Coffs Harbour coastal getaway

Coffs Harbour developed from a timber-producing town and banana growing region to be a cosy holiday destination.

Unspoilt coastal beaches around Coffs Harbour.

The coastal city is no unsung hero though; it has grown exponentially to engulf seachangers, treechangers, educational visionaries, students, business entrepreneurs, cultural innovators, holidaymakers and intergenerational families that just won’t leave town. With a magnificent backdrop of rugged mountains and natural beauty, the spreading city is edged by a string of pristine beaches and punctuated by lagoons and inlets. After a couple of days there, it’s hard to leave the fishing, diving, cycling and dining behind. To get the best and more of what’s on offer head for the hills and see what all the fuss is about.

This is only a limited view on the best foods, in fact we didn’t get to try all the eating places but here’s our experience:

Ruby’s Cafe & Books in Dorrigo is a cosy, retro oasis out of the cool wind driving itself through the streets of town. Cute as yesterday with food as good as any today, we sampled homemade soup and sipped some fine coffee.

Coffs Harbour Yacht Club has a wide outdoor eating area and a solid menu anchored in local seafood, fresh produce and an imaginative line-up of dishes. A casual dinner becomes an event here.

An Indian Affair (Orlando Street, Coffs Harbour) is sultry, spicy and fulfilling – and that’s just the food from the restaurant! Top Indian nosh with a good selection of fragrant dishes. Some like it hot . . .

Lake Russell Gallery was to be visited for a look at the art and, indeed, the display of art in various media is fantastic, but there’s more. The cakes from the cafe are divine, and the slices big! This is a lovely spot by a lake in a pretty garden. A hidden gem that shouldn’t be missed. Visit: www.lakerussellgallery.com.au and look at the luxury cottages you can stay in.

The Coffs Coast region has more than enough fabulous accommodation to suit all budgets, whims and ‘styles of stay’.

Caravan holiday parks in the area have taken the humble ‘camping ground’ to new levels of excellence, where comfort rules! Get Up & Go road-tested a variety of accommodation:

Urunga Heads Holiday Park is 10 minutes away from Coffs in the tiny, tranquil village of Urunga. The park is on the banks of the merging Kalang and Bellinger Rivers. The park is dog friendly, has lots of room to park the van or set the tent, and there are plenty of well-appointed cabins plus new two-bedroom, self-contained deluxe numbers. A highlight here is the fabulous 660m-long boardwalk (above) for a stroll out over the lagoon. Visit: www.urungaheads.com.au

Observatory Apartments have ocean views and are close to the action in town, the cafe strip and the harbour precinct. Lovely rooms, facilities for the disabled and good sized saltwater swimming pool. When you book, ask for a ground floor or first floor unit as it’s a bit of a hike up to the third floor if you’re not fit. Visit: www.theobservatory.com.au

Darlington Beach Resort is the epitome of the 21st century holiday park. One of the NRMA Holiday Parks, it’s set on a pristine beachfront just north of Coffs Harbour. Ensuite, powered and unpowered sites, and modern two-and three-bedroom villas and cabins are on offer. There’s a nine-hole golf course, resort pool with spa, waterslides and natural bushland at the door. Visit: www.darlingtonbeach.com.au

Sawtell Beach Caravan Park is close to the beach and the village of Sawtell. Plenty of powered and unpowered sites plus ocean view villas. This caravan park feels like a giant playground, with its magnificent spread of native trees dotted throughout the area. Visit: www.coffsholidays.com.au

The Big Banana — comfortable in its skin.

Drive the glorious scenic route along the Waterfall Way, the link between the Coffs Coast and the New England Highway ­– to Dorrigo to visit the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre. Take a walk on the wild side on the Wonga Walk (6.6km from the Rainforest Centre – and there are a few other walks too), or for the not so fit, stroll out on the Skywalk for a panorama eyeful of the ranges in front of you, the valley below and the passing traffic of a multitude of birds. The Skywalk is wheelchair accessible.
Visit: www.environment.nsw.gov.au

On the magnificent Dorrigo Plateau, head to the sleepy (well, it was a Friday) town of Dorrigo, 770m above sea level and sweet of air. The Dorrigo River runs through town and, after the deluge that hit the region earlier this year has a healthy volume of water running through it. There are lots of places to poke around in Australian country towns and, often behind an ordinary facade, treasures can be found inside shops and age-old emporiums. We loved the Dorrigo Sweet Shop where we talked to Sonia Buck, who upped stakes and left the city and a corporate career behind to bag-up and sell lollies. Our kind of gal!
Visit: www.dorrigosweetshop.com.au

Take a walk down the road to look at the classic Heritage Hotel-Motel Dorrigo (it is heritage listed and still owned by the Feros family who originally built it in 1925). The street was devoid of any traffic until in rumbled an old ute with a cattle dog in the back; it swerved round the war memorial (below), shot off past the hotel and was gone – under a clear blue sky, a perfect country town moment.
Visit: www.hotelmoteldorrigo.com.au

Another place worth a look in town is Dorrigo Antiques, a cavern of a building that was previously a Victorian emporium. Beware entering, you may not come out again! There’s so much stuff to look at and surprisingly, for so many objects, they are actually interesting. Bric-a-brac, tools, retro kitchenware and not an old shoe or musty hat in sight!

Have a slow walk though the Butterfly House at Bonnville and let the gentle creatures alight on your arms, hands or head. But tread carefully: that spot of colour on the ground could be a butterfly.
Visit: www.butterflyhouse.com.au

About 16km north of Coffs near Emerald Beach is the elegant Lake Russell Gallery and Luxury Retreat, set on a small lake filled with lilies. Shaded by beautiful paperbark trees, this gallery has stunning, traditional and cutting edge artwork from ceramics, to paintings, prints and glass and wood forms. The cafe serves cakes that are also works of art.

Walk off some of the Coffs Coast indulgences by heading for Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve accessed from Coffs Harbour Marina. There’s a paved walkway and you can slowly walk the incline or sprint if so inclined. From the top you get a clear view of the Solitary Islands and, if you’re lucky, you’ll see a passing pod of whales that use this corridor for their annual migration. Once you’ve looked in muttonbird holes, recover from the climb, begin your descent and go directly to the gelato bar on the marina ­– for a gelato, of course!

Visitor information centres: Bellingen Shire, Pacific Highway, Urunga; Coffs Coast, Pacific Highway (south end of CBD); Sawtell Info centre, RSL Club, First Ave; Waterfall Way, 29–31 Hyde St, Bellingen.

Visit: www.coffscoast.com.au

Bev Malzard was a guest of Coffs Coast Tourism.