Rodney Bowen

The 70-thousand or so people that are lucky enough to call Coffs Harbour home, know one thing for sure about this little city, and that is that it totally rocks.

Sure, we may be biased, but stick with me on this one and since you’re here or considering a visit, you too will soon know this for certain yourself.

Enviable Climate

Australia’s peak scientific body, the CSIRO has deemed Coffs Harbour to have one of the most liveable climate’s in Australia. The winters are mild, the summer is warm, and spring and Autumn are just delightful.

Solitary Islands Marine Park

The city sits on the doorstep of the Solitary Islands Marine Park, is surrounded by national parks and is blessed with some of the country’s most beautiful beaches.

Seems unfair really that one little area should be so richly blessed, but this little patch of paradise often goes under the radar, with travellers bypassing it on their way further north or heading south to Sydney.

But if you’ve chanced a day or two here, or you’re lucky enough to score a longer stay, you won’t be disappointed. Get in touch with Jetty Dive or the Whale Watching Charters to explore the solitary islands first hand.

Shopping & Dining

Natural assets are one thing, but Coffs also boasts some fantastic dining options and of course, shopping.

Coffs Central is just a couple of hundred metre’s stroll from the CBD Motor Inn and it is sure to satisfy your retail therapy needs. Of course, there’s your Big W and K-mart but for a fashion fix there’s also some wonderful independently owned boutique’s like Lily and Sapphire, Sensara and Uptown Local and for the luxe shopper, Nik and She, offering all the premium brands including the likes of Camilla, Zimmerman, Spell and Bec and Bridge.

While you’re there grab a coffee at one of the top little cafés that line the mall, Cocoa’s is always a winner or stop in and enjoy the smells and tastes of Pansabella, a café, florist and gourmet deli all rolled into one. Or if you are looking for a cheeky gelato, Sotto Gelato offers authentic Italian gelato and sweets.

If you’re looking for some wonderful fresh produce, such as fruits, salads, deli meats, cheese and snack for your stay, head to Frescos in Coffs Central (300 metres) – they have a great choice of goods on offer. Plus, Bakers Delight, Boost Juice, K’Pane Bakery and Muffin Break are all located within Coffs Central too.

For night time dining choices close to the CBD Motor Inn check out our ‘Cheap Eats’ blog post.

Enjoy!

Now let’s get one thing straight from the start, you’re not in Uber Eats territory any more, Toto! That movement hasn’t quite extended to our wonderful part of the world just yet, but fear not, because good food is in abundance and all at your doorstep or just a phone call away, if you’d prefer to stay put and dine in the comfort of your motel room.

The C.ex Coffs club is one of many offerings within a stone’s throw of the CBD Motor Inn (100 metres). Its Brasserie Restaurant offers simple, wholesome meals and has a menu that changes seasonally, as well as, the Rib Eye on Vernon offering more upmarket style fare open on weekends.

For a more casual setting, take your pick from the three hotels all on Grafton Street in the Coffs Harbour CBD and all a short walk away, The Plantation Hotel, The Coffs Hotel and another hundred metres or so further along The Coast Hotel. It’s typical pub grub fare, with The Coast the most upmarket of the three options, while The Coffs, offers a nightly $10.95 dinner menu.

Another little gem along Grafton Street is arguably Coffs Harbour’s best sushi joint. Hungry Bears (400 metres) is a cosy little venue with super friendly staff. Everything is made fresh to order and you can eat in or order ahead and take-away.

The mall area of Coffs Central, also within a short stroll of the CBD Motor Inn (200 metres), is home to CreAsian, a local favourite offering a tasty blend of what they refer to as “Asian fusion cuisine”. It’s a little pricier than the nearby Suban Thai (just around the corner, 400 metres) and Win’s Thai Kitchen (on Moonee Street – 500 metres) but for a dine in experience, it’s definitely worth the extra.

Plus, for daytime eats, there’s a huge variety of cafes within the CBD and Coffs Central Shopping area including favourites: Pansabella, Depot and Cocoa. There’s also a food court on level two of Coffs Central for quick eats too.

For a pizza fix, Amalfi’s Italian Pizzeria is a local institution and just a street back from the hotel on Moonee Street (500 meters), a little up from Win’s Thai. They serve up seriously good pizzas at a super reasonable price, and a hot tip from the locals: try their namesake pizza “The Amalfi”. Along the same stretch of Moonee Street is Taste of North India, Ethiopian restaurant Mana Chita and a Mr Deng’s Chinese. The biggest struggle will be making a choice.

Enjoy!

Whether it be for work or pleasure, travelling isn’t generally conducive to maintaining a regular fitness regime, it’s far too easy to allow yourself a reprieve and put it down to having no opportunity. Well, I’m here to tell you that excuse simply won’t work around here. Yep, fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it) options abound, and most are within walking distance of the motel.

Best get to work finding some more excuses!

But in the meantime, here’s a few ideas to try and sway you away from a night of Netflix and relaxing in your super comfy motel room (just for an hour or two, come on it’ll be fun)!

A very short stroll from the hotel (if it wasn’t for the trees, you could see it from the carpark) is the city’s Olympic swimming pool. Open all year round and with a 25-metre heated pool option, swimming is a great and low-impact way of keeping fit. And if laps aren’t your thing, there’s also aqua fit classes five times a week.

Yogis are well catered for with a fantastic yoga studio One Conscious Breath located two streets away on Vernon Street, or another five minutes stroll further on is a specialist Pilates and Yoga centre Beyond Movement. Both offer casual rates and newcomers are warmly welcomed.

For higher intensity workouts, another option is Genesis Fitness on Park Avenue. Genesis gyms are in 42 locations Australia-wide so if you’re already a member in your hometown you can use the gym here while you’re travelling. If not, casuals are welcome.

And then of course, if all else fails, you can stick to the old two feet and a heartbeat. Starting behind the Olympic pool you can join the Coffs Creek Walk, a shared path and cycle way ideal for walking or running. The trail incorporates some of the city’s major attractions – the Botanic Gardens, Coffs Creek, Dolphin Marine Magic and Park Beach. The whole loop is around nine kilometres, but you can make it as short or as long as your legs will let you!