Ready for a nice and relaxing break or holiday on the beautiful, subtropical Coffs Coast? Great - we've got just the thing - cheap plane tickets to fly to Coffs Harbour! But you better make up your mind quickly to score a flight to Coffs Coast for only $69 from Sydney and just $99 from Melbourne!
Virgin Blue is currently offering various great low fares as part of its 10th Birthday Sale.
Virgin Blue's sale fares for Sydney-Coffs Coast flights are $79 for travel between 12 October and 8 December 2010 and between 11 January and 6 April 2011. The very low fare of $69 is valid for travel between 3 May and 22 June 2011.
The Melbourne to Coffs Coast sale fares are a low $114 for travel between 12 October and 8 December 2010, $109 for travel between 11 January and 6 April 2011 and an even lower $99 for travel between 3 May and 22 June 2011.
Virgin Blue offers 2 direct return flights daily between Sydney and Coffs Harbour and a direct return flight between Coffs Coast and Melbourne each Saturday and Sunday. These sale fares are only available on the direct flights.
You'll have to be quick to book your trip, because seats are limited and these sale fares are only available until midnight on Tuesday 31 August 2010 (or until sold out).
Not in Sydney or Melbourne? Don’t worry. There are loads of connecting flights between Sydney and all other capital cities and other towns and cities across the country. And many of them are on sale now too!
The special fares are for one-way travel in both directions and include taxes, fees and charges. Sale fares may not be available on all flights or on peak days.
If you’re not a Velocity Gold or Silver member but plan to bring more than carry-on baggage, be sure to pre-purchase your checked baggage allowance for $8.
To take advantage of these low fares and secure your seats for your upcoming visit to the gorgeous Coffs Coast, go to the Virgin Blue website before midnight on 1 August. >>
There’s an extra good reason to visit the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre at Dorrigo National Park, with the renewed Canopy Café opening its doors in August 2008.
The Canopy Café, attached to the educational Rainforest Centre and shop, offers superb meals enjoyed indoors or outside on the terrace, overlooking the World Heritage-listed rainforest.
Enjoy all-day breakfast, a leisurely lunch, morning or afternoon tea or just a coffee, cake or a snack while breathing in the pure mountain air and listening to the sounds of the birds and the rustling of the leaves.
Catherine McDonald and Wolfgang Zichy, who have taken over the management of the café, are offering tasty, fresh, local cuisine in this beautiful setting. The future looks bright for the café, with the pair having won NSW Awards for Excellence at their previous two restaurants.
You can now enjoy a lunch of high quality at the Canopy Café, prepared in a traditional way using the freshest ingredients and beautifully presented.
After you’ve explored the rainforest and perhaps completed one of Dorrigo National Park’s excellent walking trails, what better way to rest up than with a meal at the new Canopy Café? There are light and healthy options as well as good old-fashioned hearty meals for the hungry and a special kids’ menu.
Canopy Café and the adjoining Dorrigo Rainforest Centre in Dorrigo National Park are open every day from 9.00am to 4.30pm. The Rainforest Centre is located 4km east of Dorrigo.
For more information or to make a group booking, call (02) 6657 2309.
Bluebottles Brasserie is a wonderful café restaurant in the seaside town of Woolgoolga, 25km north of Coffs Harbour.
With its blue exterior, inviting outdoor and indoor seating and prime location on the corner of Beach and Wharf Streets in the centre of town, it’s a spot that’s hard to miss. It’s just across from the caravan park, opposite the main shopping street and close to the Woolgoolga Beach Reserve.
Bluebottles, serving Modern Australian cuisine, is particularly popular as a place to enjoy a nice brekkie, morning tea or lunch. They are open 7 days for breakfast and lunch from 7.30am.
The Brasserie even won a regional award for its fabulous breakfasts in 2008 – the Restaurant & Catering NSW Award for Excellence for Best Breakfast Restaurant in the Lower Northern NSW Region.
The restaurant also opens for dinner from 6.30pm on Friday and Saturday night.
Its ever-changing menu shows a wealth of scrumptious options, created from the freshest possible ingredients and local and seasonal produce.
For more information or to book a table, call Bluebottles Brasserie on (02) 6654 1962.
If you love colourful markets, great food and live outdoor entertainment, mark the 1st and 4th Saturdays of the month in your diary. ‘Bollywood Beach Bazaar’ is held twice a month at the Woolgoolga Beach Reserve.
Woolgoolga, 25 minutes north of Coffs Harbour, is known for its great beaches, surfing, fishing and for its Sikh culture. The town is home to two Sikh temples and has the largest regional Sikh/Punjabi population in Australia.
The first Bollywood Beach Bazaar was held in May 2009 and it quickly proved to be a hit with the local community and visitors from around the region.
You’ll be able to enjoy the colour, sounds and flavours of India at the market, with a variety of hot food, lots of market stalls with arts, crafts and Indian clothing and free entertainment by talented singers and dancers.
Although the market has a strong Indian theme, as the name suggests, in reality you’ll also find food and entertainment from other countries and regions around the world including Thailand, Japan, Fiji and Africa.
Bollywood Beach Bazaar is held at the Beach Reserve in the centre of Woolgoolga between 7am and 2pm on the first and fourth Saturday of the month.
For more information about the many markets held on the Coffs Coast and other things to do, contact the Coffs Coast Visitor Information Centre on 1300 369 070 or email tourism@coffscoast.com.au
The unique ocean waters of the Solitary Islands Marine Park off the Coffs Coast make them a perfect choice for both the beginner and experienced scuba diver - and Jetty Dive Centre's 25 years of experience makes them the preferred choice.
Two ocean currents collide around the Solitary Islands - one cool, one warm - and bring together creatures that normally only exist thousands of kilometres apart. In just one dive you can explore a wide variety of both tropical and temperate marine life in the one location.
With warm waters like those at the Barrier Reef, the diving is easy and with so much to see in this fascinating underwater world, you can’t help but fall in love with it.
Thanks to their highly experienced instructors, high quality training and affordable charter tours, Jetty Dive continues to attract scuba divers from all over the world for a look under Coffs Coast’s ocean surface.
If you’ve always wanted to learn to scuba dive, there’s no better place to pack in the enjoyment of scuba diving than at the Solitary Islands and no better instructors than those of Jetty Dive.
Learning to dive is a very popular holiday activity on the Coffs Coast. Especially since Jetty Dive is PADI 'Learn to Dive' courses where you can study at home or even online (PADI e-learning) and leave the fun parts for your holiday in Coffs Harbour!
A 1-day Discover Scuba Diving course is $195, with Open Water Scuba Diver ‘learn to dive’ courses starting from $395.
You can even choose the action-packed adventure of Shark Diving with endangered Grey Nurse Sharks!
Fore more information or to book, visit Jetty Dive Centre’s website at www.jettydive.com.au or phone (02) 6651 1611.
Got a sweet tooth? You’ll love a visit to Candy Kitchen Australia, located at The Big Banana in Coffs Harbour.
The original Candy Kitchen, which was called Coffs Candy Kitchen before its success saw a branching out across Australia, continues to delight visitors who come to see lollies and sweets being made by hand in front of their eyes.
When you visit the shop between about 10am and 2.30pm, you’ll be able to witness the extraordinary process of candy making, an art form the Nilsson family has perfected over the years.
Master Sugar Confectioner Nils Nilsson, who started Candy Kitchen in 1988, began his career in a candy factory in Denmark in 1949. Sixty years later, his son Brian is Candy Kitchen’s Chief Candy Man and the Nilsson family still run the original store in Coffs Harbour.
On average, about 90 kilos of sweets is made at the Candy Kitchen store every day. Much of it is sold at the shop itself, but candy is also supplied to other shops and specially made for corporate functions, events and weddings. For those functions, the candy is often personalised with special messages ‘printed’ in the centre.
Visit Candy Kitchen in Coffs Harbour and you’ll enter a magical candy world with extraordinary colours, incredible flavours and sumptuous smells. Watch and listen to the candy maker’s explanation of how candy is made, the old-fashioned way.
Then browse around the shop and select some lollies or other sweets for yourself, your kids or as a gift for any occasion.
Opening hours are 9am to 4.15pm every day, with candy-making in progress between 10am and 2.30pm.
Candy Kitchen is located at The Big Banana on the Pacific Highway in Coffs Harbour. For more information, call (02) 6652 5854.
One of the Coffs Coast’s newest day spas, Tree Of Life Wellness Centre and Day Spa, offers a variety of treatments to rejuvenate the mind, body and soul.
Tree Of Life offers a comprehensive list of treatments, more than you would expect from a modern day spa with its sauna, spa and beauty therapy as well as complimentary services such as holistic healing, acupuncture, homeopathy, kinesiology, massage and traditional Chinese medicines.
The spa applies Elemis products – a range of quality skincare products made from pure and natural ingredients such as organically grown herbs and plants.
The Detox Box Sauna is the perfect start to any treatment, as the warmth of the steam will help ease tired muscles, relax the mind and open the skin’s pores to begin the cleansing process.
Body therapy in the spa’s wet room, will give a healthy glow back to your body and have your skin feeling invigorated and replenished. With the use of exotic blends of herbs and oils combined to create fragrant scrubs which exfoliate and hydrate your skin, you’ll come out looking and feeling fresher and softer than ever!
The ‘massage menu’ shows four varieties, the most popular one being the Remedial Massage to ease tired or sore muscles. Or you may prefer the therapeutic full-body ‘Hahana’ Hot Stone treatment with warm oil and heated volcanic stones, a revitalising Well-being Massage or a Deep Tissue Muscle Massage for a vigorous deep pressure massage.
If you’re after some TLC for your face, an Elimis Facial is what you need. With a selection of packages available for both men and women, you can choose a powerful skin recharge, soothing moisture boost, anti-ageing or detox facial, using purifying facial products.
Or treat yourself with a tailor-made spa package for a complete escape including bridal packages which are designed to get the most of your pampering time. You can even design your own Escape package from the menu of services for an experience that is uniquely yours.
Other beauty treatments available include signature manicures, pedicures, waxing, brow and lash tinting.
Tree Of Life Wellness Centre & Day Spa, is at 32 First Avenue, Sawtell, just 10km south of Coffs Harbour. Opening hours are 9am-5.30pm from Monday to Thursday, 9am-9pm on Friday and 9am-3pm on Saturdays.
Valery Trails, just a short drive south of Coffs Harbour, is the ideal place to spend a morning or afternoon exploring the rainforest on horseback in a beautiful National Park.
At Valery Trails, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a horse fanatic who can’t go on holiday without longing to go for a ride, someone who’s ridden before but isn’t all that experienced, or an absolute beginner who’s never even so much as touched a horse before.
With more than 60 very well disciplined horses, its guided horse tours cater to all levels of ability and all ages. The accredited horse riding centre has been successfully running horseback tours for over 25 years.
The stables are situated in the small locality of Valery, on the edge of pristine Bongil Bongil National Park.
Guided 2-hour trail rides take place every morning at 10am and every afternoon at 2pm. You’ll be introduced to a suitable, well-trained horse and taught some basic commands before following your experienced, qualified guide into the forest.
The 2-hour ride costs $50 per adult and $45 per child, which includes helmets, insurance, free coffee, tea, cordial and biscuits and the use of Valery Trail’s barbecue facilities and swimming pool.
Valery Trails also runs a Kids Club during school term, a very popular Kids Camp during school holidays, Parents’ Rides, Ladies Days and 1-hour rides. They can also make arrangements for special events such as birthday parties.
Bookings are essential and can be made by phone on (02) 6653 4301 or online at www.valerytrails.com.au
Ristorante Piccolo is a small and intimate Italian restaurant on Coffs Harbour’s famous ‘eat street’, the Jetty Strip. Not your average mainstream Italian eatery, Piccolo’s warm atmosphere with its cosy pillows and wooden furniture immediately sets it apart from the rest.
The restaurant is the brainchild of Craig and Kerry Scott, two experienced hospitality operators who had already turned the next-door Foreshores Café into a resounding success.
“Quality in everything we do” was their clear brief when designing Ristorante Piccolo. With duck feather down cushioned seating and pillows throughout the restaurant, you’re sure to get the best seat in the house no matter where you sit.
Of course, the food is fabulous too. The theme for the restaurant’s dinner menu is Modern Italian cuisine, and Head Chef Malcolm Bendrey has definitely raised the bar on the Jetty Dining Strip. From hand-rolled pasta right through to delectable desserts – including traditional Tiramisu and freshly churned sorbet – everything on the menu is created on the premises.
To ensure only the freshest local produce is used, the menu changes seasonally to reflect what’s on offer. Throughout the year, this includes succulent cuts of meat from grain-fed cattle in our hinterland right down to the best local seafood straight off the boat.
Although Piccolo positions itself as ‘a cut above’, it doesn’t like using the words ‘exclusive’ or ‘fine dining’. Conscious not to exclude anyone, and with prices that are very reasonable, they prefer Piccolo to be referred to as a ‘quality dining experience’.
In fact, in only its second year of operation, Ristorante Piccolo was awarded ‘Best Italian Restaurant’ of the NSW Northern Region by the Restaurant & Catering Association. The restaurant has been going strong ever since and has proven to be a favourite among locals and visitors alike.
Piccolo is located at 390 Harbour Drive, on the Jetty Strip of Restaurants near the harbour and foreshores. The restaurant is BYO and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm. Bookings are recommended. Call (02) 6651 9599 for further information or to make a booking.
Beach to Bush Buggy Tours is the new, fun way to explore Coffs Coast on four wheels.
Guides operate a range of exciting tours which take you off-road along the shores of Boambee Beach, deep into lush rainforest and bushland, cruising along country roads, making stops along the way at lookouts and popular cafes, restaurants, gift shops and attractions.
Beach to Bush Buggy Tours is a popular activity for those wanting a guided tour with a difference. You can choose from;
• 15 minute ‘Quickie’ ride from the beach to the city centre
• thrilling ride along Boambee Beach
• an early morning beach ride before being delivered to a café or restaurant of your choice for breakfast
• scenic tour of the quaint township of Sawtell
• scenic tour through rainforests of the Bruxner Park Flora Reserve and up to Sealy Point Lookout with 360 degree views over Coffs Harbour
• drive along country roads to Nana Glen in the Orara Valley, returning through forestlands of Bruxner Park Flora Reserve
• tour the Waterfall Way, though rural farmland to the beautiful Bellinger Valley. Stop for refreshments and gift shopping at the historic Old Butter Factory
Custom tours can be designed to suit your requirements by prior arrangement.
All buggies have seatbelts fitted and are registered for safe on-road and off-road travel.
Rides can take up to three people, with a minimum of 2 persons for all rides and tours. Young children are welcome and a booster seat is available.
You will find the colourful buggies parked at the popular Jetty area most days, which is where most of the tours start from, or you can arrange to be collected from your accommodation.
For more information or to book your ride or tour with Beach to Bush Buggy Tours contact the staff at Coffs Coast Visitor Information Centre on 1300 369 070 or email tourism@coffscoast.com.au
