Top Things to do in Coffs Harbour
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Things to do in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales: The Best Nature & Wildlife Areas
Discover the best top things to do in Coffs Harbour, Australia including Ulidarra National Park, Korora Lookout, Bongil Bongil National Park, Moonee Beach Nature Reserve, Coffs Harbour Butterfly House, Gumbaynggirr National Park, The Frogarium.
Restaurants in Coffs Harbour
1. Ulidarra National Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By Aditya71 - Bundanoon, Australia
To be completely legit' you'll need a private car or a hired 4WD, as access is by 'unsealed road' that hire car companies don't generally want you on. Road conditions were good, and you get to explore a range of forest types, and can do an easy and short walk to Bangalore Falls. Probably not great for 2WD in wet conditions. I was chuffed to see Araucariaceae (native pines) for the first time this far south.
2. Korora Lookout
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 106 reviews
Reviewed By Linda6P
Fantastic views once you've made your way up the steep windy road to the top from the Coffs Harbour side and then a lovely drive through the forest if you take the left fork on your way back down. Some beautiful trees along the route!
3. Bongil Bongil National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By 993anitat - Forster, Australia
Even though there was a total fire ban in place we were still able to drive in and visit the Bongil Bongil National Park. There are magnificent stands of eucalypts throughout the park some of which were planted over 50 years ago. The picnic area is just fabulous. It is really hard to photograph the huge stands of trees as they are so tall and incredibly straight. There is a walking come cycle track which leaves from the picnic area and there is a pontoon which is on Bonville Creek which allows you to put a kayak or canoe into the creek.
4. Moonee Beach Nature Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By AnnieR437 - Yarra Glen, Australia
We visited on a warm, rainy afternoon. The kids played on the sand and then we walked across the creek to get to the ocean beach. The water was flowing slowly and it was an easy crossing. We played in the waves near the shore and then headed back across the creek to explore the bush area a little, crossing over the bridge and going for a walk. All areas of the reserve felt safe and were full of interesting things to look at. There's plenty of places to walk and explore, or canoeing is possible on the creek. Even in the rain it was a beautiful place and we'd definitely return to spend more time here
5. Coffs Harbour Butterfly House
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 613 reviews
The Butterfly House is an enclosed subtropical environment where visitors have the opportunity all year round, to get close to nature, be surrounded by myriads of live Australian butterflies and learn about their life-cycle. Our knowledgeable guides are always available to share the experience. Visitors can explore our maze and insect display room, and enjoy a snack in our cafe. We also have a beautiful well-stocked gift store. Weather permitting we have a life sized dinosaur show, as well as two baby dinosaurs that meet people , and an amazing Dinosaur Forest with 6 life sized dinosaurs that roar and move. Recently we have had a few fairies move into the Glass house, perfect for every child.
Reviewed By jodieg748 - Brisbane, Australia
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And it certainly is with this lovely little quality facility. My husband and I have been through hell with illness and disability, so when you've faced cancer three times - you start to recognize the simple beauty in God's creation that is all around us. The Butterfly House exhibits the creator's hand, when it comes to His creatures great and small. This is a very small, but clean and wonderful addition to Coffs Harbour. The owners and staff should be proud of how hard they work and the amount of pride they put into this place. It is a ground floor, flat location with easy access for those with a disability and in a wheelchair. We have read some negative reviews and completely disagree - why? Well, you get out what you put in. If you expect something like a gold coast theme park - this is not what your going to get. Your kids will though probably enjoy this more and remember it, over & over. We did come as a couple, without our teens - because we needed a couples holiday and this gave us the opportunity to stay as long as we wanted and soak up this experience. We stayed for about 2+ hours - enjoyed a lovely basic lunch (the staff in the cafe were exceptional) and walked around the facility, looking at every detail, shopped in the gift shop, watched every Butterfly and studied every bug. I love being able to actually read the information on the signage, without my teens telling me to hurry up. In the actual Butterfly House itself, my husband and I sat down on the provided seating, chatted with the lovely 'Butterfly educator' gentleman - wish I'd gotten his name - we went on Friday,12/04/19 - talked to the new resident macaw 'Harlem' The Harlequin Macaw, laughed with other families and just relaxed. We must have sat there and talked to the educator/presenter, played with Harlem and watched the Butterflies float all around us for at least 1 hour or more. It was a wonderful experience and we will bring our girls there, in the future. Now, of course you could whizz around and look for a thrill ride or something - but, this is a place to reflect, a place to admire and a place to educate yourself. Obviously, the owners of this establishment have worked their tails off to provide a quality educational location for local and visiting families to the area. The gift shop is quite pretty, with everything themed about Butterflies and lots of other critters. Like every gift shop, souvenirs can be expensive - so look around for any items that are on 'clearance' - this will do your wallet a favour and help the owners clear the gift-lines, they need to let go of. Although, we did buy quite a few full-price items and they were all lovely. Well done to the people who have taken pride in this facility - it has become a local icon and a part of the area that everyone should be proud of. One suggestion that the owners should consider is having a professional photographer visit to take photo's of families and couples @ the Butterfly House itself everyday of operation. This would be better, when the light is best for photography - in the early morning or late afternoon. This means visitor's can enjoy having a clear, high-res photo of their visit with (maybe) a portion of the photo purchase going to a different local charity every month. The profits from this would benefit the local community and local professional photographer's. This was our first visit to Coffs Harbour and we were blown away by the stunning location, the mountains and the rain-forests/mixed with woodlands + of course the harbour/bay with her islands. We now understand why so many people leave Sydney and move to the Coffs area.
6. Gumbaynggirr National Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
7. The Frogarium
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By kalyngra - Bellingen, Australia
Visited for the first time. It is a very nice display of many rare species of frogs. The owner is obviously very caring and enthusiastic. Well worth a visit.
