Muttonbird Island in Coffs Harbour juts out to one side of the harbour, giving it shelter. The island, which is effectively one big hill, is connected to the land via a breakwall alongside the International Marina.
No visit to Coffs Harbour is complete without a stroll to and, if you can handle a reasonably steep but short climb, over Muttonbird Island.
A 500m paved walkway runs across the island to the other side. Muttonbird Island is a sacred and very significant site to the local Gumbaynggirr Aboriginal people, who call the island Giidayn Miirral.
Home to thousands of wedge-tailed shearwaters, also known as muttonbirds, the island is a protected Nature Reserve. Shearwaters are named for their ability to cut or shear the water with their wings as they skim across the surface. Early settlers called them muttonbirds for their fatty mutton-like flesh.
The muttonbirds spend the Australian winter in South-East Asia and travel thousands of kilometres each year to return to the same burrow on Muttonbird Island in August. The island’s plant cover hides the thousands of burrows and people are urged to stay on the track so as not to damage any of the burrows.
A pair of birds take turns incubating one single egg and also share the raising of their chick. They forage for food during the day and return to the burrow just after dusk. The muttonbirds leave the island for their annual migration in late April.
There are interpretive signs at the start of the walkway at the bottom of the island and along the path, explaining the lifecycle and habits of the wedge-tailed shearwaters.
On top of the island, you’ll have an incredible 360-degree view across the ocean, beaches, harbour and marina, the city and the mountains. At the end of the walkway is a viewing platform, providing uninterrupted views of the waves crashing onto the rocks and of the Solitary Island Marina Park, which starts here.
The viewing platform also has interpretive signs about humpback whales. Muttonbird Island is one of the best spots on Coffs Coast for whale watching. Thousands of humpback whales pass the coast north and then back south between June and November on their annual migration to give birth in warmer waters.
Things to see and do
- Walking: a walk across the island along the paved walkway is 1km return, with some steep sections. The northern breakwall and Muttonbird Island are popular with early-morning walkers.
- Lookout: Enjoy wonderful 360-degree views to the Solitary Islands and the Pacific Ocean, along the coast and back across Coffs Harbour to the inland ranges.
- Whale watching: Between June and November, watch for the sometimes spectacular antics of migrating humpback whales from the island’s top or eastern viewing platform.
- Bird watching: See the nesting sites of thousands of wedge-tailed shearwaters and learn the life story of these birds from the interpretive signs. National Parks and Wildlife Services rangers regularly conduct educational tours and talks here.
Getting There
Follow signs to the Coffs Harbour Jetty. Park anywhere along the Coffs Harbour foreshores or at the International Marina and walk across the northern breakwall to the island. Please stay on the track - shearwater nest burrows are very easily damaged.
Enquiries
For further information, contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service – Coffs Coast Area Office on (02) 6652 0900 or visit the
National Parks information page.
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