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Coffs
Harbour
A fun resort for all
the family
Coffs Harbour is a very family orientated beach resort with lots to do
for people of all ages.
Located on the north New South Wales coast Coffs Harbour is about 400km south
of Brisbane and 550km
north of Sydney. The Pacific Highway runs right through it so
it is easy to get to by car and by bus. It is spilt into
three main areas: the CBD which is a fully functioning town, the jetty
and harbour area and Park Beach. The Visitors
Centre can be found next to the bus station just off the highway to the
south of town.
Coffs Harbour Beaches
The main reason to visit Coffs Harbour is for its beaches and there are
two main ones - the Jetty Beach and Park Beach.
The Jetty Beach runs south from the harbour and is quite sheltered as
it has the harbour wall to the north and a headland to the
south. Behind it is a park area with plenty of picnic tables
and BBQs and lots of shade where you can while away a few
hours.
Park Beach, which is north of the harbour, is a more open, long surf
beach and can be quite rough at times. There is a patrolled
swimming area just opposite Park Beach Holiday Park where you can body
board and there is plenty of space for surfing outside the swimming
area.
You can also swim in Coffs Creek which is just north of the harbour and
is completely sheltered and calm. This is a great option if you don't
want any rough waves and just want to relax in the water.
Again there is a park with children's playground and BBQs just next to
the creek.
Coffs Harbour Attractions
The Pet
Porpoise Pool near the jetty on Orlando Street is a great
place to go if you have kids. They have two shows daily at
10am and 1pm and an extra one at 4pm in the height of the summer. It is
a good idea to get there early for your free seal and dolphin
kisses. They have a photographer on site to take photos of
this but you can also take your own photos.
The show includes seals, sea-lions and dolphins but no porpoises
despite the name. It is very interactive but beware about
volunteering for anything as it may involve singing! The
dolphins are great and do the usual jumping through hoops and
somersault tricks. After the show you can stroke the
dolphins' bellies, feed the turtle and fish and feed the
penguins. They also offer dolphin and seal encounters at an
extra charge.
There are many other attractions in Coffs Harbour such as The Big
Banana theme park, helicopter flights, horse riding only a short trip
away and the beautiful botanical gardens to mention just a
few.
If the weather is bad while you are there then you may want to visit
the multi screen cinema opposite the Park Road Plaza. You can find a
discount voucher for it in the Visitor's Guide. There
are also 9 and 10 pin bowling alleys in the centre of town which are
other good wet weather activities.
There is a craft market under the Jetty Village Shopping Centre on
Harbour Drive every Sunday from 8am-2pm.
If you fancy doing some walking or cycling there are a few
possibilities. The Coffs Creek Circuit which is a 10-12km
loop around Coffs Creek is a lovely bush walk with the northern side
officially a walking track and the southern side a shared
pedestrian/cycle path. This walk can include going along the
sea wall in the harbour to Muttonbird Island and take a walk up the
island to get a lovely view of the harbour and perhaps see the elusive
Mutton birds who the island is named for. We haven't been lucky enough
to see any.
Another cycle route available is from Coffs Harbour to the lovely town
of Sawtell. This is a 26km return ride and has a difficulty
rating of medium. It starts any where around the harbour and
goes up Beacon Hill which is a bit tough and then you join the shared
pedestrian/cycle path along Hogbin Drive. You then go on the
road from the end of Hogbin Drive to Sawtell taking a detour up to the
lookout just passed Boambee Creek if you are feeling very fit. It is a
steep climb but offers great views over beautiful beaches on both sides
of the headland.
You can hire bikes from Bob Wallis Cycles on the corner of Orlando and
Collingwood Streets. At the time of writing prices are $18
for a half day, $25 for a full day and $40 for two days. This
includes a map, helmet, lock and pouch.
There are also some lovely towns not too far away that you could spend anything from a few hours to a few days in. Bellingen is a pretty inland town just 40km away, Dorrigo National Park is about an hours drive away along the Waterfall Way and Dorrigo is where you would find accommodation if you want to stay the night near the park.
Useful Coffs Harbour links:
Accommodation
Restaurants and Bars
Excursions
For more information take a look at the official Coffs
Harbour website.
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