Coffs Harbour is halfway between Sydney and Brisbane and is on Australia's east coast line in subtropical climate surrounded by subtropical forests of the New England part of the Great Dividing Range and banana plantations
climate is subtropical with warm to very warm wet summers and cool to mild dry winters:
rainfall July-Oct is only 60-100mm /mth but from Nov-May averages over 140mm/mth with highest in March averaging 235mm/mth with 11 rainy days/mth compared with only 4.5 days/mth in July-Sept when skies are clearer and drier due to anticyclonic patterns generally to the north
mean max. temperatures are around 19degC in winter and around 27degC in summer which is much more humid and subject to influences from tropical cyclones to the north and on-shore winds due to anticyclones to the south
temperatures can hit over 36deg C between Nov-May!
said to have the most liveable climate in Australia
regular flights from Sydney but only once a week from Melbourne (Sundays)
most seem to be a bit old, over-priced and in need of maintenance and updating with reviewers often commenting on poor cleanliness, lack of ambience, poor hot supply
consider cottages on stayz.com such as those around nearby Bellingen if being close to the beach is not important
Local attractions
Mutton Bird Island Nature Reserve
whale watching May-Oct
Coffs Coast Regional Park
thin coastal park stretching north from Coffs Harbour
Sherwood Forest drive (50km one-way) takes you from subtropical rainforest, through old-growth forest ecosystems and over the elevated sandstone plateau
Waihou lookout - great views over Orara Valley
Woolgoolga Creek picnic next to towering flooded gums and fringed with blue quandongs
Woolgoolga Creek Falls walk - easy 3.5km return but several creek crossings may wet your feet
Ulidarra National Park
10km north-west of Coffs Harbour which is around 15min drive then further drive into the park
Sealy lookout
Orara East State Forest
Bruxner Park Flora Reserve picnic areas, short rainforest walk
End Peak walking track - challenging 1.7km 2hr one-way walk up to the peak for panoramic views
Bangalore Falls - 500m walk then optionally walk 1.6km to Bindarray picnic area on the Urumbilum River with river pools to enjoy a swim in the crystal clear waters
Freshwater track - 45min 2km one way medium - leads you to a beautiful and remote beach
Angophora grove walking track - 45min 0.6km one way easy stroll from Illaroo picnic area through bushland adorned with gracious old angophoras
Angourie to Brooms Head - 6.5hrs, 18km one way coastal walk - variety of coastal ecosystems – over Mara Creek where it flows out at Back Beach and to the shores of beautiful Lake Arragan, and past caves on the southern side of Shelley headland.
Angourie walking track - 2hrs 5km one way medium - a moderately challenging route linking Mara Creek picnic area in the north with Shelley Headland in the south
Corkwood and Scribbly Gum walking track - 30min, 1.25km, loop - short, easy hike that follows Station Creek Estuary upstream through coastal and scribbly gum forest
141km north of Coffs Harbour which is 1hr 40min drive just bypassing Grafton
63km north-east of Grafton which is 47min drive to the south end near Yamba
Ballina
costal resort town
210km north of Coffs Harbour which is 2.5hr drive via west part of Bundjalung National Park
Byron Bay
coastal resort town popular with surfies, retirees, naturists
238km north of Coffs Harbour which is 2hr 48min drive via west part of Bundjalung National Park
Tweed Heads
costal resort town on the Qld border just south of the Gold Coast
294km north of Coffs Harbour which is 3hr 21min drive via west part of Bundjalung National Park, or a l ittle longer (3hr 49min) if you take the more inland route of the Pacific Highway
a lovely coastal town on the estaury of the hastings and Maria Rivers popular with retirees
159km south of Coffs Harbour which is just over 2hrs drive
Limeburners Creek Nature Reserve
coastal park just north of Port Macquarie
Lake Innes Nature Reserve
coastal park further south of Port Macquarie
Queens lake Nature Reserve
park just south of Port Macquarie
Dooragan National Park
small mountainous park just south of Port Macquarie and just west of the coastal village of Camden Head
Yoorigan National Park
small mountainous park just south of Port Macquarie and further west of the coastal village of Camden Head
Willi Willi National Park
mountain park
200km south of Coffs Harbour which is 4hr drive, turning inland from the coast just before one reaches Port Macquarie
80-107km from Port Macquarie and 2hr 20m to 2hr 45m drive depending on the route, although the longer southern route via Wauchope gives access to Biriwal Bulga NP, Bulga State Forest, Tapin Tops NP, Werrikinbe NP and Mummel Gulf NP further west.
Taree
inland city on the Manning River just 35km (30min) north of Forster
Crowdy Bay National Park
coastal park 63km (1hr) south of Port Macquarie and 37km (41min) north-east of Taree
a lovely coastal town on estuary of Wallamba and Coolongorook Rivers and just north of Wallis Lake and Wallis Island
annual Triathlon competition
255km south of Coffs Harbour which is just over 3hrs drive
Booti Booti National Park
coastal park adjacent Wallis Lake
Wallingat National Park
park west of Wallis Lake
Barrington Tops National Park
337km south of Coffs Harbour which is almost a 5hrs drive via coastal route or 427km and almost 6hrs drive via inland route through Armidale and Walcha
62km west of Coffs Harbour across the ranges which is a slow 1.5hr drive
lies north of Dorrigo and south of Nymboi-Binderay NP
Box Ridge walking track - easy 1hr 1.2km return rainforest walk with huge, ancient brush box trees, pretty coachwoods and, during summer, the spectacular red flowers of the Dorrigo waratahs
Mobong walking track - 1hr 5km loop, initially along a historic tramway then along the creek to waterfalls and serene pools, then return and the final 800m of the walk, you’ll travel through Wild Cattle Creek State Forest
short walks such as Red Cedar Track, Coachwood Track, Tramline Track
Chaelundi National Park
134-156km north-west of Coffs Harbour across the ranges which is a 2.5hr-3hr drive depending on which of the 3 routes one takes coastal via Grafton to the north, valley via Grafton, or via Dorrigo to the south
Dorrigo National Park
54km south-west of Coffs Harbour which is just under 1hrs drive along the coast then up a valley
contains several tracks allowing hikers to view the park's waterfalls and vistas to the coastal plain. A notable feature of the park is the Skywalk, an elevated walkway through and above the treetops, providing birdwatchers with an excellent view of local bird life.
Crystal Shower Falls walk - 1.5hrs 3km return (or continue onto the Wonga walk), enjoy spectacular views from the rocky cavern behind the waterfall via a suspension bridge
Wonga walk - 2.5hrs, 6.2km loop, medium grade (some steeper sections, some steps and boulders) - cascading Crystal Shower Falls, Triastania Falls, 300-year-old trees, strangler figs, colourful fungi and interesting bird calls, shaded all the way
Cascades walk 3hrs 5.7km loop hard - An enormous variety of invertebrate animals live in the park and may be encountered on this walk - the most famous of which is the living fossil velvet worm, or ‘peripatus’
Eagles Nest walking track - 2hr 2.2km loop, hard grade - Gondwana rainforest with huge mossy Antarctic beech trees covered in fungus and dotted with beech orchids, snow gum forest and outstanding views. In spring, you’ll be treated to the beauty of snow gum woodland carpeted with snowgrass tussocks and colourful wildflowers
a place of peppermint gums, stringybark and swampland broken by peaks of granite boulders teetering skyward against fierce winter winds that spear ice across the high country
there are few marked walking tracks in the park and off-track walking is difficult and you need gaiters for protection
best in winter although nights will be noisy with the dingo mating season