10 Best Things To Do In Coffs Harbour, NSW

Coffs Harbour is a coastal city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales and a popular tourist destination for both Australians and international visitors traveling between Sydney and Brisbane. However, Coffs Harbour isn’t just a destination on its own—it also serves as a great base for exploring the wider region, known as the Coffs Coast.

But this article won’t focus on the typical image of Coffs Harbour—the one with amusement parks and luxurious oceanfront holiday parks. That’s not the side of the town I was curious about. Honestly, I didn’t expect to love Coffs Harbour much, as it seemed like the busy family entertainment hub of New South Wales. I was wrong. So, let me share the fabulous natural attractions that made me fall in love with it.

kangaroos are certainly involved in falling for the Coffs Coast 🙂

Best things to do in Coffs Harbour

Let’s forget about the Big Banana, because it’s quite underwhelming, though the hinterland hills in the area are covered by forests, banana and blueberry plantations, and macadamia nut farms. But the large walk-through banana and the amusement park didn’t manage to catch my attention. Not when I can visit places like Muttonbird Island or the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden.

Walk over to Muttonbird Island

Muttonbird Island is my absolute favorite spot in Coffs Harbour! Surrounded by the sparkling ocean in shades of blue, it offers stunning views of the Coffs Coast, the Solitary Islands, and the hinterland.

The island is a nature reserve and cars are not allowed, so your only way to get there is by walking. The walk begins at the Coffs Harbour Marina, and first, you stroll along the break wall on a flat, paved pathway. Then from the foot of Muttonbird Island, the path becomes steep, though it’s sealed all the way.

At the top, there’s a lookout offering breathtaking views of the marina, the Coffs Coast, and the hinterland. You can then continue to the eastern lookout, which provides distant views of the Solitary Islands. Between May and November, it’s also a fantastic spot for whale watching.

As you walk along the track, you’ll spot open burrows on either side of the path. Muttonbird Island is a vital roosting and breeding site for the Wedge-tailed Shearwater. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of these birds. However, their burrows are very delicate, so please stick to the track.

Swim at Jetty Beach

view of Jetty Beach from the jetty

Jetty Beach is the best if you’d like to swim in the ocean. It’s one of the most sheltered beaches in Coffs Harbour, protected from large swells by the marina’s breakwall. While it’s not one of those secluded beaches I’m so fond of, it has all the amenities (toilets, changing rooms, showers, drinking water, and picnic shelters) that made our beach day easy and enjoyable. Jetty Beach is also patrolled every day during the summer holidays.

I do appreciate its calm bay, perfect for a leisurely swim—no waves splashing in your face here (most of the time). The water also deepens gradually, making it ideal for families with young kids. And those who are after some adrenaline rush can jump off the jetty.

Taking a walk on this historical timber jetty is quite delightful, and the Jetty Foreshores Park behind the beach offers plenty of picnic shelters, paths for rollerblading and biking, and a playground.

Drift yourself downstream at Coffs Harbour Beach

Coffs Harbour Beach is located on Coffs Creek, not directly on the ocean, but its proximity to the river mouth and the stunning turquoise hues of the water make it rival any nearby ocean beach. Right behind the beach, Coffs Creek Park has plenty of shaded picnic tables, BBQs, and a small playground, making it a perfect spot to spend a morning or afternoon. We had breakfast in the park and then enjoyed various outdoor activities until a downpour caught us.

At low tide, Coffs Creek becomes very shallow at Coffs Harbour Beach, revealing several large sand islands in the middle of the river that you can easily walk across. As you can imagine, it’s a fun water playground for families (and dogs)! However, the current can be quite strong, so be sure to keep young children within arm’s reach.

Confident swimmers might enjoy drifting downstream with the current, then climbing out using the ladders or stairs along the promenade for easy water access. Speaking of the promenade…

Walk along Coffs Creek

The Coffs Creek Walk is another highlight of Coffs Harbour. This creekside walkway is a shared path for both bikers and walkers. It links the city center of Coffs Harbour with the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden, Dolphin Marine Conservation Park, Coffs Harbour Beach and Park Beach.

Overall, Coffs Creek Walk is about 8.6 km, but you can choose a shorter section. In this case my recommendation is to walk from Coffs Harbour Beach to the scenic Mangrove Boardwalk, or do the ~3 km walk from Coffs Creek Park to the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden.

Visit the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden

After so many delightful walks in the Royal Botanic Garden of Sydney in every season, I wasn’t sure if the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden would impress. But we were curious about the Swamp Forest boardwalk, and it’s free to visit, anyway, so why not give it a chance?

We ended up spending a few hours there, exploring most of the discovery walks amongst the natural forests and planted gardens. There are Australian plants from different regions, plants from Japan, China, South and North America, rainforest and swamp forest walks, sensory garden, a tropical glasshouse, ponds and lakes. Overall, we loved this botanical garden very much!

The mangrove boardwalk was closed when we visited, but luckily, we could enjoy the one along the Coffs Creek Walk. It still has over 5 km of pram-friendly path, and it’s open every day 9am to 5pm.

Have a picnic in Emerald Beach Park

Emerald Beach is a peaceful and picturesque spot just 20 km north of Coffs Harbour. It’s backed by a spacious lawn with shady trees, picnic tables, and BBQs. There’s a large playground, and you can cook lunch while the kids are playing on the beach.

Emerald Beach is usually patrolled during Christmas holidays. While it’s somewhat protected, certain sections are also great for surfing.

Keep an eye out for glossy black cockatoos in the trees, and take a walk to the Look At Me Now headland to meet the local kangaroos.

Meet the kangaroos on the Look At Me Now headland

The intriguingly named Look At Me Now headland in Moonee Beach Reserve is a must-visit for anyone seeking a classic Australian scene—kangaroos grazing on the grass against a stunning coastal backdrop. To make the most of this walk, visit around sunset, when the resident Eastern Grey kangaroos are most active.

Although it’s only a 1.3 km loop, we spent well over an hour here—because who could ever get bored of kangaroos? Earlier in the day, we had a picnic at Emerald Beach Park and then walked the scenic Dammerels History Walk, which connects Emerald Beach to the Look At Me Now headland. In addition to the kangaroos, the headland offers breathtaking views of Moonee Beach and Shelley Beach, as well as access to the sheltered, sandy cove of Shelley Beach.

Pick an outdoor activity at Diggers Beach

Diggers Beach is nestled between Macauleys Head and Diggers Head, along the Solitary Islands Coastal Walk. This spacious bay offers some protection, making it great for swimming, boogie boarding, and surfing. However, lifeguards only patrol the beach during the Christmas, Easter, and September school holidays.

What I enjoyed even more than swimming, though, were the two headlands. The walk from Diggers Beach to Diggers Head and then to Charlesworth Bay is a scenic ~2 km section of the Solitary Islands Coastal Walk. It features a boardwalk through littoral rainforest and stunning views of both Diggers Beach and Charlesworth Bay from the headland. BBQs, picnic tables, beach showers, and toilets are available at both ends of the walk, and there’s a playground just behind Diggers Beach.

South of Diggers Beach, you can take the stairs to the Macauleys Headland Walk. If I thought Diggers Head was beautiful, Macauleys Headland was even more impressive. At the top of the stairs, I found myself standing at the edge of towering cliffs, looking down at the crashing waves below. The 2 km paved pathway winds along the high coastline, leading towards Park Beach.

Do (part of) the Solitary Islands Coastal Walk

I keep repeating myself, because the Muttonbird Island Reserve, the Look At Me Now Headland, the Diggers Beach to Charlesworth Bay track and the Macauleys Headland Walk are all part of the Solitary Islands Coastal Walk. This ~60 km track from Red Rock (in the north) to Sawtell (in the south) leads you along fabulous golden sand beaches, rocky headlands and littoral rainforests on the Coffs Coast.

Since there are countless different access points to the Solitary Islands Coastal Walk, it’s easy to choose a section you’d like to explore.

Explore the bushwalks in the Coffs Coast hinterland

Waterfalls, rainforests, lyrebirds—a wild world awaits adventurers in the hinterland.

If you’re looking for an easy and accessible walk, consider the one along Corindi River from Red Rock Headland. This walk follows a boardwalk beside the river, passing through mangroves, salt marshes, and paperbarks. There’s also a good chance to spot pelicans and turtles along the way.

The easy Gumgali Track begins along Sealy Lookout Drive and ends at Korora Lookout, offering a sweeping panorama of the coast and the Solitary Islands.

Bangalore Falls in Bindarri National Park is for hardcore adventurers! While the hike itself is relatively short and easy, getting there requires a 4WD, as you’ll need to navigate the scenic and winding Eastern Dorrigo Way or the rollercoaster-like Pine Road.

Other amazing things to do on the Coffs Coast

I think this post is already quite long, so I won’t dive into the highlights of Urunga, Bellingen, Bongil Bongil National Park, or Dorrigo National Park. However, I’ll soon publish another in-depth article featuring my favorite things to do on the Coffs Coast and in the hinterland.

How to get to Coffs Harbour?

As you drive along the Pacific Coast Highway from Sydney or Brisbane, Coffs Harbour and the Coffs Coast make excellent stops. However, you’ll regret keeping them brief, as this region has so much to offer. (Of course, this applies to many other places along the drive between Sydney and Brisbane—this is Australia, where nature is magical everywhere you go!)

You can even fly to Coffs Harbour. Regular passenger flights connect it with Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and they depart from Coffs Harbour Airport.

Best time to visit Coffs Harbour

Any time, seriously. The Coffs Coast is pleasant for outdoor activities year-round. Summers are best for swimming, and from fall to spring it’s ideal to do some hiking. Though the coast is often breezy in summer, as well, and we enjoyed several short coastal walks in December.

If you’re planning longer bushwalks in the hinterland, I recommend avoiding the hot summer days. Then again, you might choose to do a sweaty hike and then cool off with a refreshing shower under a waterfall.

Best place to stay in Coffs Harbour

My impression was that Coffs Harbour is an expensive destination. You’ll certainly find plenty of nice beachfront apartments and holiday parks, but they come with a matching price tag. Accommodation farther from the beach isn’t necessarily much cheaper, so you might as well opt for an excellent location.

Beachpark Apartments Coffs Harbour has a 4-star rating and excellent guest reviews. It offers apartments in various sizes, directly opposite Park Beach. There’s an outdoor swimming pool on-site, and several cafés and restaurants are just 200 meters away. Guests appreciate the extremely clean, spacious rooms.

BIG4 Park Beach Holiday Park is a beachfront holiday park with various villas and studios. Each villa is air-conditioned, has a balcony, a fully equipped kitchen and private bathroom. All guests can access the shared areas: a communal kitchen with BBQ facilities, an outdoor dining area, a games room, a watersplash playground, pool and jumping pillow.

Ocean Park Motel & Holiday Apartments offers self-contained apartments right behind Park Beach. Each apartment comes with a kitchenette, a fridge, and kitchenware, and guests have access to an outdoor pool. The studios are the most affordable option, suitable for up to two people.