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What’s the first image that comes to mind when you think of Coffs Harbour?
The BIG BANANA? Fertile green hills covered with banana plantations?
Or long, lazy beaches with you swimming, or relaxing on them? Once you've arrived, and checked off a selfie in front of THE BIG BANANA, what's next? You're about to discover there's a lot to EAT & EXPLORE locally... 1. We're so close but you'll feel a world away Coffs Harbour is a city of 72,000+ people, located on the Coffs Coast of NSW. Did you know we’re located 540km north of Sydney, 190km south of Byron Bay, and 390km south of Brisbane? You can fly direct to Coffs Harbour Airport from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Flights are 1hr 15mins from Sydney, or 1hr from Brisbane. Or you can take a self-drive road trip and enjoy the scenery, and explore the backroads. 2. Go Bananas or brunch on blueberries Those banana trees you see on the rolling hillsides around Coffs Harbour are Cavendish bananas named after William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire. You can buy Cavendish bananas at roadside stalls, or even petrol service stations around Coffs Harbour. Bananas are believed to be the world's first cultivated fruit. Chinese migrant communities introduced the first bananas to Australia in the 1800s. In 1891, Herman Reich started growing banana plantations in Coffs Harbour. Now you can buy bananas fresh, dried, coated in chocolate, or try Carobana's carob-coated bananas with no added sugar. Blueberries are another important local fruit crop, and Woolgoolga (just north of Coffs Harbour), is one of three main areas of blueberry farming in NSW, where 90% of blueberries are grown. You can buy local blueberries from the local growers' markets. Granny's Best make a local Blueberry Jam using up surplus fruit, or try a bottle of Blueberry Shrub for a cooling summer sip. 3. Coffee – we have the skills and take it as seriously as you do Coffs Harbour is home to three coffee roasters, so competition between bean roasters is fierce. Order your espresso or macchiato at a laneway café in the CBD at Salute Espresso or sip an iced latte overlooking the beach at Surf St Cafe at Emerald Beach, or combine coffee and breakfast overlooking Coffs Creek at Shearwater and watch sea birds sunning themselves on the river banks. From beachside coffee carts with friendly baristas, to coffee tastings with the crew at Artisti, there's a 'hill of beans' to choose from! 4. Beaches are yoga for the mind and we have so many... It’s hard to pick a personal favourite. Whether you want to catch a wave, swim, enjoy a picnic on the beach, or just catch your breath, you’ll find one white sandy beach after another. Yoga at sunrise on one of our beaches is an amazing way to start your day. Heading north from Scotts Head, you’ll find Nambucca, Valla Beach, Sawtell Beach, Park Beach, Diggers Beach, Sapphire Beach, Moonee Beach, Emerald Beach, Sandy Beach, Woolgoolga Beach, Corindi Beach Reserve, or Red Rock – you choose. 5. Great food, wine, and local produce The Coffs Coast offers a feast of fabulous produce, including seafood, local farm produce, local and international cheeses, local honey, native foods, and two wineries – Raleigh Winery and Two Tails Wines. Two favourite restaurants of mine are Latitude 30 harbourside at the Jetty, and Taste at Sawtell. Bite Food Tours run weekly Urban Food Tours around Coffs Harbour that highlight the stories, community, and best eats of Coffs. And on our upcoming full day BIG DAY OUT Food Tour you'll explore more of the surrounding areas and great produce. 6. Get outdoors – walk, hike, zip-line, surf, fish, swim, or kayak Get amongst the greenery at your pace - hike along the coast, or zip-line among the treetops of a rainforest. Kayak in salt water or along a river. Hire a kayak, or bring your own. Explore Coffs Harbour Botanic Garden's huge collection of rare and native plants. You can pack a picnic and set your rug near the water's edge of a Japanese garden, or follow a trail to bush tucker. If you hear a growling sound look up and try to find the resident koala. 7. Our climate is officially the best in Australia And as a local, I agree! If you think my view might be biased, Coffs Harbour has been assessed by Australia's peak scientific body, the CSIRO, as the most liveable climate in Australia. It offers a sub-tropical year round climate with temperatures ranging from 13 -25°C. 8. Wildlife and birds On the Coffs Coast you don't need to seek out Nature, it’s all around you. Butterflies, frogs, birdlife, wallabies, whales, dinosaurs (yes you read that right), and we even have a koala living in eucalypt trees in our CBD! Our local birdlife includes Eastern Rosellas, Australasian Figbirds, Black Cockatoos, Rainbow Lorikeets, Magpie Larks, Blue-faced honeyeaters, Ospreys, Sea Eagles, and Satin bowerbirds, and Ibis. And from June to September you might spot Humpback Whales on their migratory journey south to the Antarctic, either from a coastal vantage point, or you can take a whale watching boat tour. 9. Fireflies – oh my! Yes, fireflies are real! And on warm, humid nights you can see them flashing on and off like tiny fairy lights in the coastal bushland - ask a local where to go. 10. Gumbaynggirr culture and language GIINAGAY is Gumbaynggirr language for Hello. The Gumbaynggirr people have occupied the Mid North Coast – from Nambucca to the Clarence River and west to the Great Dividing Range – since the Yuludarla or The Dreaming. Local Gumbaynggirr cultural experiences include Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours or a Giingan Gumbaynggirr Cultural Experience, and tours and events run by Yarrawarra Aboriginal Culture Centre. 11. Plan your great escape... Escape the city and visit the Coffs Coast, an unspoilt destination surrounded by Nature. Enjoy delicious local produce, outdoor dining with sea views, and outdoor activities for every level of fitness and adrenaline. Stay a few days to really experience our wonderful food and outdoor chillaxed lifestyle – you deserve it. 
If you want to EAT & EXPLORE our stunning Coffs Coast lifestyle, contact us. Bite Food Tours 61+ (0)410 444 136 or email: awia@bitefoodtours.com |
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