Coffs Harbour
On the Pacific Ocean, 250 miles south of Brisbane and 330 miles north of Sydney, the popular seaside destination of Coffs Harbour is celebrated for having the island reserve of Muttonbird Island. (Muttonbird is the colloquial name for the Wedge-tailed shearwater, a rare bird that breeds on the island.) Coffs Harbour itself has everything needed for good living—clean beaches, a tropical ambience and flora, a university (Southern Cross), nearby national parks, including one in the ocean, a pleasant climate, and a downtown botanic garden along the city's river. Coffs Harbour MICE venues take full advantage of this natural beauty. The city's air hub, Coffs Harbour Airport (CFS), has service to Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne and is three miles southeast of downtown. There also is good train service to these cities. Chief among MICE venues in Coffs Harbour is the C.ex Club, which has space for up to 1,000 persons, as well as five meeting rooms, a private dining room, and banquet space for 450. MICE hotels in Coffs Harbour include the 130-room Novotel Coffs Harbour Pacific Bay Resort, which has nine meeting rooms, the largest seating 800 persons, and banquet space for up to 320 persons the 160-room Opal Cove Resort, which has seven meeting rooms, banquet space for up to 350 persons, meeting space for 550 and reception space for 750; the 135-room BreakFree Aanuka Beach Resort, which has three meeting spaces for up to 180 persons; and the 30-room Bonville Golf Resort, which has three meeting rooms for up to 200 theater-style and the ability to host 1,000 on its golf coast, which is often voted Australia's most scenic. In the Sapphire Beach district, in the city's north, is the 93-room Aqualuna Beach Resort, which has three meeting rooms that combine to form one large function area. Places able to host unique functions include the Coffs Harbour Catholic Club, “Club Coffs,” which has six meeting rooms, space for up to 600 persons, three bowling alleys, and four tennis courts; the Regional Botanic Garden, which sits beside Coff Creek, has Japanese elements and can cater to groups in the Pavilion and on the Prime Display Area Lawn; and Nana Glen Sport, Recreation and Equestrian Centre, which has all things horses, as well as tennis courts and outdoor event space from which 150 species of birds have been spotted. Short journeys away are Two Tails Wines (15 miles to the northwest), which is in the Orara Valley and has B&B accommodation, too, and the Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre (25 miles north of Coffs Harbour along the Pacific Coast), which is the homeland of the Garby Elders and Gumbaynggirr peoples, has a perfect setting amid bush and beaches, and boasts a cafe, indigenous art gallery, an events center, and accommodations. Restaurants in Coffs Harbour include Fiasco (ignore the name, it's good), which has an Italian menu; waterside Shearwater Restaurant, which has space for groups of up to 100 persons; Zulus Restaurant & Bar, which does offer an African menu as its name suggests, and has garnered awards for its menu; Finz on the Beach, which has a great beachside setting within the aforementioned BreakFree Aanuka Beach Resort; and, a few miles south of downtown, Taste, which is in the community of Sawtell and which has won awards for its fine dining, with French and Asian influences.
Weather and Seasonality
Coffs Harbour Weather and Seasonality
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