The advertising slogan for Coffs Harbour, on the north coast of New South Wales, calls it the "Holiday Coast." This is no exaggeration: Formerly called the "Banana Coast", because of the large banana plantations that exist there, tourism has become the largest industry in the area. The same subtropical climate that makes it ideal for growing bananas is a large part of its attraction for tourists.
Tourism in Coffs Harbour is a relatively recent development. According to legend, the first settlers there were escaped convicts. In the 1840s, the densely forested area started to be exploited for its timber. The harbor, too, was a bustling hive of activity until the 1865 Carywell ship wreck. For many years after that, it was considered too dangerous, until finally a lighthouse was erected in 1878.
Compared with fishing and forestry, banana growing was a relative latecomer to Coffs Harbour, but not long after banana plantations were established, the region became known as the "banana belt" and the "banana coast." The fact that the banana plantations extended almost to the edge of the busy Pacific Highway had something to do with this, but the construction of the "Big Banana" at the northern end of Coffs Harbour had more to do with it. For over forty years, the Big Banana has been a major Coffs Harbour attraction.
The first bananas were grown in Coffs Harbour towards the end of the 19th century, but the industry didn’t become big there until the 1920s, when a disease devastated banana crops north of the area. When the railway line was completed in 1923, Coffs Harbour finally became easily accessible from Sydney and the local tourism industry began.
Tourism never stopped developing in Coffs Harbour. The combination of balmy weather and clear, warm ocean waters made it popular with ocean loving Australians and the region is famous for surfing, fishing, scuba diving, whale watching and just plain lounging at the beach.
Of course, as tourism grew, so did the opportunities for tourist oriented businesses. Today, Coffs Harbour and surrounding areas are a shopper’s cornucopia. Aside from all the local enterprises, smaller communities like Bellingen, in the hinterland to the west of Coffs Harbour are famous throughout Australia for their arts and crafts communities. In Bellingen, establishments like the Old Butter Factory and the Yellow Shed offer hand crafted gifts, souvenirs, furniture and homewares that can be found nowhere else in Australia.
Not far from Coffs Harbour is the town of Woolgoolga. You can’t miss it because of the large domed structure that resembles a mini Taj Mahal. Woolgoolga was settled originally primarily by Indian migrants and is famous throughout Australia for having some of the best authentic Indian cuisine in the country.
Clearly, you can’t see everything the Holiday Coast has to offer in just a day or two. Don’t just make the Coffs Harbour area a short stopover. Settle down in a Coffs Harbour accommodation and give yourself time to see everything it has to offer. Don’t limit yourself to the town center and beaches, either. Explore the towns and villages all around Coffs Harbour and you will see firsthand why it is called the Holiday Coast.
