Enjoy a nature stroll or a longer bush walk in a
National Park or State Forest or explore the tideline on one of our many beaches.
Easy-graded bush tracks start at the
Dorrigo Rainforest Centre, bringing you close to waterfalls and up above the treetops.
Several walking tracks will take you along and even right underneath waterfalls, and through glades where you can walk with the wildlife
Coffs Creek Walk and Botanic Garden
A piece of natural paradise exists where you might least expect it: right in the heart of Coffs Harbour around Coffs Creek.
9km creek-side circuit track takes you from the city centre to the mouth of the creek at Park Beach and back along the other side of the water, in about two and a half hours. You can also choose to do a half circuit, using the bridge to cross the creek around the halfway mark, or just enjoy a certain, shorter section of the track.
The flat, easy grade walking track takes you mostly through swamp forests of mangrove, casuarina and paperbark trees. A 500m raised boardwalk lets you peer into the tidal waters at the creek’s estuary and other sections lead you through tall heaths which display stunning wildflowers at various times of the year. You’ll find several benches and picnic areas along the track for a rest, a closer listen to the birds or to enjoy some refreshments.
Along the way, you’ll pass the
Historic Cemetery (1896), which is worth a stroll. Next to the cemetery is the
North Coast Regional Botanic Garden which is a half-day destination in itself. The Botanic Garden, nestled on about 20ha in a bend of Coffs Creek, is open from 9am to 5pm daily. Among its attractions are various rainforest and nature trails, a sensory garden, greenhouses, a mangrove boardwalk, display areas and an information centre/kiosk.
The Coffs Coast Visitor Information Centre and the Botanic Garden stock publications with more details and maps of the various trails and what you can expect to see along the way.
Bruxner Park
Bruxner Park, a Flora Reserve in the hills just north of Coffs Harbour, is 407ha of dense rainforest and eucalypt forest with a number of attractive walking trails.
Rainforest Walk loop is a 1.6km easy grade circuit that takes approximately 45 minutes to complete, if you stop to read some of the signs. The interpretive trail has some trees labelled with their common and botanical names. The Creek Walk is an easy 20-30 minute return walk that follows Bucca Bucca Creek for much of its length. These two walks can easily be combined as they join at Halfway Creek.
The vegetation in Bruxner Park ranges from eucalypt forest trees like the flood gum, blackbutt, tallowwood and forest oak to rainforest vegetation such as the booyong, crabapple, elk-horns and vines. The Reserve is home to bowerbirds, possums, cuckoos, fruit bats and boobook owls, among many other wildlife species.
To get there, turn west off the Pacific Highway 1km north of the Big Banana and follow the winding road up the hill through banana plantations and avocado groves. It’s 5km to
The Gap parking area, which has a large information panel and map to direct you to the walks. NSW State Forests has published a leaflet with the walks and a map to take with you, available from the Coffs Coast Visitor Information Centre and State Forests of NSW.
Dorrigo National Park
Dorrigo National Park is one of Australia’s most accessible
World Heritage rainforests. Perched on the rugged eastern escarpment of the Great Dividing Range, it contains 11,732ha of lush rainforest and spectacular scenery on the Dorrigo Plateau. Easy, spectacular rainforest walking tracks provides visitors of all ages the opportunity to experience this unique environment.
Starting from the Rainforest Centre, the
Lyrebird Link Track is a short, easy stroll of 400m each way. It connects with the
Wonga Walk, a 5.8km circuit walk through magnificent subtropical rainforest, which leads you past the Walk with the Birds boardwalk,
Crystal Shower Falls and
Tristania Falls in about two and a half hours. This medium grade trail has some uphill sections but the scenery you’ll be rewarded with is definitely worth the effort.
For a very short, quick and accessible rainforest experience at Dorrigo National Park, park your car at
The Glade Picnic Area, 1km from the Rainforest Centre, and wander along the Walk with the Birds boardwalk (200m return) and the Satinbird Stroll (600m circuit). Perfect for parents with prams or people in wheelchairs.
Two more walks start from the
Never Never Picnic Area, 10km east of the Rainforest Centre. Casuarina Falls Walk is a pleasant, medium-grade 4.8km path with some steep sections that takes about 2 hours return. It takes you to the top of the falls and offers great views.
The Rosewood Creek Track is a 5.5km circuit that also takes about 2 hours to complete. It follows the creek past silent rainforest pools and
Coachwood Falls.
Access to Dorrigo National Park is via Dome Road off the Waterfall Way, just east of Dorrigo. The park is open daily from 5am to 10pm, and the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre, shop and café are open from 9am to 4.30pm every day. Brochures and maps of all the walks are available from the Rainforest Centre.
Discovery Rangers from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service are available on certain days during school holidays, providing guided walks and other educational tours and activities.
Bongil Bongil National Park
About 20km south of Coffs Harbour is
Bongil Bongil National Park, featuring unspoilt beaches, sweeping coastal vistas, wetlands, littoral rainforest and pristine estuaries. Bushwalking is possible along its numerous graded fire trails (bring a good map) and the following two signposted trails.
The
Bluff Loop Trail is a flat, easy grade 2km circuit that can be completed within an hour. The
Bundagen Rainforest Walk is an easy-grade 3km path along the park’s coastal fringe. It will take you through remnant rainforest that has adapted to the harsh environment of sandy soils and salt-laden winds. The return leg (same way or via the beach) will bring this to a 6km walk that will take about 2 hours.
Both trails start at the end of Tuckers Rock Road near North Beach, about 3km east of Repton.