Coffs Harbour Area - Relax at Coffs Harbour

Golden sand beaches sprawling for miles up and down the coast while banana plantations fill the hills around the area make for a landscape richly green and unusual. Coffs Harbour, where the mountains meet the sea, is a unique and exciting holiday getaway for the adventurous at heart.

Coffs Harbour, one of the largest regional cities in New South Wales, is best known for its riveting array of adventure sports. For adrenaline junkies there's skydiving, go-cart racing, parasailing, jetskiing, and whitewater rafting on the Nymboida River. Four-wheel drive adventures and mountain biking are also popular pursuits.

What brings many to this special part of the world are the dolphins and whales. In Spring dolphins frolic with their calves near the shore's edge. While in winter, you can take a cruise out to view humpback whales cruising up the coast on their migration to the warmer Queensland waters. Several humpbacks have calved in the shallow waters of Coffs Harbour. A number of excellent educational cruises are available.

Sea kayaking is another exhilarating way to get even closer to these majestic creatures and other marine wildlife such as manta rays, turtles and schooling fish found here. The waters also offer superb deep-sea fishing and magical scuba diving and snorkelling experiences.

For something less active, the area's many beautiful beaches make for perfect holidaying territory with surfing, fishing and picnics and barbecues among people's favourite pastimes.

The giant man-made banana at the northern end of town, pays homage to the region's thriving banana industry. Visitors to the Big Banana discover the world of horticulture with the added fun of cable flyers, ice skating, downhill skiing, experimental laboratory and plantation walks.