Find things to do in Coffs Harbour

This is a personal and independent website with ideas and suggestions for things to do in and around Coffs Harbour (NSW) on the East Coast of Australia.

All stories are written by Micky Stuivenberg. I only write about activities and attractions that I have personally experienced so I can give you honest reviews and first-hand impressions.

Ways to find activities & attractions you’re interested in:

  • Scroll down the homepage for the most recent reviews.
  • Narrow it down to a main category (OUTDOOR – INDOOR – FREE activities).
  • Pick a specific topic from the tag cloud in the sidebar on the right.
  • Search this blog using the search box on the right.

Enjoy your discovery of things to do in Coffs Harbour. If there’s a blog post you really like, I would love it if you shared it with your friends/followers on Facebook or other social media network. Thanks!

Dorrigo National Park – Walks, views, birds and waterfalls

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A visit to the lush rainforest at Dorrigo National Park should be on everyone’s itinerary when they’re staying in Coffs Harbour.

Dorrigo National Park is only 65km (1 hour by car) from the heart of Coffs via the scenic Waterfall Way, which starts to climb up Dorrigo Mountain after you’ve passed through Bellingen (very much worth a visit in its own right).

Tree art at Dorrigo National Park

Amazing twisted tree branches (or are they aerial roots?) at Dorrigo National Park

I always take visitors on a day trip to this national park, as it’s sure to make an impression on both Australian and overseas visitors. The scenery at Dorrigo National Park is stunning and there are some very accessible walks that I recommend doing.

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Ride a Segway – Fun & Different!

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Most of my blog posts are about walks, views, wildlife and other free and easy activities around Coffs Harbour. But here’s something completely different: Segway tours.

When I was given an opportunity to join a Segway tour, I didn’t have to think twice. I’ve always wanted to try riding a Segway. They just look like so much fun, don’t they?

Segway Tours at Pacific Bay Resort Coffs Harbour

Take a fun 1-hour Segway Tour at Novotel Pacific Bay Resort, Coffs Harbour

If you’re like me and you’d love to ride a Segway, learn to navigate obstacles, see how fast you can go and make your way up and down hills – all while enjoying great views, read on.

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Bellingen Markets: Biggest market on the Coffs Coast

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The Bellingen Community Markets, held monthly (on the third Saturday of each month), are the biggest and the best markets in the Coffs Harbour region, probably in Northern NSW as well, and perhaps even in Australia.

With around 250 stalls set up all around leafy Bellingen Park, you can spend hours at the market, which has such a good atmosphere and live music and performances that it feels less like a normal market but more like a festival that you get to enjoy every month.

Bellingen Markets - 250 stalls under the trees

The Bellingen Markets: 250 stalls under the trees in the park

Of course, Bellingen is known for its laid-back character, interesting locals and alternative lifestyles. This adds to the lovely, casual ambience you’ll find anywhere around the town and at the markets as well (cue massage tents and tarot reading stalls).

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Find things to do in Coffs Harbour

This is a personal and independent website with ideas and suggestions for things to do in and around Coffs Harbour (NSW) on the East Coast of Australia.

All stories are written by Micky Stuivenberg. I only write about activities and attractions that I have personally experienced so I can give you honest reviews and first-hand impressions.

Ways to find activities & attractions you’re interested in:

  • Scroll down the homepage for the most recent reviews.
  • Narrow it down to a main category (OUTDOOR – INDOOR – FREE activities).
  • Pick a specific topic from the tag cloud in the sidebar on the right.
  • Search this blog using the search box on the right.

Enjoy your discovery of things to do in Coffs Harbour. If there’s a blog post you really like, I would love it if you shared it with your friends/followers on Facebook or other social media network. Thanks!

Ice Skating in Subtropical Coffs Harbour

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Did you know you can go ice skating in subtropical Coffs Harbour? And if you knew, have you ever tried it? I’ve known there was an indoor ice rink at The Big Banana ever since I moved here, and I’ve always been keen to try it out, but for some reason I’ve only recently put on those skates – and I loved it.

Ice skating at The Big Banana ice rink in Coffs Harbour NSW Australia

Ice skating at The Big Banana ice rink, Coffs Harbour: fun for the whole family

(You’ll also find a short VIDEO at the bottom of this post)

I was afraid it would be a tiny ice rink but it was actually bigger than expected. I’ve been to an indoor ice skating rink before where you all you could do was go around in tiny circles, but at the Coffs Harbour ice rink, you can actually pick up some decent speed on the straight stretches before having to turn the corner.

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Rainy Day Activities in Coffs Harbour

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Raining in Coffs Harbour? Stuck for things to do? In this blog post, I’ll list a bunch of wet weather ideas for the Coffs Harbour region.

The Coffs Coast is a subtropical region and we do get our fair share of rain throughout the year. If you’d rather not tackle outdoor activities when it rains, or when it threatens to rain, don’t worry – Coffs Harbour has plenty of things to do on a rainy day.

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Bruxner Park Rainforest Tracks & Sealy Lookout

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For a great walk in the rainforest only 5km from Coffs Harbour, you have to visit Bruxner Park Flora Reserve. In addition to several signposted walking trails, there is also a fantastic lookout point over all of Coffs Harbour – Sealy Lookout – at 310 metres above sea level.

The walking tracks at Bruxner Park are only a 10-minute drive from the CBD, which make them  the closest rainforest walks to the Coffs Harbour city centre.

Rainforest walks in Bruxner Park close to Coffs Harbour

Immerse yourself in a rainforest experience just 10mins from Coffs Harbour

These bushwalks are so near and so easily accessible that you’ll have no excuse not to go there at least once. It’s amazing how many Coffs Harbour residents have never actually walked along these forest trails.

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Jetty Strip of Restaurants & Cafés, Coffs Harbour

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One of the most popular ‘Eat Streets’ in Coffs Harbour is the so-called ‘Jetty Strip’. It’s so popular because of the wide variety of restaurants and cafés to choose from. You can just go there and make a last-minute decision what and where you want to eat.

Here is a complete list of all the eateries at the Coffs Harbour Jetty Strip of restaurants, their specialties, their phone numbers and a link to their website, if they have one. There are around 20 cafés and restaurants in all.

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See local fish and marine life at Coffs Aquarium

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Do you dive? If not, you can see what the underwater world of the Solitary Islands Marine Park looks like at the Solitary Islands Aquarium (formerly the National Marine Science Centre Aquarium) in Coffs Harbour.

Find out more about local fish and other sea creates at the Coffs Aquarium

Find out more about Coffs Coast fish and other sea creatures at the Coffs Aquarium

The Aquarium is normally open on Saturday and Sunday only, however it opens daily during NSW school holidays. It makes a nice brief outing for a rainy day on the weekend. Treat yourself and have lunch or coffee at Pacific Bay Resort afterwards – the aquarium is located right beside the resort, after all.

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Best Spots to Spot Whales this Whale-Watching Season

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I love whale-watching season in Coffs Harbour! It makes all those walks over Muttonbird Island and any other headland and coastal lookout point that much more exciting!

Will we see whales today? If so, how many? And will they merely spout some spray into the air to alert us to their presence, will we see their backs glide gently out of and back into the water, will there be some tails up in the air or are they putting on a full-on breaching and tail-flapping show for us?

Watching mighty humpback whales in the ocean off Coffs Harbour

Watching mighty humpback whales in the ocean off Coffs Harbour

No matter how many times you’ve seen whales, because they’re so mighty and so unpredictable, every time you see one it’s exciting again. And it unites people, pointing them out to those who haven’t spotted them yet and going “oh” and “ah” and “wow” in unison.

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Bike ride from Coffs Harbour to Sawtell

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Cycling is becoming increasingly popular in and around Coffs Harbour. There are at least four bicycle shops in Coffs Harbour alone, various cycle groups and clubs and regular community rides and events.

One popular cycle route is the cycle path along Hogbin Drive between Coffs Harbour and the neighbouring village of Sawtell. The cycleway is separated from the road by a nature strip so it’s a safe and relaxing ride. And Sawtell makes a fun destination.

Just the stretch along Hogbin Drive is 6km, but if you go from the centre of Coffs Harbour to the centre of Sawtell it’s 10km. That’s a distance you can easily do in one hour (i.e. going a very leisurely 10km/hr).

A tree-lined section of the Hogbin Drive cycleway, Coffs Harbour - Sawtell

A tree-lined section of the Hogbin Drive cycleway, Coffs Harbour - Sawtell

We enjoy meeting up with friends early on Sunday morning at the start of Hogbin Drive and riding to Sawtell to have breakfast before making our way back.

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Sydney to Coffs Harbour – Flights, Train, Coach, Car

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This post gives people who want to travel from Sydney to Coffs Harbour a quick overview of their travel options.

I’ll go over the various ways to get to Coffs Harbour from Sydney – by car, bus, coach via the Pacific Highway; by plane with Virgin Australia, Tiger Airways or Qantas flights; or by train with Countrylink.

LATEST UPDATE: All prices are as found online on 25 March 2013 and may vary. They apply when pre-purchased, and are for one-way travel.

Personally, I prefer flying. It’s quick and you can get good deals on air tickets if you keep an eye out for sales, that seem to be on almost all the time. I subscribe to Virgin Australia V-mail and Qantas Red as well as Tiger Latest Deals email newsletters that alert me when there’s a sale on.

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Horse riding along forest trails

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A drive through Coffs Harbour’s countryside will soon make you realise this is ‘horse country’. If you would like to explore Coffs Harbour’s beautiful forests on horseback, you can. There are a number of places around Coffs where you can join a guided horse ride, even if you’re a beginner.

I rode a horse for the very first time in my life a few years ago with Valery Trails at Bongil Bongil National Park, south of Coffs Harbour. Their gentle, well-behaved horses and friendly guides made this a very enjoyable experience.

Guided trail rides through Bongil Bongil National Park on horseback

Guided trail rides through Bongil Bongil National Park on horseback

You can choose from a variety of different rides of various lengths and at different times of the day.

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Leisurely drive through the Orara Valley

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Coffs Harbour is so much more than beaches. Our hinterland is incredibly beautiful, tranquil and close by. I love driving through the Orara Valley and stopping the car wherever I want to enjoy the view and listen to the birds.

A Saturday or Sunday morning or afternoon is ideal to head out west to Coramba, Upper Orara and Nana Glen. On Monday and Tuesday, you may find some shops or cafés closed, but the views will be equally beautiful.

Find scenic views like this one at Upper Orara all around the Orara Valley

Find scenic views like this one at Upper Orara all around the Orara Valley

From the centre of Coffs Harbour, follow the signs to Coramba via West High Street and Coramba Road. The scenery becomes rural in just a few minutes, with banana plantations, avocado and fruit trees, wide open fields with cows and horses, and hills and valleys everywhere you look.

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Spend a relaxing day in Red Rock – swim, fish, paddle, walk, picnic

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One of the best kept secrets of the Coffs Coast is Red Rock – a tiny but beautiful village half an hour north of Coffs Harbour. It is situated by the beach and along Red Rock/Corindi River, and borders Yuraygir National Park.

If the weather is good, Red Rock is the perfect destination for a relaxing day out with your special someone or the whole family.

The picturesque park by Red Rock River invites a rest, picnic and a swim

The picturesque park by Red Rock River invites a rest, a picnic and a swim

Here is a list of suggestions for things to do in Red Rock:

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