Coffs was a last-minute trip booked when another one to Queensland got cancelled. In fact, this travel blog may as well be called Places I visited in NSW because my trips to other states got cancelled coz Covid. Story of my life.
In need of somewhere with sun, sea and bush walks that didn’t require travel outside of NSW, Coffs Harbour seemed to tick all the boxes, according to a frantic Google search. But aside from these guarantees, I set off there with average expectations.
After all, it’s a place that names a theme park and the ‘Big banana’ as its key attractions. For those not in the know, the Big Banana is part of Australia’s famed series of ‘Big Things’ that includes a big shrimp, a big pineapple, a big potato – to name just a few of these kitsch (and rather hideous) monuments sprinkled throughout Australia.
But I was more than pleasantly surprised by Coffs Harbour. Though fairly suburban and an in-land city centre, it has a lot going on around it and serves as the ideal launchpad for plenty of cool day trips.
Things to do in Coffs Harbour
Dorrigo National Park
Dorrigo National Park is only an hour from Coffs Harbour, but getting there you’d think you were in an entirely different part of the country. Lush rainforest and secret waterfalls abound as you journey through dense green canopies and subtropical vegetation.
Our trail, the Crystal Showers walking trail, took a couple of hours with a stop at the scenic Glade picnic area – a peaceful clearing surrounded by Dorrigo’s luscious bushland. The trail, as the name suggests, takes you to the crystal showers, where you can stand behind the waterfall itself for a view of the valley from behind the veil of water.
Don’t miss out on the delightful dose of nature that is Dorrigo!
Whale watching
Many whale-watching trips around Australia promise whale sightings but only offer a glimpse of one from about a kilometre away. I don’t know whether we just got extremely lucky on this tour, but our experience was phenomenal.
About ten minutes into the trip, two huge humpbacks encircled our boat and had a frolic there for a good twenty minutes, even flicking their tails and popping their heads right out of the water about two metres from our boat (still didn’t see a full breach but ONE day).
My personal theory is that our whale watching luck was all down to the tour operator’s dog, who was on board and barking throughout the tour. Every time he barked, the whales seemed to pop up.
It was on this trip that I learned some interesting whale facts. Whales are an important aboriginal symbol – they’re even a totem of the Darkinjung People of the Central Coast of New South Wales. Having used their fat to varnish spears and their bones to manufacture weapons and utensils, whales were once considered an important economic resource for some aboriginals. In fact, many rock engravings depict the strong relationship between local aboriginal people, whales and The Dreaming – the worldview that structures many aboriginal cultures.
In any case, these whales were proper attention whores and wouldn’t stop posing for pics.
Look At Me Now headland
Okay, maybe this isn’t a typical ‘must-visit’ destination in Coffs Harbour. But as I may have mentioned in previous posts, I’m fanatical about Australia’s wildlife and especially the adorable kangaroo.
The rather oddly named ‘Look at me now’ headland, so-called because it was once the signal station for the exchange of messages between Solitary Island and the mainland, is a hotspot for these magical marsupials.
This beautiful headland promises views of kangaroos peacefully grazing against the stunning backdrop of Moonee beach and its undulating waves. Seeing the roos so close to the sea was really special.
Beaches
Beautiful beaches are what makes Coffs Harbour. Emerald beach, close to the Look at Me Now headland joins Woolgooga, Diggers and Moonee as some of the prettiest beaches in the area.
We tried to go surfing in Sawtell but were advised by a local that we weren’t allowed to that day. Apparently, the locals were out surfing that day and there is an unspoken code that non-locals shouldn’t be out at the same time. I was slightly confused but respected the code nonetheless. In the end we went to Arrawarra to surf – a beautiful and sheltered spot for it.
Muttonbird Island
Muttonbird island is an island right in the middle of Coffs Harbour, giving views of the Coffs Coast and hinterland from a unique, off-shore perspective. Also a nature reserve, this seabird rookery is one of the only easily-accessible places in NSW where the migratory wedge-tailed shearwater nests.
It’s also a place of major cultural significance for Aboriginals, harbouring stories of the Dreaming and a wealth of traditional resources.
A day trip to Bellingen
Like many quirky townships of rural Australia, Bellingen has the feel of an old English country town and is home to farmers, creatives and bohemian types. Nestled on the banks of the Bellinger River, this serene spot is as much known for its nature spots as it is for its quaint heritage architecture. Browse all this buzzy little town knowing that magical water holes, meadows and creeks are never far away.
This little jewell is well worth stopping by if you’re in the Coffs area!
Edgy Satsuma 