Sign in with Facebook- Join for free
- Sign In
Sign in with FacebookLatest Coffs Harbour hotel reviews
Once you've had a look from the lookout, it pays to head further into the forest by returning to the main road and turning left. This will take you to the Vincent Tree, named after a Minister for Forests in the first half of the 20th century.
The tree is an impressive Eucalyptus Grandisi (Flooded Gum), last measured at 215 ft high and 23ft in girth.
However, across the road and also a little further up there are two fig trees whose vines make an impressive display as you can clearly see in the pictures.
Written Nov 26, 2012
Adjacent to the Botanic Gardens is the Coffs Creek walk. It follows the tidal mangrove-lined creek and has boardwalk over the tricky bits.
Here you may learn to understand a little bit just how important these habitats are to the overall picture of life and how, without them, we basically would have little marine life.
Updated Sep 20, 2012
Park Beach is the most common beach people head to when visiting because it's just north of the harbour itself and, with accommodation adjacent, is popular with tourists.
These pictures were taken at the northern end where there's a carpark and a walk over the headland that takes you to Diggers Beach, more popular with surfers.
Written Sep 15, 2012
Sapphire is just one of many beaches north of Coffs that have lovely names but are only good for a beach walk because the surf is not user friendly due to the steep dropoffs.
Some of this is due to the offshore Solitary Islands that have a significant effect on the underlying structure of the beach.
I walked the whole beach on a balmy day with my partner Lorraine and we had a cuppa at the park at Sapphire, a great place for families as evidenced by the number of mums with young children there.
If you want to do the walk as we did, allow about 2 hours and remember the sand isn't easy; it's invariably soft and will give your legs a workout.
Updated Sep 8, 2012
This is a secluded bay not that far from Coffs at all. It can be accessed from Diggers Beach by a walk over the headland or from Kororo Bay where there's a carpark at one end.
It's not a place for surf and is generally protected from the swells unless there's a cylcone up north and the surf pushes down.
As a place to walk and relax it takes some beating as hopefully these pictures indicate.
Written Sep 5, 2012
Helpfulness
You can whale watch at the end of Mutton Bird Island but it's certainly not the best place on the coast to do that. You can also jump on the local whale watching boat (try finding a port on the N.S.W. coast now that doesn't have one) which is an option with a much greater degree of certainty than standing on the shore and certainly means you'll get a much closer view.
This particular shot was taken while I was fishing just north of Coffs Harbour. Apparently many come through here to scrape the barnacles off on the rocky sea bed that's here.
Updated Jan 16, 2012
No indeed, they can cost up to $16 per person when I visited the Butterfly House just south of Coffs but, they have set it out well. I should warn all potential visitors that very warm and humid are the conditions you will encounter inside because that's what butterflies like.
There's also a maze here, some lovely artifacts, particularly woodturning and light lunches and refreshments are available.
It's great also if you're into photography of insects because it's easy to get up close and personal inside the house.
It's open 9-4 except on Mondays when school is in.
Updated Jan 16, 2012
Address: 5 Strouds Road, Bonville
Helpfulness
It's only a little island but its popularity far outweighs its size.
Something to do with position. Something to do with being at the end of the marina.
On a day like this, when you can see forever, it's almost enchanting. The short walk takes you to the other side and is very popular with tourists but, birds nest here at certain times of the year and you may not be able to walk there on those occasions.
Updated Jan 16, 2012
Helpfulness
THE BIG BANANA
Still not 100% sure if this is a must see or tourist trap! But my kids liked it & we had some fun on the toboggan ride. In fact we had fun on it a couple of times.
If you want to know about the growing a harvesting of bananas then you can take a walking tour that shows you all the stages through to packaging.
The photo with this tip shows my girls near a really big Tallowood stump, not far away from the actual Big Banana itself. Goodness knows how old this tree must have been when it was cut down. What a shame!
There are other tours you can do & attractions to visit if you have the time. We wanted to do the Hillclimb train & railway ride to the top, but got there just a bit late after our toboggan rides. If only we'd done it the other way around.
There's an indoor snow slope, but I personally wouldn't waste my time or money on it as we've tried that before at Mt Thebarton in Adelaide & it was like trying to ski on ice, not snow.
If you have kids from little ones to big ones it's worth a visit, but it'll cost you depending on what activities/attractions you visit/participate in.
Updated Apr 4, 2011
Address: Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour
Things to see and do
•Bushwalking: The Rainforest Walk (1.6km/45min loop) and Creek Trail (20min one way) are two easy walking trails that join at Halfway Creek picnic area. The Rainforest Walk, with interpretive signs along the trail, starts at The Gap while the Creek Walk follows Bucca Bucca Creek to Swans Road. Pick up a map from the Coffs Coast Visitor Information Centre or Forests NSW.
•Picnic & barbecue: Pause for a picnic or barbecue at Sealy Lookout, Halfway Creek or Swans Road Crossing.
•Forest drive: Take a self-guided tour through the Flora Reserve along Bruxner Park Road. Pause to marvel at the Vincent Tree, a 65m high Flooded Gum close to the road and an example of the majestic vegetation found in the reserve.
•Lookout points: Admire the sweeping panoramas north and south along the coast and out to sea from lookout points at Sealy Lookout and Korora Lookout.
•Bird watching: The rainforest is a food source for bowerbirds, cuckoos, fruit bats and fruit pigeons, while boobook owls make their nests in the hollows of large eucalypts. Listen for the distinctive calls of other rainforest birds including the catbird and the whip bird.
Enquiries
For further information about Bruxner Park Flora Reserve and Sealy Lookout, contact Forests NSW on (02) 6652 0111 or visit the State Forest information page. Alternatively you can contact the Coffs Coast National Parks and Wildlife Service on (02) 6652 0900 or visit the National Park information page.
Written Nov 9, 2010
Sponsored Links
5 Reviews and 378 Opinions Spotlessly clean, spacious, very comfortable bed, good size bathroom, great pools, everything you...
1 Review and 57 Opinions A very normal motel, nicely furnitured and with a small swimming pool.
1 Review and 61 Opinions Comfortable and roomy, this place comes with all you'd expect in a normal Aussie motel and the staff...
Hansi came, saw and conquered.
I have never lunched at the cafe here and was pleasantly surprised at how nice it is. They only have a small menu but what they have is fresh and tasty. I had a BLT on turkish bread toasted and a...
The Pacific Highway is Australia's second busiest highway but, it is Australia's busiest tourist highway. Let's be honest here, tourists love to come and see beaches and Coffs is conveniently located...
Located halfway between Brisbane & Sydney, it has a sub-tropical climate, that makes it a desirable location for holidays as well as for living. Population in this area, is about 100,000.
Coffs Harbour On The Beautiful North Coast of NSW
Driving from Brisbane to Sydney we had a 2 day stopover in Coffs Harbour during the Spring of 2006. Coffs is 400km south of Brisbane and 545 km north of Sydney and enjoys a sub tropical climate....
Build your own Coffs Harbour page
Sponsored Links
Comments