Coffs Harbour

A resort city on the NSW North Coast: beyond the Big Banana and the Dolphin Island jetty, head out whale watching or up to the Dorrigo rainforest to see ancient Gondwana forest.

Coffs Harbour lies on the North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, between Sydney and Brisbane (about 540 km from Sydney). It is the main city on the Pacific Highway, backed by banana-growing slopes on the foothills of the Great Dividing Range and facing the Solitary Islands Marine Park. In town, the action is by the sea: walk along the breakwater to Muttonbird Island to see seabirds and whales, watch the sunrise from the century-old timber jetty, snap the landmark and try banana desserts at the Big Banana Fun Park, or head out from the marina to dive and go whale watching. To the north are kangaroos at Moonee Beach, and the Sikh temple and headland at Woolgoolga; to the south are the town of Sawtell and Bongil Bongil National Park. Heading west up the Waterfall Way brings you to the arty town of Bellingen, the Skywalk at Dorrigo National Park in the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area, and Dangar and Ebor Falls. The climate is mild and the area can be visited year-round; June–November is whale-watching season, when humpback whales migrate close offshore; summer (December–March) is hot and wet, good for swimming. Getting there: Coffs Harbour Airport has flights to and from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, and trains and long-distance coaches between Sydney and Brisbane stop here. Allow 2–3 days; a car is the most convenient way to get around.

Top sights

• Big Banana Fun Park – A giant banana landmark built in 1964, the forerunner of Australia's roadside 'Big Things.' The park has water slides, an ice rink and bana…
• Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve – A small island linked to the harbor by a breakwater. Trails climb to the summit for sea views, wedge-tailed shearwater burrows and migratin…
• Dorrigo National Park & Skywalk – Part of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Site. The Skywalk at the rainforest centre hangs above the treetops, with views over the Be…
• Coffs Harbour Jetty – A timber jetty completed in 1892, extending about 500 metres into the bay. It is a popular spot for sunrise, fishing and beach walks.
• Solitary Islands Marine Park – A marine protected area where tropical and temperate currents meet, with rich corals and fish. Visitors can dive, snorkel and go whale watc…
• North Coast Regional Botanic Garden – A free botanic garden beside a creek in town, with a mangrove boardwalk, rainforest zones and a new glasshouse showing plants of Australia'…
• Sealy Lookout & Forest Sky Pier – A viewing platform on a banana plantation hillside, with a cantilevered walkway over the valley, overlooking the Coffs Harbour coastline, b…
• Coffs Harbour Butterfly House – An indoor tropical butterfly house in Bonville with hundreds of native Australian butterflies flying freely, plus a maze garden, ideal for…
• Sawtell Beach & Village – A seaside town south of Coffs Harbour, with cafés lining a fig-tree-shaded main street and surf beaches and a river mouth suited to familie…
• Bongil Bongil National Park – A coastal national park south of Sawtell, with estuaries, wetlands and eucalypt forests that are home to wild koalas.
• Moonee Beach Nature Reserve – An estuary, beach and grassy headland that together attract eastern grey kangaroos grazing by the sea at dawn and dusk.
• Woolgoolga Headland – A headland overlooking the beaches on either side of Woolgoolga town, where whales can be seen migrating in winter and spring.
• Dangar Falls – A curtain waterfall about 30 metres high on the edge of Dorrigo town. A lookout sits beside the car park, and in summer you can climb down…
• Bellingen – An artsy town in the Bellinger Valley, with cafés, second-hand bookshops, craft shops and organic markets along its old main street.
• Ebor Falls – Twin-tiered waterfall plunging over basalt columnar cliffs on the Guy Fawkes River, the highlight of the Waterfall Way.
• Nambucca Heads & V-Wall – A riverside town's breakwater covered in painted rocks left by visitors, an interesting stop along the Pacific Highway.
• Guru Nanak Sikh Temple, Woolgoolga – Large Sikh temple in Woolgoolga with a striking white dome, beside Australia's first Sikh temple, built in 1968, and its museum.

Where to eat

• Latitude 30 – The benchmark seafood restaurant on the Coffs Harbour marina, with views over the harbour and Muttonbird Island, and a…
• Bistro Vue – An Art Deco-style European restaurant in the Jetty dining precinct, with a seasonal menu and oysters and lamb getting s…
• Stef & Co – A multi-purpose Italian venue on the banks of Coffs Creek, roasting coffee by day and serving wood-fired pizza, cocktai…
• Coffs Harbour Fishermen's Co-op – A harbourside seafood shop run by a fishing fleet, serving fish and chips made from the boats' catch, best eaten on the…

Itineraries

• Sydney to Brisbane Pacific Coast Road Trip – Head north along the Pacific Coast, connecting bays, koalas, rainforests, and Byron Bay