Coffs Harbour NSW -
Local attractions in Coffs Harbour

Solitary Islands Marine Park

The Solitary Islands Marine Park spreads approximately 75km from Muttonbird Island near the southern marina of Coffs Harbour to Sandon Bluffs in the north. Productive estuaries, stunning headlands, rock platforms and secluded beaches come together and join one of the state’s most important grouping of offshore islands, the Solitary Islands comparable to the all inclusive Tenerife holidays just off-coast the African continent.

One of the many things that makes this particular area so diverse and interesting is the mixing of the currents. There are warm water currents flowing down from the North Pacific Ocean near the Equator that forms eddies. Those currents then mix with smaller, irregular, northward flowing currents that are slightly colder and within various places of the Marine Park those two currents collide, mix and create an incredibly diverse and spectacular range of marine life.

This incorporation of both marine and estuary waters has long been recognised by the locals and Australian Government as special because of its uniqueness and the sensitivity of the marine’s environment. However, only within the past year or so has the New South Wales declared the entire area and the nearby Solitary Islands as the state’s first Marine Park. The area is jointly protected by National Parks and Wildlife and the State Department of Fisheries.

Coffs Harbour Diving

While diving you will see species that are similar to the Great Barrier Reef, enjoying the incredible corals and then see varieties of fish, such as the Annum, Red Mowong and Blue Gopher swimming right beside you. What makes this so unusual is that these are fish normally found in cooler waters. Although diving is extremely popular in this area because of what one sees and experiences, it is only a small portion of the overall attractions available to enjoy.

Whale watching in Coffs Harbour

Along with the incredible sites you will see under the water, there is plenty to do on the water, on land and on the beaches surrounding the park as well. Sit upon any of the five rock islands that comprise the Solitary Islands and watch as whales migrate, or go kayaking in one of the areas where the waters are not so calm. White water rafting can be found in many places along the 75km stretch of nature that comprises the actual Marine Park.

Whatever your choice is, whether it is to walk along the waters edge, hike the islands, dive into the crystal clear deep blue waters, grab a pole and fish for the day, or sit and watch as the whales make their migrations, there is something magical about this incredible place that will make you want to come back again and again.

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