Off the Beaten Path in Coffs Harbour

by unravelau
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Short walk to the beach

You can share the beach that guests of Novotel Pacific Bay, Coffs Harbour utilise. There's a quite little bar-b-q area or just to even sit on the grass is very pleasant here. You will have driven past the marine centre and come to a dead end. Park your car and walk down the little track to have a quiet swim or a sunbake........just beautiful.

Website: http://www.pacificbayresort.com.au/

Other Contact: Same entrance road, right branch


	Nambucca Heads	Tip Rating:

on July 27, 2003

Overlooking the caravan park
and Nambucca River

International travellers don't come here in any great numbers but Aussies certainly do. This is a fisherman's paradise among other things and has a golf course on an island, in fact, in takes up most of the island. It's very much like holidays used to be in the 60's and 70's which is why a lot of people like it. There is an excellent caravan park right at the river mouth and plenty of other accommodation. The beaches are pretty ordinary for surfing but pleasant enough for sunbaking.


	Time and tide.................	Tip Rating:

By unravelau

on March 7, 2003

by unravelau
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Time and Tide reckoner.

If you don't know what the time is or when the next tide will be high, all you need to do is go to the Jetty foreshores, and walk along until you come to this handy little gadget. Once you have figured it all out then you can make your decision to swim, fish, eat or have an afternoon siesta on the grass. You can enlarge the picture by clicking on it.


	Mullaway	Tip Rating:

on September 6, 2004

Another fine beach

North of Coffs Harbour are a number of fine beaches. Names like Sapphire, Emerald, Sandy and Arrawarra spring readily to mind. Another one is Mullaway, located just north of a booming little village called Woolgoolga, itself idyllically located beside the ocean. Mullaway has half a dozen streets, a caravan park, general store and a couple of B&Bs. It's an area with a future rooted in tourism as most of the land around is designated National Park. This shot is looking south towards Woolgoolga from the end of Headland Road.


	World Heritage	Tip Rating:

on June 7, 2004

Crystal Falls

About an hour away from Coffs, on a twisty narrow sealed road for the last half, there is a small town called Dorrigo that once existed on woodfelling and agriculture. It is fair to suggest that the largest employer these days would be tourism and I, for one, am grateful for that. To see any more of this lovely area despoiled would be a travesty. There is a National Parks and Wildlife centre where you can get all the information you want on the walks that mostly eminate from the centre. There is also a treetop walk that I personally think is overrated but you may think differently. Dorrigo can get cold in winter and it may rain with very little notice as the weather can come in from the nearby ocean, hit the mountain barrier and dump before you know it. Still, I love the place and it's especially pretty in autumn and winter. Definitely a wonderful day trip out of Coffs.


	If you live on a flood plain, what do you expect?	Tip Rating:

on October 29, 2004

Muddying the waters

I had a bit of a problem here. Wasn't sure whether to list this under Ocean/Beach or what. This is what happens when there's over 200mm of rain in 24 hours. Bellinger River floods. Often. Golf courses, parks, paddocks, some houses and always a road with bridge or two. This time they lost all roads in and out of the town for two days. Miraculously, despite enough wood piled into it to build 50 houses, the bridge linking the town to North Bellingen survived. The road to Dorrigo didn't. A bad washout occured halfway up the mountain side and the road will be under repair for months. This shot is taken about 5 kms in where I had to stop because the road was nearly two metres under water immediately ahead of me. This is a paddock (normally) at the side of the road.


	South West Rocks	Tip Rating:

on August 27, 2004

Australia's highest (128
metres)

This is a bit tricky. I was going to start a South West Rocks page but, sadly, it's another one that VT has missed out on. Still, when you've got a million towns to work with, there has to be a few mistakes. South West Rocks is a comfortable day trip from Coffs however and a worthwhile one at that. There's surprisingly a bit of history attached to it with an old gaol, an interesting shipwreck (actually a Sydney Harbour ferry wreck) and Australia's highest lighthouse, Smoky Cape. The lighthouse has a bonus inasmuch as when lighthouse keepers became redundant the houses were converted and you can now stay there. The area is great for fishing and good for surfing. The large bay has gentle waves so it's really good for children. There's a nice infrastructure of shopping, hotels and clubs and lots of choice when it comes to accommodation.

Phone: 02 6566 6301 (lighthouse)


	Bellingen	Tip Rating:

on July 23, 2004

Truly beautiful Bellinger
River

Any prolonged stay at Coffs will almost certainly lead you to spending a day at Bellingen. An activity I would certainly recommend. It has an interesting diversity with the "alternate society" featuring along with media personalities and performing artists. All this set in an attractive little village with the accent on pleasing the tourist. Very much and arty/crafty type place set beside the truly beautiful Bellinger River. Tea houses and craft shops abound in this sub tropical rainforest area and the main street has preservation orders on most buildings so it has a very much early to mid 20th century feel about it. Don't be frightened to cross the river and drive around "The Promised Land" as well. Simply gorgeous scenery will assault your eyes.


	Ellenborough Falls - Located on the Bulga Plateau.	Tip Rating:

By Jerelis

on July 5, 2006

by Jerelis
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Jeroen, Relinde and
Albert-Jan at the
entrance.

Ellenborough Falls is located on the Bulga Plateau. The Bulga Plateau is a protected landscape and has regional scenic significance. The landscape mainly consists of a steep dissected sedimentary escarpment interspersed with numerous volcanic plugs and associated trachyte flows. The upper escarpment is fringed by a fertile basalt plateau, while lower down plunging ridgelines and low rounded hills dissipate into a subdues landscape of alluvial terraces. To get to Ellenborough Falls you have to drive through this fascinating landscape.


	Hosting The Duyfken.	Tip Rating:

Updated By unravelau

on October 12, 2006

by unravelau, 2 more photos
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The Duyfken

Coffs Harbour is always happy to welcome visitors from elsewhere and while all are treated with great respect and open arms, The Duyfken, in port for a few days was given a right royal welcome last week. (Oct 2006). You might wonder why a replica of an old seafaring ship deserved such a fuss, but when you read the story it will all become clear. The link below will take you to the official replica building site and the link on my Coffs Harbour introduction page will fill in some more of the history.