Coffs Harbour
Where the Banana Coast Meets the Hinterland
On the lands of the Gumbaynggirr people.
schedule 3 min read / Updated Jun 2026
A coastal city on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, halfway between Sydney and Brisbane. Coffs Harbour is the home of the Big Banana, the Solitary Islands Marine Park, and a string of subtropical rainforest waterfalls in the hinterland behind town.
Coffs Harbour sits on the traditional lands of the Gumbaynggirr people and is one of the larger regional cities on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. The town was founded in the 1840s as a timber port for the red cedar loggers working the coastal rainforest and grew slowly through the 19th century. The mid-20th century banana industry and the post-war tourism boom turned it into the regional service centre it is today.
The Big Banana opened in 1964 on the Pacific Highway just north of town and is one of the most recognisable examples of Australia's roadside Big Things tradition. It is the oldest surviving example, pre-dating the Big Pineapple and the Big Prawn by more than a decade. The site has since grown into a theme park with a water slide, toboggan run and plantation tour, but the original 13 metre concrete banana still stands at the entrance.
The Solitary Islands Marine Park stretches 75 kilometres along the Coffs coast from Muttonbird Island in Coffs Harbour north to Plover Island near Sandon. It is a transition zone where temperate and tropical marine species overlap, making it one of the most biologically diverse coastal marine areas in eastern Australia. The waters are home to grey nurse sharks, leopard sharks, turtles, whales, dolphins, and more than 550 species of fish. Snorkelling, scuba diving and whale watching tours all run from the harbour.
Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve, at the eastern end of the Coffs Harbour jetty breakwater, is connected to the mainland by a concrete causeway. The island is named for its breeding colony of wedge-tailed shearwaters (muttonbirds), which return every spring to nest in burrows across the island. Between September and April they can be seen returning to the island at dusk. A short walking track climbs to the lookout at the top of the island with excellent views back over the harbour and along the coast.
The hinterland behind Coffs Harbour rises into the subtropical rainforest of the Dorrigo Plateau, part of the UNESCO Gondwana Rainforests of Australia listing. Dorrigo National Park, 40 minutes west of Coffs, has the Skywalk Boardwalk over the rainforest canopy, a visitor centre with rainforest interpretation, and several short waterfall walks including the Crystal Shower Falls and Tristania Falls. Bindarri National Park, closer to town, has more accessible rainforest walks.
Beyond the town, the Bellingen valley half an hour south is one of the most-loved hinterland villages in New South Wales, with a weekly market, independent bookshops and cafes, and a preserved 19th-century main street. Sawtell, 15 minutes south of Coffs, has a palm-lined main street considered one of the most photogenic on the mid-north coast.
Coffs Harbour is a year-round destination. The best months are April to October when humidity drops and whales migrate past the coast. Summer is warm, humid and often crowded with New South Wales school holiday traffic. Coffs Harbour Airport (CFS) has direct flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Tourist locations
Places to visit in Coffs Harbour.
6 locations to explore
Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary
Meet dolphins and sea lions
Ticketed; book online for current pricing
Full guide arrow_forwardCoffs Harbour Jetty
Heritage timber wharf by the sea
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardForest Sky Pier at Sealy Lookout
Treetop views above the coast
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardMuttonbird Island Nature Reserve
Seabirds, whales and Gumbaynggirr stories
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardSolitary Islands Marine Park
Tropical and temperate seas meet
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardThe Big Banana Fun Park
Thrills for the whole family
Free entry to grounds; rides ticketed separately. Ultimate Pass from $79 adult
Full guide arrow_forwardWhere to stay
Holiday parks near Coffs Harbour.
1 option via our booking partner
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Gallery
Coffs Harbour in pictures.
11 images licensed from Wikimedia Commons
All images are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licences. Individual photographers are credited on the source pages.
Things to do
Recommended Experiences
3 bookable experiences at or near Coffs Harbour.
Scenic views
Lookouts near Coffs Harbour.
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Attribution
Sources & credits
Content (1)
Images (11)
- Coffs Harbour IMG 4379 - panoramio.jpg · Paul Lakin · CC BY 3.0
- Crowd at the Coffs Harbour Railway Refreshment Room, 1947 (5... · Photographic Collection from Australia · CC BY 2.0
- Hills Beach tombolo 2022.jpg · Anthony Jorm · CC BY-SA 4.0
- 612 Nr Coffs Harbour, Jan 81 (52312872068).jpg · wilford peloquin · CC BY 2.0
- 614 Nr Coffs Harbour, Jan 1981 (52313049942).jpg · wilford peloquin · CC BY 2.0
- Cfsairport1.jpg · Tuddy · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Coffs Harbour 2.JPG · Cookaa · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Coffs Harbour Look out.jpg · Flossy420 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Coffs Harbour Marina Panorama.JPG · Binarysequence · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Coffs Harbour Panorama.JPG · Binarysequence · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Coffs Harbour Railway Station.jpg · Abesty · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under licenses that permit commercial use. If you are the rights holder and believe an attribution is incorrect, please contact us.