Food
When we moved to Coffs Harbor in the Gumbaynggirr country on the north coast of New South Wales in 2007, we really missed the multicultural food of Sydney. Fortunately, Coffs is a well-supported refugee settlement town and it wasn’t long before these communities gifted us with an assortment of culinary options.
On Sundays there are Syrian, Iraqi, Burmese and Indian food stalls at the Harborside Markets. Some are now brick and mortar, including the Filipino restaurant Mana Chita (Ethiopian) and Pig and Khai. Everyone loves Tigi from Mana Chita. She is a beautiful personality in the city. I love the injera bread: it is light and holey and sour in taste and you use it to spoon the curry on. She also makes a super spicy goat curry, which many locals crave.
For fish and chips head to the Fishermen’s Co-op on the harbour, but locals usually go to the back street called Sea Salt. That’s where you get your beautiful, wild-caught fish.
When we first moved here, the coffee was pretty bad. Now good coffee is everywhere. There is a small Brazilian cafe called Hope Road and a street side cafe called My Mate’s Place. I go to Lady A to sit outside and people watch, and Supply near the beach for a delicious breakfast and coffee. Dark Arts features occult decor, dripping candles and velvet couches. It’s dark and cozy; ideal for a rainy day.
Green (or blue) spaces
Coffs is the only place in NSW where the Great Dividing Range extends into the ocean, creating the Solitary Islands marine park (Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours runs stand-up paddleboard tours here and in the waterways of the Orara East State Forest). It is a unique marine ecosystem where the cold southern currents meet the warm tropical currents from the north. Divers come to swim with the gray nurse sharks and there are dolphins, whales and turtles. We also see whale sharks here, which is amazing.
Jetty Beach is located in the harbour, so great for small children. Dogs are allowed on many of the beaches, including Woolgoolga’s back beach, where people surf and 4×4. But Diggers beach is my favorite. You turn right at the Big Banana to find it. There is always a quiet spot to swim and there are also decent surf and rock pools to explore. There is a steep, rugged cliff that plunges into the ocean; it reminds me of Hawaii. During the school holidays it is patrolled by lifeguards.
North Coast Regional Botanic Garden is a hidden gem on a creek that runs all the way through the city. There are bird hides on the boardwalks above the mangroves. The Coffs Creek and Harbor loop is a great cycle ride that takes you to the jetty to cool off with a dip before returning on the other side. Then there’s the rainforest and rolling green countryside so close to the city. Dorrigo National Park is an hour’s drive away, via Bellingen. You can walk through the falls there during the Crystal Shower Falls walk.
Muttonbird Island is Coffs’s top tourist attraction after the Big Banana. It is an important native site and home to thousands of wedge-tailed shearwaters (or muttonbirds) that migrate back from Southeast Asia to their own unique lair every August. The invigorating walk around the island rewards you with spectacular views back to the city, over the mountain landscape and to the Solitary Islands where whales pass by in winter. This place has reset my confused soul many times; it’s a kind of elixir, all the locals feel it. However, in the tourist season it is a pedestrian superhighway, so go at sunrise or sunset if possible. There’s a great self-guided audio tour, presented by beloved local Gumbaynggirr keeper Matt Flanders.
Nightlife
Coffs is a pub town. There are many cover bands, which is common in smaller towns, but locals also go out of their way to support original live music. The Backroom of the Coffs hotel has heavier stuff, and Archive is a slash arts space with relaxed folk performances. King Tide Brewing opened in 2022 and is like something plucked from Melbourne and appeared in a Coffs alley. There’s a huge Polish mural and pierogi and pork knuckle on the menu. The label of the beers often shows the work of a local artist.
After Covid started, we had an influx of 30-something smart business people opening up some great places. On the main street of Sawtell there is a frosted window and a small sign that reads ‘Athletic Club’. It’s kind of secret. You push the heavy door and there is a beautiful cocktail bar waiting for you inside. Bar Que Sera is also located in Sawtell and is beautifully decorated with delicious small plates and great wines.
Inspiration
Most people in Coffs are very sporty and enjoy playing football, fishing or surfing. But even if you’re not sporty, the culture of Coffs is about being outdoors. It’s swimming in beaches and rivers, paddling in creeks, mountain biking or picnicking at the water’s edge with friends. It’s eating at the Twilight food market on a Friday evening in the summer, where you meet friends with a bottle of wine, listen to music and let the kids run along the waterfront. The Coffs Coast Growers’ Market takes place right in the city on Thursdays, with local produce, honey people and the mushroom man.
The new cultural centre, Yarrila Arts and Museum, is spectacular, right in the city and built around a huge old fig tree. It is a library, museum and art gallery and a beating heart for creative people. Recent street art festivals, including All Walls and November Reign, are also attracting many more visitors through our lanes.
Neighborhoods
Sawtell is for quality breakfasts, bars, coffee and the Sawtell Memorial rock pool. Coramba is the place for a lazy afternoon at the Coramba hotel. It’s a fairly unassuming old Art Deco country pub, but you can have a beer and a schnitzel in the garden overlooking the beautiful countryside. There is a creek nearby where you can take off your shoes and paddle. Woolgoolga has a relaxed beach town atmosphere. There are Sikh temples, world-class whale watching on the headlands and Busta, the shipwreck, which occasionally emerges from the sand. You can take your dog and your kids anywhere and everyone is pretty cool with it.
Stay
I’ve been hearing good things about Emerald Beach caravan park lately (from $40 for a non-powered site and from $139 for a cabin) as it has recently been refurbished. Diggers Beach Cottage (from $430 per night for six people) looks beautiful. It is situated between two beautiful bays and close to the Macauleys Headland coastal walk.