Discover Coffs Harbour

When looking for a hotel in Coffs Harbour, you can start planning your trip by deciding which themes you want your stay to focus on: nature, exhibitions, history or leisure activities. The places below offer specific points of interest, from a seabird colony to a permanent exhibition about the Coffs Coast.

Muttonbird Island: Nature and Gumbaynggirr History

Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve is a seabird colony in the heart of Coffs Harbour. It is one of the few easily accessible places in New South Wales where the migratory wedge-tailed shearwater breeds. This gives the nature theme a clear focus: a named migratory bird species and its breeding colony. For travellers with a particular interest in birds and nature reserves, this is a distinctive feature of the area.

Muttonbird Island, also known as Giidany Miirlarl, is also an important Aboriginal place. The island is associated with Dreaming stories and numerous traditional resources. Nature and cultural significance relate to the same named place here, but offer different perspectives on it.

One guided option to consider is the award-winning “Muttonbirds by Moonlight” tour, conducted by local Gumbaynggirr rangers. Availability may vary. If you would like to include the tour in your plans, check whether it is available before you travel.

Exhibitions and History in Coffs Harbour

Yarrila Arts and Museum is located at Yarrila Place in the heart of the Coffs Harbour CBD, on Gumbaynggirr Country, and is a cultural centre. Its five exhibition spaces offer a varied programme, with exhibitions on art, social history and natural history. The museum programme therefore covers several subject areas rather than just one discipline.

The permanent exhibition “Yaamanga Around Here” offers a specific focus within this programme: it explores the people, stories and identity of the Coffs Coast through objects, artworks and multimedia presentations. The broader programme of art, social and natural history thus sits alongside the permanent exploration of the Coffs Coast as a distinct way of engaging with the subject.

Coffs Harbour Jetty also offers a distinct historical point of interest. It is the last surviving jetty built by the state government in New South Wales in the late 19th century. Its significance brings together its builder, period and preservation status; as a way of exploring the city’s history, the jetty complements the museum exhibitions with a specific structure.

Big Banana: Opening History and Leisure Activities

The Big Banana officially opened on 22 December 1964. The 13 m banana was Australia’s first “Big Thing” and was considered the biggest banana in the world. Together, the exact opening date, its height and its designation as Australia’s first “Big Thing” tell a concise story of the site.

Big Banana Fun Park offers the Plantation Coaster, an alpine coaster ride through the landscape, as well as a 36-hole mini-golf course. These are two different formats: a ride and mini-golf. If you choose activities according to the type of experience, you can compare these options based on your interests without treating them as the same.

Discover more destinations: Upper Orara, Arrawarra, Sapphire Beach, Bonville, Woolgoolga

Back to the main travel overview: Coffs Harbour City Council.