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, e.g. Spirit of Coffs Harbour Cruises (ph. 02 6650 0155) or Pacific Explorer (ph. 02 6652 8988)
• 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!

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, a picnic and a swim

Here are just a couple of things you can do when you’re in Red Rock:

• Swim across the crystal clear river to the sand bank, walk in the direction the tide is going, get back in and float back to the park where you entered the water. 
• Go fishing in the ocean or the river, from under a tree on the riverside or the boardwalk, or from your boat you can launch at the boat ramp (the caravan park kiosk sells bait).
• Bring a good book, a blanket and a picnic and relax under a tree in the picturesque park, or bring a ball or frisbee and play on the lawn of the riverside park.
• Launch your canoe, kayak or rubber dingy in the river and go for a paddle up through the undisturbed nature of Yuraygir National Park that starts here.
• Go for a walk along the boardwalk, you’ll see and hear lots of  birds by the waterside.
• Swim or surf in the ocean near the actual ‘Red Rock’ the village is named after.

Plus anything else you can think of that you can do in a park, on the beach, in the surf or on a river!

The near-deserted beach at Red Rock and the formation the village is named after

Just remember that there’s only the one shop/kiosk/takeaway at the Red Rock Caravan Park and no other shops, so you’ll have to bring most of what you need with you.

You’ll find it fairly quiet even though it’s a fantastic holiday destination, except for the summer school holidays when it can be pretty packed.

I guarantee it will be one of the most utterly relaxing days you’ve ever spent anywhere!

Get to Red Rock by heading north on the Pacific Highway from Coffs Harbour. It’s about 10 minutes past Woolgoolga, and signposted as a turnoff via Corindi. The trip from the Coffs CBD should take no longer than 35 minutes.

They’re called the Harbourside Markets. Not to be confused with the Jetty Markets, which are held indoors underneath the Jetty Village Shopping Centre.

The Harbourside market stalls are set up underneath the trees and the atmosphere is really laid-back. It’s the perfect way to start your Sunday.

There's a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere at the Harbourside Markets

There’s a paved walkway along the Jetty Foreshores, just behind the sand dunes, all the way from Coffs Creek to the Deep Sea Fishing Club (probably between 1 and 2km). You can park your car on many spots along the foreshores, go for a walk on the pathway, Jetty Beach or the Jetty itself, and end up at the markets.

There are usually around 40 stalls or so, selling only home-made and home-grown products and produce. From fresh veggies to cakes, plants, jewellery and arts and craft, you’ll usually find something you like, want or need. 

You can also get a massage and there’s often a jumping castle, fake tattoos and pony rides for kids. There’s music playing to add to the relaxed atmosphere and from 10.00am, musicians (different ones every week) play live music in the centre of the market ‘circle’.

We go to the Harbourside Markets nearly every week. Sometimes we bring the Sunday paper, buy a large cup of freshly brewed, organic coffee and perhaps a slice of banana bread or something, and settle down on a picnic bench in the shade just behind the market, where we can still enjoy the music.

The market stalls are set up in the shade of the trees on the Jetty Foreshores

The markets are on every Sunday from 8am to 2pm. A bit of rain doesn’t stop them, and ever since they started in September 2007, I think they’ve only been cancelled half a dozen times in all due to swamped grounds.

I really do think the Harbourside Markets are the best way to start your Sunday in Coffs!

For more information on any of these, click on the link to go to the relevant website.

Overview of Coffs Harbour events in 2009 and Coffs Harbour festivals in 2009:

January:
Pittwater to Coffs (yacht race) & Festival of Sail
March’s Coffs Jetty Carnival
Coffs Open Air Cinema

February:
Botanical Jazz

March:
Coffs Coast Ocean Swims 

April:
Woolgoolga Curryfest

July:
Sawtell Chilli Festival

August:
Coffs Harbour Gold Cup Carnival (horse racing)
Bellingen Jazz & Blues Festival

September:
Toast Urunga (food & wine festival)
Coffs Harbour International Buskers & Comedy Festival

October:
Coffs Harbour International Buskers & Comedy Festival
Bellingen Global Carnival (world music & performing arts)

November:
Coffs Coast Food & Wine Festival (‘Cool Creek Rhythms’)

December:
Various Carols by Candlelight events

The Coffs Coast has great festivals and events throughout the year

Of all the festivals and events listed above, the weeklong International Buskers & Comedy Festival in Coffs Harbour in September/October is definitely the biggest and possibly the best. The Bellingen Jazz & Blues Festival and Global Festival are also major and extremely popular events on the Coffs Coast. These three events are most definitely worth a trip to Coffs Harbour from anywhere in Australia.

The World War II Bunker has been turned into a fabulous gallery space

It’s a unique and funky little art gallery housed in an authentic, underground WWII bunker. It’s also Australia’s first and only dedicated cartoon gallery and has the largest collection of contemporary cartoons in the Southern Hemisphere (around 18,000 works at last count in December 2008).

Around 11,000 cartoons, caricatures and comic strips have been catalogued and are available in folders at the reception area for viewing at your leisure (in addition to the ones that are on the walls, which rotate every couple of weeks and usually follow a theme).

The gallery is also used as an art exhibition space, with exhibitions changing about once a month so there’s always something new on show.

If you’re in for a chuckle and just something a bit different, the Bunker Cartoon Gallery is well worth a visit.

The historic but quirky Bunker Cartoon Gallery in Coffs Harbour

Essential info: Entry is only $2 for adults and $1 for children. The gallery is open Mondays to Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. It’s located on John Champion Way, corner of Hogbin Drive and Albany Street, just a few blocks from the Coffs Harbour CBD. 

More information about the cartoons, the bunker’s history and the changing exhibitions is available on the Bunker Cartoon Gallery website. Enjoy!