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?

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.

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

Riding a Segway around a resort

The Segway tours and fun rides are run by a company called Time Out Xperiences. They are based at Novotel Pacific Bay Resort in Coffs Harbour.

In Australia, Segways aren’t allowed on public roads or cycle/footpaths (yet), but Time Out Xperiences has found a great location at Pac Bay Resort where there’s more than enough space to keep you interested and challenged for at least an hour.

The area includes an obstacle course as well as paved paths and dirt tracks around the resort, large grassy fields and plenty of bumps and hills for lots of fun and thrills.

You get to ride right up to a private beach as well as up onto a hill on the other side of the highway (don’t worry, there’s a tunnel so there’s no dodging cars to get across), from where you have a great view over banana plantations and down to the resort and coast below.

Some Segway Q&As

• Is riding a Segway difficult? No. It really isn’t. You follow the simple instructions, start slow, and off you go.
• Is it fun? Yes it is! After just a few minutes, it all feels quite natural and you just want to take one home to use all the time.
• Is it expensive? When you compare it to going to the cinema or going ice skating, then yes, it is. However, it isn’t when you consider you get to have a unique experience that you may have wanted to try for a long time. And it’s cheaper to tick it off your bucket list in Coffs Harbour than in Sydney or Melbourne for example, where it costs quite a bit more. Prices are below.

Segway up the hills behind the resort and down to the beach

Essential Info

Location: Time Out Xperiences is located at Novotel Pacific Bay Resort, 3km north of the Coffs Harbour CBD.  From Bay Drive, take the 1st left into Resort Drive, go past the resort’s main entrance and you’ll soon see Zip Circus on your right hand side. The Segway rides and Time Out Xperiences’ other activities are right beside Zip Circus.

Pricing: Segways are expensive machines so you can’t expect Segway tours to be cheap. The standard 1-hour Segway Tour costs $65 per person and a 40-minute eco-tour is now also available for $49 per person (minimum 2 people per tour). If you just want to try one out quickly, there’s a 15-minute Segway Fun Ride that costs $20 per person (minimum 4 people).

Age: You need to be at least 12 years old to join a Segway Tour and those aged 12-17 need to be with a participating parent or guardian.

Times: Time Out Xperiences runs its Segway Tours 7 days a week during school holidays, at 11am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 4pm and 5.30pm. Less often outside of school holidays. Booking ahead is essential.

Other (group) activities: Time Out Xperiences also offers fun, safe and environmentally friendly Laser-Clay experiences, Giant Foosball on a life-size inflatable foosball field and several other activities that are fun for groups, parties and corporate team-building events.

Website/Phone: Find out more on the Time Out Xperiences website or call 1300 090 767 for further information.

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.

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).

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

250+ market stalls selling EVERYthing

The stalls sell a huge variety of handmade arts and crafts, fresh produce, jewellery, plants and flowers, clothing, shoes and bags, musical instruments, household and kitchen items, soaps and natural remedies, gourmet tea and coffee, and much, much more. You’ll find plenty of local, organic and ‘green’ home-made products.

Even if you don’t think you need anything, I can almost guarantee that you will see something you like or want. Before you know it, you’ll have filled up your bag with a net of local avocados, a tiny bottle of essential oil, a handmade toy for an upcoming kid’s birthday, a pot of honey and a unique garden sculpture – or any other random collection of goodies.

Food & drink

Whatever your taste buds prefer, there will be something to your liking on offer at the market, whether it’s for a snack or a meal. Just follow your nose and you’ll find a good feed at one of the food stalls representing different cuisines. Or buy some  cake, dessert or other treat made lovingly at home by one of the local stallholders.

Live music & entertainment

Everyone just loves the Bellingen Markets, which creates a fantastic atmosphere. Something that definitely adds to that is the live music and other performances held at the markets. There is a main performance area where booked artists provide the main musical entertainment, but you’re likely to hear tunes coming from other areas around the markets as well. Two little girls playing violins here, a guy on a didgeridoo there – it really makes for a happy place to walk around on a Saturday.

For the kiddies, there are things like pony rides, swing rides and a jumping castle plus probably other things as well, but I have to admit I don’t pay much attention to that as I’ve never taken a child to the markets.

The monthly Bellingen Markets are among the largest in Northern NSW

Essential info

Day:
When are the Bellingen Markets on? The Bellingen Community Markets are held every 3rd Saturday of the month, 12 months a year.

Location:
Where are the markets held? The markets are at Bellingen Park close to the centre of Bellingen. From Waterfall Way (the main road through town), turn into either Ford Street or Church Street and you can’t miss it. You may need to park a few blocks away if you don’t arrive early.

Time:
What time do the Bellingen Markets start and end? The markets officially open to the public at 9am and end around 2.30pm when stallholders start packing up.

Bellingen:
How far is it to Bellingen from Coffs Harbour? Bellingen is less than half an hour by car from the city of Coffs Harbour. Take the Pacific Highway south and after about 15 minutes turn onto the Waterfall Way and enjoy the short drive through the beautiful Bellinger Valley.

Further info:
For more information about the markets or to contact the organisers, visit the Bellingen Community Markets website.

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 (indoor/outdoor/free activities).
• Pick a specific topic from the tag cloud in the sidebar on the left.
• Browse the story titles further down in the sidebar on the right.
• Do a search using the search box on the top right-hand side.

Enjoy your discovery of things to do in Coffs Harbour. If there’s something you like, please share it with your social media friends and followers. Thanks!

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.

The quality of the surface is also pretty good and there are lots of helpers on and off the ice eager to assist anyone who needs a hand.

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

(There’s also a short VIDEO at the bottom of this page)

It’s quite strange to see people ice skating in shorts and t-shirts, but it’s a permanent 15 deg C in the hall and if you dress too warm, I guarantee you’ll want to throw off some layers after skating a few rounds.

Essential Info

What do you need? Thick socks, that’s really the only thing you’ll need to bring. Wear something that’s comfortable to move around in and suitable for an air temperature of 15 degrees C. There are lockers for your bags and valuables.

Skates: Skate hire is included in the entry fee. You can choose from two different types of skates: figure skates or hockey skates. They’ve got them in all sizes. There are special kiddie skates as well.

Location: The ice skating rink is located at The Big Banana in Coffs Harbour, just a few kilometres north from the CBD on the Pacific Highway. You can’t miss the Big Banana! From there, just follow the signs to the ice rink.

Tickets: Entry prices are: $14.50 adults (14+), $12 kids 4-13, $2.50 under 4 and $42.50 for a family pass (2 adults + 2 children < 14). This includes skate hire. The Big Banana also offers combo passes if you’re interested in different attractions.

Opening hours: Every day 1.00pm-2.30pm, plus 7pm-9pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Extra morning sessions run daily during NSW school holidays only: from 10.30am to noon.

Website/Phone: Visit the ice skating page on The Big Banana website or call (02) 6652 4355 for more information.

There’s no need to book, you can just turn up. Don’t forget your socks!

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.

Some of the wet weather activities listed below cater to children, while others appeal more to adults. But hopefully everyone should be able to find some indoor activity or attraction they like in this list.

Things To Do In Coffs Harbour When It Rains:

• Aquarium at the Marine Science Centre
• Art galleries (e.g. Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, Woolgoolga Art Gallery & many more)
• Big Banana (World of Bananas, Candy Kitchen)
• Bunker Cartoon Gallery
• Cafés and Restaurants (literally hundreds of choices)
• Coffs Harbour Butterfly House
• Cinemas (BCC Coffs Harbour, First Ave Cinema Sawtell)
• Clog Barn
• Ice Skating (at the Big Banana)
• Indoor Bowling (10-pin or 9-pin bowling)
• Indoor Kids’ Play Centres (Jungle Bungle, Tabatinga)
• Indoor Rock Climbing
• Indoor Swimming (e.g. Olympic pool, Aquatic centre)
• Markets (various/on weekends)
• Coffs Harbour Museum (currently temporarily closed)
• Pet Porpoise Pool (covered grandstand)
• Shopping (Coffs City Centre, the Promenade, Park Beach Plaza, Moonee, Woolgoolga, Sawtell, Toormina, Bellingen)
• Spa, massage or beauty treatment (dozens of options)
• Tabatinga Entertainment Centre (Balladium Ball Blaster, Glow in the Dark Mini Golf)

There are plenty of other things you can do when it’s raining in Coffs Harbour, including things to do outside despite the rain, but I have chosen to only list things to do inside for those of you who really do not like getting wet (well… don’t go to an indoor swimming pool then either!).

If you would like to suggest another indoor activity in or around Coffs Harbour that you think belongs in this list, please let me know and I’ll consider adding it.

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.

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.

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

There is even a special flyer available from the Coffs Coast Visitor Information Centre that has a map showing all the walking trails.

The leaflet, produced by State Forests of NSW, also has some interesting information about the flora, fauna and history of the Bruxner Park Flora Reserve.

Pick up the flyer with map from the Coffs Coast Visitor Information Centre

Walking tracks in Bruxner Park, Coffs Harbour:

• Rainforest Walk. Interpretive trail with some labelled trees. Loop trail, 1.6km (approx. 45 mins). Park your car at The Gap.
• Creek Trail. This one-way trail (approx. 1km, 20-30 mins return) joins the Rainforest Walk at Halfway Creek so it’s easy to combine both walks. You can also walk back via the road and check out The Vincent Tree, one of the biggest flooded gums in NSW.
• Korora Lookout Trail. Easy 20-min return walk along a ridge with great views north along the Coffs coastline and towards the Solitary Islands. Starts from the Scenic Drive about 500m from Sealy Lookout.

There are no cafés or shops in the area, so bring your own picnic – there are picnic tables at Halfway Creek and Swans Road Crossing.

And don’t forget the insect repellent – you’re in a rainforest and can expect mosquitoes and other insects as well as possibly leeches sometimes, particularly after rain and in summer. Spraying your shoes, socks and exposed limbs with insect spray will keep them off you.

Autumn, winter and spring are the best times for a visit, when it’s cooler and there aren’t that many insects around.

While you’re there, you should definitely drive a further 2km from The Gap to Sealy Lookout to enjoy expansive views over Coffs Harbour. A fabulous new skywalk and viewing platform has been built at Sealy Lookout in 2011 (completed November 2011), giving you even better views over the top of the trees!

View over Coffs Harbour from Sealy Lookout in Bruxner Park

Getting there:

Drive north along the Pacific Highway for about 5km from the Coffs Harbour City Centre and turn into Bruxner Park Road (about 1km after The Big Banana). The road winds its way up through banana plantations and avocado groves for another 5km to The Gap where the Rainforest Trail starts.

You can also drive about 1km further along Bruxner Park Road to Halfway Creek where the Creek Trail starts. A 2km Scenic Drive from The Gap in the other direction takes you to the Korora Lookout Trail and to the Sealy Lookout point.

Below 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.

Where is the Jetty Strip of Restaurants?

The Jetty Strip is at the bottom end of Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour, just before the road becomes Orlando Street. It runs between Marina Drive and Camperdown Street. See Map. It is opposite the Jetty Village Shopping Centre and near the railway crossing on Marina Drive, which goes to the Jetty Foreshores, Jetty Beach and the Coffs Harbour International Marina. It takes about 3 minutes to drive to the Jetty Strip from the Coffs Harbour CBD along Harbour Drive.

Part of Coffs Harbour's 'eat street' - the Jetty Strip with over a dozen cafés and restaurants

The cafés and restaurants at the Jetty Strip:

Starting from Jetty Dive Centre on the easternmost corner of the Jetty Strip, you’ll find the following eateries:

• Taste of North India  (Indian) – Phone: 02 – 6651 1668‎
• Foreshores Café  (Modern Australian) - Phone: 02 – 6652 3127
• Fountain Restaurant  (Vietnamese) – Phone: 02 – 6651 1978
• Urban Espresso Lounge  (Coffee, Modern Australian) - Phone: 02 – 6651 1989
• Tandoori Oven  (Indian) – Phone: 02 – 6652 2279
• The Crying Tiger Restaurant  (Thai) – Phone: 02 – 6650 0195‎
• Oberoi’s Indian Restaurant (Indian) – Phone: 6651 9699
• Golden Crown Chinese Restaurant  (Chinese) - Phone: 02 – 6651 6787
• Cold Rock Ice Creamery  (Ice cream, coffee, cake) – Phone: 6652 4999
• Water Surf Art Café  (Coffee, cake, sushi) – Phone: 02 6651 4500
• Maria’s Restaurant  (Italian) - Phone: 02 – 6651 3000
• Tahruah Thai Kitchen  (Thai) – Phone: 02 – 6651 5992‎
• Indulge Café Bar Lounge (Modern Australian/Wine bar)- Phone: 02 – 6652 5565
• Waves Bistro at the Pier Hotel  (Modern Pub Food) – Phone: 02 – 6651 8222

The great thing about these restaurants is that most are nice and casual and offer outdoor seating. (What would make that even greater is if the strip wasn’t so narrow and so close to the road where cars drive past.)

Other eateries close to the Coffs Harbour Jetty Strip (within easy walking distance):

• Fiasco Ristorante + Bar  (Italian & Wine Bar) – 22 Orlando St – Phone: 02 – 6651 2006
• Lakiss’ Jetty Pizzeria (Pizzeria) – Jetty Village Shopping Centre – Phone: 02 – 6652 1939
• Hog’s Breath Café  (Steak & Grill) – Jetty Village Shopping Centre – Phone: 02 – 6652 5646
• Y Knot Bistro at the Yacht Club  (Modern Australian) – 30 Marina Dr – Phone: 02 – 6651 1741
• Latitude 30 Restaurant & Bar  (Modern Australian Restaurant, Café, Wine Bar) – Coffs Harbour Marina – Phone: 02 – 6651 6888
• Creekside Café at the Pet Porpoise Pool (Casual Meals) – 65 Orlando St – Phone: 02 - 6659 1911

Opening Hours & Days:

Some of these are only open for breakfast, coffee and lunch until mid-afternoon, while others open for lunch and dinner or for dinner only. Also, some restaurants are closed on certain days (e.g. Sunday and Monday), so it’s worth to call and check opening hours before you plan your meal out.

Changes: Things can change quite quickly in the hospitality scene, so if you know something has changed and would like to send me an update or new information, please email me.

And… bon appétit!

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

The Aquarium is only open on Saturday and Sunday, and daily during NSW holidays, and 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 – it’s right there, after all.

It’s not big (don’t expect something like the Sydney Aquarium) but the NMSC Aquarium gives a good overview of the fish, coral and other sea creatures of the Coffs Coast area.

I found it quite interesting to see all the fish that live in the Solitary Islands Marine Park and we enjoyed the half-hour video presentation, but after about 75 minutes, we’d really seen and done everything and stood back outside.

If you have kids, you can spend a little longer as the Aquarium has an education room with fun games and activities for children.

What fish will you see?

The Coffs Aquarium is really like a window into the Solitary Islands Marine Park, which stretches north from Coffs Harbour. Because this is where warm tropical waters from Queensland meet cooler waters from the south, our part of the ocean has a unique mix of marine life.

You’ll see various members of Nemo‘s extended family but also the type of fish you can expect to catch locally such as mullet, bream and whiting. My favourite fish was the butterfly cod – it looked amazing!

Some extraordinary marine species live in Coffs Harbour waters!

A fun and educational video presentation starts on the hour every hour and there are several fish feeding sessions throughout the day. There’s also a guide who you can approach if you have any questions (which you may well have because not all the fish tanks display information about all the creatures you see inside it).

Essential Info

Location: The Aquarium is located at the National Marine Science Centre in Coffs Harbour, next-door to Novotel Pacific Bay Resort – just a few minutes up the highway from the Coffs Harbour CBD.

Tickets: Entry is $10 adults, $6 children, $8 concession, $25 family (2 adults + 2 children < 16) and free entry for children under 3.

Opening hours: Every Saturday and Sunday 10am-4pm and daily during NSW school holidays.

Website/Phone: The National Marine Science Centre website has a page about the Aquarium and you can call (02) 6648 3931 with questions or to arrange a group visit.

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

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.

Every year from late May, thousands of mighty humpback whales migrate north along the east coast of Australia from the cold Antarctic seas to the warm ocean waters off the Queensland coast to breed.

Along the NSW Coffs Coast, in June, July and early August you’ll see them on their way up, while from late August to early November they’ll be going back south with their calves. The whales actually tend to swim a bit closer to shore on their way back in order to protect their calves, so you may even get a closer view then.

Various tail-shots of migrating humpback whales along the Coffs Coast

Here are some excellent spots around Coffs Harbour to watch whales:

• On the water – aboard a whale-watching cruise - choose from the large ’Spirit of Coffs Harbour’ (ph. 02 6650 0155), the sailing catamaran ‘Pacific Explorer’ (ph. 02 6652 8988) or Jetty Dive’s ultra-fast ‘Wild Fin’ (ph. 02 6651 1611)
• From the top of or the viewing platform on Muttonbird Island in Coffs Harbour
• From Beacon Hill Lookout on Victoria Street, Coffs Harbour Jetty area
• From Boambee or Bonville Headlands in Sawtell
• From Macauleys Headland, between Diggers Beach and Park Beach in Coffs Harbour
• From Look At Me Now Headland in Emerald Beach
• From Woolgoolga Headland in Woolgoolga

Bring your binoculars and if you’re going on a boat, make sure you bring your camera as I guarantee you’ll want to take lots of photos or videos!

All the headlands and lookout points mentioned above have benches to sit on, or bring a rug and a picnic and park yourselves on the grass for a relaxing game of “spot the whales”.

It’s a good idea to wait for calm weather because it can be incredibly difficult if not impossible to spot whales when the sea is choppy. Have fun!

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

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.

Some sections of the route you’ll be riding in the shade of tall trees while others are more open, giving you wide views of the area.

Cycling along Hogbin Drive near the university campus in Coffs Harbour

At the end of Hogbin Drive, you turn left into Sawtell Road and follow that for about 3km until you reach the centre of Sawtell.

However, if you want to avoid some steep hills, take the following easier, flatter option: At the roundabout at the end of Hogbin Drive, continue straight onto Toormina Road. After passing Centro Toormina Shopping Centre, turn left into Minorie Drive, at the end turn right into Werambie Street and take the path that brings you to the back of the Sawtell Railway Station.

Cross the railway line, follow Hulberts Road to Sixteenth Avenue and then take any left turn off there to bring you to First Avenue, Sawtell’s main street.

Park the bicycles, have a look around the Sawtell shops or follow the inevitable coffee aromas to find a good café for breakfast, morning tea or lunch.

The outdoor café at the Sawtell Surf Club, overlooking the beach

The Sawtell Surf Club Café being my favourite destination in Sawtell, we usually end up at a table overlooking magnificent Sawtell Beach. Keep an eye out for dolphins frolicking in the ocean and, between May and November, passing humpback whales.

For the bike ride back to Coffs Harbour, you can go the same way you came, but in reverse, or try an alternative route through the streets of Sawtell back to Hogbin Drive, although you may want to have a map with you… or someone who knows the way.

Once you’ve done this fun, safe and easy bike ride, I’m sure you’ll want to do it more often. Especially with the cafés in Sawtell having such great rewards on offer for your efforts!