Located in the Mid North Coast of New South Wales about 540 kilometres from Sydney and 390 kilometres south of Brisbane, Coffs Harbour is one of the largest cities in the region. With beaches, dolphins, water sports and family friendly activities, Coffs Harbour offers much while still managing to retain a somewhat local feel.
Check out beautiful Coffs Harbour rentals here.
Top things to do in Coffs Harbour
1. Solitary Island Marine Park
The third largest protected marine area in NSW, this park covers an area of 71,000 hectares (75 kilometres of coast). The marine park has about 40 accessible sandy beaches and turtles have been known to nest on some of them. Park Beach in Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga are particularly popular for swimming and surfing. There’s also dolphin and whale watching, snorkelling, scuba diving and recreational fishing.
2. Mutton Bird Island
Great for an afternoon walk, the island is a nature reserve that’s home to thousands of wedge-tailed shearwaters. The island also boasts views of the Solitary Islands (Eastern-side lookout) and back onto Coffs Harbour itself. You can often spot pods of dolphins, the occasional turtle and, in season, whales passing by. There’s even a muttonbirds by moonlight tour if you want to try something especially unique.
3. Jetty
Take a walk on the Jetty and take in the gorgeous surrounds including Jetty Beach, a favourite with locals and families. There are restaurants, markets on Sundays and snorkelling all right here.
4. The Big Banana
So although the Big Banana may seem a bit on the touristy side, with all of the attractions on offer, it’s now a regular for locals looking for a bit of family fun. Set amongst the bananas (hence the name) the park now hosts a six-lane giant slide, ice skating, laser tag, a water park, toboggan rides, mini golf, a theatre and plantation tour, a cheesemaking workshop, candy kitchen and opal centre.
The best part is that entry to the park is free so you can take a good look around before deciding on the attraction or entrainment you want to try on the day.
5. Moonee Beach
Although not patrolled this is a popular beach for fishing. Its also popular for locals, especially those with smaller children. There are many shallow water areas for younger children and plenty of trees to provide shade. The reserve also offers a playground, picnic shelters, barbeques, showers toilets and even a takeaway shop.
Quick stats
- Postcode– 2450
- Vacancy rate– 0.8 per cent
- Median house value– $479, 159
- Median unit value– $337, 867
- Price growth – House prices in Coffs Harbour have grown by 17 per cent in the past three years while unit prices have grown by 20.71 per cent in the same period
- Rental returns– The average house in Coffs Harbour has a weekly median rent of $438 and average rental returns of 5.02 per cent, while units have a median weekly rent of $330 and average returns of 5.51 per cent
- Average listing duration– 70 days for houses; the same for units
- Average weekly income– $832
- Crime rate in Coffs Harbour
- Dwelling type – Out of the real estate in Coffs Harbour, the majority of properties are houses (57 per cent).
- Occupation– The majority of residents are professionals
- Ownership– The majority of properties are rented (41 per cent) while 32 per cent are fully owned
- Birthplace– 81 per cent of Coffs Harbour residents are Australian
- Age – The majority of residents are 0-19 years (24 per cent), closely followed by those in the 50-64 years and the 65 years plus age groups.
Places to eat in Coffs Harbour
There’s a good selection of cuisines in Coffs Harbour including Thai, pizza, sushi, Indian, modern Australian, Chinese and Italian. There’s also a mix of independently run cafes and restaurants to bigger chains such as Subway and Dominoes.
A local favourite is Element Bar, which offers modern Australian cuisine with craft beer, cocktails, an extensive wine list and live music.
Whether you’re passing through or a local yourself, one place you need to try is the Edelweiss Bavarian Restaurant, where you can escape to Bavaria in the middle of Coffs Harbour. It offers a traditional German menu with classics like wiener schnitzel and currywurst, German beer and cute Bavarian décor. It even has a giant windmill on the roof, so you can’t miss it.
Transport in Coffs Harbour
Part of the North Coast line, a train serves this area stopping at Coffs Harbour Station. There are also regular bus services as well as the Coffs Harbour Airport.
Hospitals and healthcare in Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour Health Campus is a 292-bed hospital offering a range of services including general medicine, surgery, intensive care, obstetrics, palliative care, rehabilitation and outpatient services.
In addition, there are several medical centres in the area including Coffs Medical Centre.
Within Coffs Harbour there are services for dental, physio, optical, chiro, radiology, natural medicine and psychology.
Education and childcare in Coffs Harbour
There are a number of schools in this suburb including St Augustine’s Primary School, Coffs Harbour Primary and High Schools, Narranga Public School, Coffs Harbour Christian Community Public School and Coffs Harbour Community Pre-School. There is also the Southern Cross University Coffs Harbour campus and Coffs Harbour TAFE. There are also plenty of childcare options for younger kids.
Shopping in Coffs Harbour
There are a number of shops scattered around the CBD of Coffs Harbour, from book stores to banks and bottle shops. For a one stop destination, head to Coffs Central Shopping Centre which has bakeries, an Australia Post store, beauty services, retailers, banks, a pharmacy, travel agent, grocery store, cafes, gaming stores and homewares stores.
There is also a Woolworths nearby for your groceries.
Sports and recreation in Coffs Harbour
If you’re looking for what to do in Coffs Harbour, you can’t really go wrong with spending time in the outdoors.
For some fresh air, check out some of the parks and gardens in the area including the picturesque North Coast Regional Botanic Garden.
There are plenty of other options for keeping active in Coffs Harbour including golf, swimming, pilates, yoga, gyms and health clubs, F45, beach volleyball, self-defence and martial arts.
Entertainment in Coffs Harbour
Catch a movie at BCC Cinemas or catch up with friends at one of the bars in the area, including The Plantation Hotel, the laidback Greenhouse Tavern, The Pier Hotel of the Coffs Hotel.
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