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.

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

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

We joined a 2 -hour trail ride at 10am and after receiving some instructions and getting acquainted with our selected horses, we followed the instructor into the forest for a wonderful experience that made us really feel connected with nature.

Truth is, you don’t really need to do much apart from enjoy the experience and marvel at the wonders of the rainforest from a higher vantage point than usual, because the horses are so disciplined and well trained that they do exactly what’s expected of them, even if you accidentally give them mixed signals.

The two hours will be over too soon but you can stay around for coffee or tea and hang out at the property which has barbecue and pool facilities you can use.

Valery Trails is located in Valery, between Bonville and Gleniffer about 20km south of Coffs Harbour. It’s a nice and scenic drive to get there. For more information and prices, see the Valery Trails website.

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

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.

Take Mount Browne Road, which loops through the farmlands and forests of the Upper Orara Valley, a particularly picturesque piece of our hinterland. Drive up to the viewing platform on top of Karangi Dam (virtually always around 99% full!) to experience one of the quietest spots you’ve ever been.

Experience the utter peace and quiet up at Karangi Dam in the Orara Valley

Just before Coramba, you can stop at the charming Mountain Ash Pottery and Gallery, and in the historic village (1880) of Coramba itself, you’ll find a bakery, gift shop, general store and a pub with a beer garden out the back with incredible rural views.

Drive another 10km or so to Nana Glen, a lovely little village with two wineries and two cafés. I love Kafe Kookaburra, opposite the road from Orara Vale Vineyard, where you can enjoy a drink or lunch in the garden under the trees surrounded by cheeky birds.

The Orara River runs through here as well and there’s a nice park with picnic tables when you turn right in the centre of Nana Glen towards Bucca and Moonee Beach. Great place to relax in the shade by the river with a book and a snack.

Late afternoon, the light becomes magical. This is at the Kia-Ora farm in Nana Glen.

You can continue on to Glenreagh and Grafton, go back to Coffs Harbour the same way you came, or take Bucca Road through the Wedding Bells State Forest for about 23km until you’re at the Pacific Highway, from where it’s just another 10 minutes back to Coffs Harbour. If you’re keen to stretch your legs, there are several places you can stop on Bucca Road and take a walk along a forest trail.

Besides petrol for the car and perhaps some money for coffee or lunch, this tour doesn’t cost anything and you get to see a whole other side of Coffs Harbour. Just don’t forget to roll down your windows and stop regularly to admire the views, listen to the birds and smell the pure air of our pretty hinterland.