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Coffs Harbour is a coastal city located on the
north coast of New South Wales about 540 km (340
miles) north of Sydney, 385 km (240 miles) north of
Newcastle, and 440 km (275 miles) south of Brisbane.
The region has a wintertime population of over
70,000 people that swells to 100,000 in the vacation
seasons. Popular with people wanting to relocate
from big cities to small towns on the coast or in
rural areas, Coffs Harbour continues to grow at an
exceptional rate, with a population projection of
80,000 by the year 2016. According to the CSIRO,
Coffs Harbour has the most livable climate in
Australia, and it is nestled between a high mountain
backdrop and dozens of "unspoiled" beaches. Coffs
Harbour's economy is based mainly on farming (of
bananas), tourism, and manufacturing. The town
has a university (the Southern Cross University), a
public hospital, and a private hospital,
several radio stations, and three major shopping
centres. Coffs Harbour is near numerous National
Parks, including a Marine National Park. There are
multiple flights per day by QantasLink, by Virgin
Blue, and by Brindabella Airlines from Coffs Harbour
to Sydney, Brisbane, and Newcastle. Coffs Harbour is
also accessible by road, by Countrylink trains, and
by regular bus services.
Geography
Sawtell, 10 km south along Hogbin Drive from the
city has become a satellite suburb of Coffs Harbour,
with it increasingly referred to as being part of
the city instead of its own entity as a town.
Coffs Harbour is also one of many regional cities
along the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and The
Gold Coast. The city's close proximity to the centre
of the mid and north coasts makes it a comfortable
drive from either end of the highway. Some of the
regional cities that scatter the highway include
Tweed Heads, Ballina, Grafton, Kempsey, Port
Macquarie and Taree. It has become a major service
centre for those living between South West Rocks in
the south and Grafton to the north.
The surrounding region is dominated by coastal
resorts and apartments with hinterland hills and
mountains covered by forests, banana plantations,
and other farms. It is the only place in New South
Wales where the Great Dividing Range meets the
Pacific Ocean.
Attractions
Coffs Harbour is the hub for a thriving banana
industry. One of the biggest attractions is the Big
Banana, the first of Australia's Big Things (it
celebrated its 40th Birthday in 2005), with the
World's Largest Banana celebrating the region's best
known export. There is also a popular underwater
diving spot on a small natural reef.
The Coffs Harbour Jetty is an historically important
timber wharf where coastal shipping once moved the
timber from the hinterland. The Jetty area is the
subject of current planning by Council and
consultants to develop a cultural precinct and
rejuvenated residential area.
Nearby the Solitary Islands Marine Park preserves a
diverse underwater ecosystem that mirrors the
terrestrial biodiversity, covering the southern
limit of northern tropical species and the northern
limits of the southern temperate species. Directly
out to sea from Coffs Harbour adjacent to the human
engineered breakwater is Muttonbird Island. The
island is a nature reserve protecting a significant
Wedge-tailed Shearwater breeding site.
There are many National Parks, Reserves and Marine
Parks surrounding the city, including:
Bellinger River National Park (west of Bellingen in
the Bellinger headwaters)
Bindarri National Park (20 km west of the city, near
Ulong and Dairyville)
Bongil Bongil National Park (south of Sawtell)
Cascade National Park (north of Dorrigo)
Coffs Coast Regional Park (beachside reserves and
parks along the Coffs Coast)
Dorrigo National Park (just south of the Dorrigo
township)
Hayden Dent Nature Reserve (North West of Coffs
Harbour)
Junuy Juluum National Park (north of Dorrigo)
Moonee Beach Nature Reserve (Moonee Beach-Emerald
Beach)
Nymboi-Binderay National Park (north of Dorrigo,
east of Glenreigh, on the Nymboida River)
Solitary Islands Marine Park (in the Tasman Sea from
Coffs Harbour to Wooli)
Ulidarra National Park (Bruxner Park and Mount
Coramba area)
Yuraygir National Park (stretching from Yamba to Red
Rock and west along the Coast Range)
The town's water supply comes from the nearby Orara
River at Cochranes Pool and the city hosts the Coffs
Harbour Regional Botanic Garden.
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