01 Dec 08 Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour is a region with golden beaches, beautiful rainforest and friendly country towns which stretch from Scott’s Head to Red Rock, and inland into the mountains of the Great Dividing Range.  Located between Sydney (550 km North East) and Brisbane, it provides the perfect setting for an ideal holiday.  The main center is the city of Coffs Harbour which is home to 65,000 people and growing.  Prior to 1788 The Gumbaingirr Aborigines populated the area and it is thought that the first white settlers were convicts that had escaped and taken refuge on Muttonbird Island, in 1791.  Timber cutters began to open up the area 50 years later and Coffs Harbour was given its name in 1847 by John Korff who was a navel architect and shipbuilder who had sheltered in the bay during a gale.

In our modern times, Coffs Harbour offers accommodation and activities for all visitors.  It boasts a beautiful and unspoilt sub-tropical environment with pristine rainforest sweeping down to long stretches of perfect beach.  The climate is rated amongst the very best in Australia, with average summer temperatures around 26 degrees Centigrade and an average winter temperature of 18 degrees Centigrade.  The towns are rich in history and culture, and the people are friendly and relaxed.  It is difficult not to be happy in Coffs Harbour.