Top Things to Do on the Coffs Coast these School Holidays
Visitors to Coffs Harbour from Sydney wondering what to do in Coffs Harbour with kids (a post on a local Facebook group I’m part of).
If you’re visiting the Coffs Harbour region these school holidays, I bet you’re looking for some fun things to do with the kids. Now if you’ve Googled this, you’ve likely been told all the top businesses to visit (I’m looking at you, Big Banana) but did you know there are heaps of free and cheap activities to do too? You could spend weeks (or years, in our case) here, without visiting the big paid attractions. The Coffs Harbour region is incredible for so many reasons. I find it crazy that people who visit here struggle to find things to do. So, here’s a local’s guide of family activities to do around the Coffs Coast these school holidays.
Free/Cheap Family Activities in Coffs Harbour:
Kids stand up paddleboarding at Boambee Creek
Kids exploring the Woolgoolga Creek Falls Track, NSW
Exploring the rock pools at Shelley Beach near the Look at Me Now Headland, NSW
Kids feeding seagulls at Bonville Headland, Sawtell NSW
Kids pausing to look at a giant tree in Dorrigo Rainforest, NSW
Jetty foreshores (playgrounds, picnic areas, BBQs), take scooters and a ball/frisbee for the kids.
The stunning Jetty Beach is gentle for younger kids.
Jetty Marina and Mutton Bird Island (these are great to do together, take some bread to feed the fish in the marina, and climb up the top of Mutton Bird Island for some awesome views. My 4 yr old was able to do the climb, it’s short but steep.).
Coffs Creek for paddling around and fishing (lots of grass area too, for picnics and playing around).
Moonee Creek (a favourite with mums/bubs groups).
Picnic at the headland. Any headland really, but we love Bonville Headland in Sawtell the most! Keep an eye out for whales during season.
Woolgoolga beach and playground. (Also, you’ll want to try some of the food here, there are some nice places around!) If you’re here in September, you might catch the annual Curryfest.
Woolgoolga Creek Falls Track, a gorgeous walking track which crosses the pristine, pebbly creek many times - kids love it here whether you do the hike or just go for a play.
Dorrigo Rainforest walk (nice and shady on a hot day), a good one if you need to go for a decent drive (e.g. putting a baby to sleep…).
Urunga boardwalk and playing in the river – there’s a pontoon for kids to jump off, calm water to float around on, and plenty of spots to go fishing. I recently wrote about Visiting Urunga with Kids.
Bellingen skatepark and bridge – throw rocks in the creek, have a swim, visit Zataar for the best hummus around (I’m just starting to realise so many of my favourite spots involve getting yummy food).
Sawtell Rock Pools
Sawtell Beach and Surf Club
Boambee Creek Reserve – a protected creek area perfect for younger kids to splash safely, and older kids to have fun, bring your big floaty things here. You can hire paddleboards and kayaks here too. There’s also a playground, BBQs and a café (coffee and burgers/hot chips, ice creams).
The Look At Me Now Headland (you’ll see plenty of kangaroos and incredible views too).
Emerald Beach.
Fishing and yabbying at any creek really, but our favourites are Boambee, Coffs and Bonville.
The Toormina BMX track (recently done up, in awesome condition)
The Little Terns dirt track for mountain bikes at the Sawtell Caravan Park. There is a smaller bmx section for younger kids - my son has been riding there since he had a balance bike.
Go mountain bike riding, Coffs has some of the best tracks around.
Surfing, boogie boarding and swimming at any of the amazing beaches – try Emerald Beach, Woolgoolga, the Jetty Beach, or Sawtell for the nicest spots with smaller kids.
Ride scooters/bikes along the Jetty Foreshores track.
Visit the Botanical Gardens.
Bongil Bongil National Park – there is a lovely picnic area and easy walking track here if you’d like to do some bushwalking. We visited here for a family picnic at Bongil Bongil and for a mini-adventure walk/ride with my 3 year old.
Forest Sky Pier and Sealy Lookout (and there’s bushwalking from here too). It’s a fun drive up the mountain, and has amazing views of the region. Warning - you’ll see Treetops (in fact you drive underneath the high ropes course) so if your kids are likely to nag for a go, you’ve been warned.
Visit Red Rock if you’re on the north side of Coffs, it has a gorgeous creek area for paddling and playing around, or an open beach. There is also a playground and picnic areas near the water.
A family looking at a working bee hive, at the Honey Place, Urunga NSW
If The Big Banana is on your list, and you want to know more about the paid attractions, here are some of the most popular places to visit.
Family Attractions in Coffs Harbour
A toddler exploring the dinosaur track at the Butterfly House, Coffs Harbour NSW
The Big Banana (you can visit for free, get your photo, and visit the shop or café, or you can do the whole deal – ice skating, reptile house, water slides, toboggans etc).
The Butterfly House there is always so much going on here, it’s an absolute must-do if anyone in the family is into dinosaurs, there’s a café and heaps more, it’s amazing.
The Clog Barn (see a live demonstration of how clogs are made and visit the mini village).
Visit the Toormina Hotel or Moonee Beach Hotel, which both have awesome play areas for kids, holiday activities on random days (check their websites/socials) and lunch/coffee/wine.
The Honey Place at Urunga (see a bee hive, try different honeys – it’s free to visit but you’ll want to buy some honey).
The Sawtell Cinema (a lovely local icon which admittedly doesn’t show all the latest movies, but usually has the main ones) or the cinemas in Coffs.
Surf lessons in Sawtell or Woolgoolga.
Treetops high ropes course (they have different areas of difficulty, including a special area for preschoolers). We absolutely LOVED Treetops, and share all our tips and info for visiting Treetops with kids.
The Coffs Harbour War Memorial Pool (it has a large indoor pool, outdoor pool and a small water park play area too).
The Playhouse indoor play centre.
Springloaded trampolining and gymnastics (avoid when large holiday group Oosh is there – the website lets you know what times to avoid).
The Coramba Pub for lunch, which has a nice view overlooking country paddocks and there is plenty of room for kids to run around. Then head down to the Coramba Bridge for a swim or to feed the ducks. (Thanks Jessica for this suggestion.)
The National Cartoon Gallery, which often has school holiday exhibitions or activities. Well worth a visit if you have kids who love art or comic books. (Thanks Sharon for this suggeston.)
The Solitary Islands Aquarium, which is quite small but has a lovely play area for kids. It’s indoors so a great choice on a rainy day. They have had random hours since covid, and sometimes they like you to book online, so always check the website before visiting.
The Jetty Memorial Theatre often has a kids show or entertainment during the school holidays (thanks Sarah for this suggestion).
Oh and one more thing, check the wind and tides, these affect which beaches/creeks will be best for whatever you’re looking for. For example, strong northerly winds (which we’re experiencing at the moment) basically wipe out the open beaches, so you want to go somewhere protected – either south-facing or not open to the wind. This can make or break the experience if you’re here on holidays.
We will have family visiting during the holidays and I started this list to think of all the things we could do with the kids. Turns out, they might need to stay for a LOT longer than a week! We’re going to have a blast.
Watch on Instagram
We’ve got heaps of videos and photos of kids exploring many of the places in this list, including the Jetty area, Sawtell rockpools and the Coffs Harbour Botanic Gardens. Head over to our Instagram, and check out the story highlights.
Your Turn
Locals – what have I missed? Let me know in the comments and I’ll update as we go - thanks to everyone who has contributed so far! (I have deliberately left out certain swimming holes inland of the coast because of the controversy over ‘too many tourists’ caused by ‘social media influencers’. Doing my bit to be sustainable.)