so the lesson can run in whichever you're most comfortable with. Parents are welcome to sit in and follow along in their own language.
Find a lesson time near you
Enter your suburb to see what's free this week.