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Coffs Harbour Tourist Information
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FOR MORE DETAILS
Coffs Coast Visitor Information CentreMclean St & Pacific Highway,
COFFS HARBOUR. 2450
(02) 6648 4990
Coffs Harbour Pictorials
A view of Coffs Harbour from the Sawtell Lookout
For more photographs see the PHOTO GALLERY
Originally discovered by Captain John Korff (of the Bellingen Cedar carrier Brothers) as he sought safety from a storm which prevented him entering the river at Urunga. He named the place Korff's Harbour. This later was gazetted, through an unintentional misspelling, to Coffs Harbour and the name has remained ever since.
Today, Coffs Harbour is still considered one of the safest harbours between Newcastle and Brisbane. An assessment by the CSIRO has shown that the area has the best climate in Australia with he maximum temperatures rarely falling below 19oC, summer or winter, making it a great place to be for your holidys.
Banana plantations now line the backdrop to Coffs Harbour and the Jetty that once loaded tonnes of red cedar and built late last century, is now being restored as a heritage structure. Many interesting day trips into the region are availabel which will supply the visitor with a wealth of variety of vegetation, landforms and activities to experience.
The city today has a population of well over 60,000 and is world famous for its beaches, forest hinterlands, pastoral settings and the Solitary Islands Marine Reserve.
The area stretches from Sawtell in the south to Arrawarra and Mullaway in the north, covering some of the best surfing beaches in Australia. These coastal areas provide a range of beaches and fishing spots, whilst to the west, a great variety of agriculture based places can be visited and seen.
Some of the annual events in the area include
- Orara Valley Fair
- Coffs Harbour Gold Cup Racing Carnival
- Coffs Harbour Spring Garden Competition
- Coffs Coast Food and Wine Festival
- Pittwater to Coffs Habour Yacht Race
- Coffs Habour Show
- Coffs Harbour Art and Craft Show
- Easter Fishing Classic
- Young Blood Youth Bands
- Coffs Harbour Eisteddford
- Battle Of The Bads Competition
The Lake Russell Gallery is a contemporary art gallery, set beside a small lake, tha allows art lovers to browse the gallery as well as the beauty of nature of its surrounds. The gallery is located some 10 minutes north of Coffs Harbour on the Pacific Highway, it is open 10am to 5pm and further details can be obtained on (02) 6656 1092
Lying to the north of Coffs Harbour, along the Pacific Highway, is the Coffs Harbour Zoo. A feature of the zoo is its daily koala shows with its local residents as the stars. The zoo also features regular presentations of a range of Australian wildlife including Flying Foxes, Tasmanian Devils, Echidnas and Wombats. Contact number (02) 6656 1330
Just a few minutes to the south is the Butterfly House, a paradise for the photographer, the artist, the nature lover a nd the tourist. While there, take the challenge of the maze.
Right in the heart of the city is the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden. This is a 19 hectare site within easy walking distance of the city centre. Entry to the garden is free and visitors can take a leisurely walk through the garden and enjoy its wonderful variety of native and exotic plant life. One of the features of the garden is its mangrove community that is rich with wildlife and has an unusual display of the unusual root systems found in mangrove areas. There is also a feature of rare and endangered species within the garden. There is wheelchair access, and a picnic area. The garden is opene from 9am to 5pm each day.
A visit to the Big Banana on the northern outskirts of the city (on the Pacific Highway) will provide the visitor with an excellent look at the banana industry and is a popular stopover for students. There is a great lookout at the Big Banana which offers the visitor 360o view of the area (see photographs in the Photo Gallery taken from this lookout).
The Solitary Islands Marine Reserve is the southern most tip of the Great Barrier Reef. A meeting of warm tropical currents from the north and the cooler temperate currents from the south result in the widest diversity of marine species in Australia and this is the southern most area where hard corals exist. The Reserve consists of Muttonbird Island, South Solitary, Split Solitary, West Solitary (Grouper Island), North West Rocks and North Solitary. The reserve extends from Muttonbird Island in Coffs Harbour to the Sandon River north of Wooli.
A popular pastime is watching the humpback whales make their migration north during May and June and there southward return in October and November. The headlands make ideal vantage points to watch the whales as well as the local birdlife including sea eagles, brahminy kites and ospreys. Charter boats are also available to take a closer look at these magnificent sea creatures.
If you know of a local tourist site that is located in this community but is not listed here, please Email us (using the button at the bottom of this page) and let us know the details, including the community to which you are referring.
