Travel Guide: Coffs Coast
Two girlfriends and I have just returned from a 3 night/4 day getaway on the Coffs Coast. This was a welcomed escape after 4 months of lockdown during COVID-19. We still aren’t out of the woods here in Australia, but feeling so grateful that we managed to duck off for a lovely getaway whilst we could.
It had actually been 6 months since we’d all been together, we’re scattered across NSW and QLD whose border had been closed for months! The trip started with dinner with all the girls at home on the Coast which was so lovely, and the next day Jess and I headed up north with Stef.
We picked the Coffs Coast as it was a clear halfway point between home and Brisbane which meant equal driving time for all of us to meet. We were blessed with beautiful, sunny weather for most of the trip, although it is still winter and coats and jackets were required!
Have a read below of our itinerary, hopefully it sparks some inspiration for you to make some winter escape plans over the next few months! Let me know in the comments where you want to head to next!
Itinerary:
Day One
Road Trip - Central Coast to Sawtell, NSW
This was such a quick drive. I’d previously done this drive many times in the past and had memories of a 6 hr + trek. We arrived in 4 hours flat. Most of the small towns on your way up to Coffs are now bypassed by the highway, I felt bittersweet about this new development. Loved the speed it took to arrive, but also felt for all the small towns and local businesses now impacted by their lack of visitors.
Lunch - Sawtell, NSW
We had recommendations from a local friend for a few different spots in Sawtell, however, due to COVID-19, a lot of them were actually closed. All three of us settled for the Salmon Poké Bowl at Cafe TREEO and were very pleased! Sawtell, itself, was a beautiful town; one I had not visited before. The street is lined with huge, beautiful fig trees and is just off the main beach. We had a stroll over to the grassy lookout and enjoyed the winter sun.
Bellingen, NSW
We made out way into Bellingen which was a 20 min drive from Sawtell. We briefly looked around the main street which consisted of numerous beautiful, old buildings. We also had a look in Kombu Wholefoods (pictured right) which was a great health food store on one of the side streets.
Gleniffer, The Promised Land, NSW
This was where we based ourselves for the three nights. The Promised Land region is located north of Bellingen and is one large loop of road. After research, I’ve found there is no real explanation as to why it’s named this, however, it is partly self-explanatory when you arrive. It’s not hard to see how bountiful and plentiful the land is. We stayed at a beautiful Airbnb (linked here) that had the most incredible outlook over the valley. Our friendly host Nigel had great tips to share with us about the area. This Airbnb would be the perfect place to escape the busy world for a few days if you were really trying to focus or study - so peaceful and serene. We spent our first afternoon and into the evening walking around the property marvelling at the changing sky and sunset colours. We met Nigel Jr, the resident goat and two beautiful dogs; Lily & Hagrid.
Day Two
Coffee Time! - Hyde Bellingen
We headed into Bellingen for our coffee fix and had been recommended a visit to Hyde Cafe. They are currently closed for sit down food, however, are offering take away options at a hole in the wall around the side of the building. Coffee was great; Pablo & Rusty’s beans. Hyde was making the most of the COVID downtime to renovate the cafe, we had a peak through the windows and it looks like it’s going to be gorgeous. We’ll definitely be back again to visit!
Breakfast - Hearthfire
We also managed to grab some tasty treats from the local bakery, Hearthfire. Again, with COVID, there was limited seating so we took our breaky and coffee off to a park bench to enjoy the sunshine.
Dorrigo Rainforest Centre & National Park
This was such a beautiful experience! We drove up to the Rainforest Centre from Bellingen which was about a 20 min drive up Waterfall Way; an extremely winding road creeping up the mountain. We arrived at the rainforest and paid entry - $2 per adult, and decided to do the Wonga Walk loop track which stated it was a 6.6 km round trip and took us about 1.5hrs to complete. We started the hike out on the SkyWalk high above the rainforest. The outlook was incredible and we were blessed with such a clear day that we could see the ocean in the distance. The walk took us through the rainforest, past 600 year old trees, suspension bridge and Tristania and Crystal waterfalls.
Lunch - Za’atar Middle Eastern Kitchen
We headed back to Bellingen for lunch - obviously starving after our massive walk and found a great lunch spot called Za’atar. Both Stef and I had the falafel pocket which was their most popular dish. Jess had the falafel salad which also looked yummy and we shared pita chips with an aioli dip. Totally satisfying after a big morning. We spent the afternoon relaxing back at the Airbnb - well deserved I must say!
So glad we booked early, as this hotel was extremely busy. The prices were as you’d expect for a pub restaurant and the meals were hearty and decent serves. More importantly the pub was really warm and a comfortable atmosphere given how chilly it was outside.
Day Three
Breakfast
We woke up slowly and enjoyed breaky in our Airbnb. It started off slightly rainy but cleared up for the rest of the day luckily!
Urunga Boardwalk
This boardwalk is an absolute must do if you’re in the area. I’ve driven through Urunga hundreds of times with no idea that this even existed! The original boardwalk was constructed in 1908 and further developed in 1922 to guide ships across the sand bar. Since it was been replaced and extended in 1940, 1988 and more recently in 2010. From the boardwalk you have views of the mangroves, the inlet and the ocean. We saw kangaroos grazing and so many fish. The water is absolutely crystal clear and despite the icy winds, was still enticing us to dive us. The boardwalk is 1 kilometre long and is wheelchair accessible with seats and information along the way. Spend some time at the viewing platform during winter and you may be lucky to spot some migrating whales… we weren’t this time unfortunately!
Lunch - Latitude 30, Coffs Harbour, NSW
By the time we were ready for lunch a lot of things were closed in Coffs Harbour, it was that awkward time where kitchens have closed for lunch and they’re getting ready for the dinner menu. We managed to head down to the marina and stumbled across a restaurant called Latitude 30. We were pleasantly surprised by the whole experience! They had recently been renovated and felt very Hamptons inspired. All three of us opted for one of the daily specials; the Jew Fish on a bed of roasted veggies drizzled with a saffron sauce.
Shops - Coffs Central
After lunch we headed to the shops in town which were very quiet! We found a gorgeous shop called Nik & She on the main street that had some beautiful clothing items but apart from that one, the main shopping district area was lacking. Perhaps Park Beach Plaza further up the highway had more options.
Dinner
We spent the evening in, enjoying a cheese board and homemade Spaghetti Arrabiata in the Thermomix and watched a great movie called The Gift with Joel Edgerton & Jason Bateman.
Day Four
Never Never Creek
We said goodbye to our cute little Airbnb and, after directions from Nigel our host, we set off to find the Never Never Creek (pics below). This particular spot was just over the bridge from the Angel Gabriel Capararo Reserve. There’s no camping allowed here but there are some great swimming waterholes to spend the day at. The water was icy during our visit but I’ll definitely be back during Summer for a picnic lunch and a swim.
Road Trip home through the regenerating bushfire region
We grabbed coffee from Hyde again before we left and set off in opposite directions for the long ride home. The trip home was a smooth one, it was great to see a lot of regenerating bushland starting to appear after the big Australian bushfires earlier this year.
We had such a great time away seeing new things and new places. All of us love to travel and it’s felt quite stifling over the past 5 months having multiple overseas holidays cancel on us. Because of this, I’m now making a conscious effort to enjoy more of our own backyard and really see Australia while we’re able. Where are you going next?
Places we’ll be back to visit once COVID-19 restrictions ease that came highly recommended:
Swim in the Never Never - perhaps Summertime only!
