New South Wales - Australia 2004 - page 203

to Coffs Harbour from Sydney. Several coach companies, including Greyhound
Pioneer ( & 13 20 30 in Australia) and McCafferty's ( & 13 14 99 in Australia),
make the trip from Sydney in about 9 hours. A Countrylink ( & 13 22 32 in Aus-
tralia) train from Sydney costs A$79 (US$52).
VISITOR INFORMATION The Coffs Harbour Visitors Information Cen-
tre ( & 1800/025 650 in Australia, or 02/6652 1522) is just off the Pacific High-
way, at the corner of Rose Avenue and Marcia Street, 2 blocks north of the city
center. It's open daily from 9am to 5pm. A good general website is www.holiday
coast.com.au.
GETTING AROUND If you don't have a car, you can get around on the
Coffs Harbour Coaches ( & 02/6652 2877 ), which runs day trips around the
local area on weekdays (including a town tour on Mon, and a trip to the mag-
nificent Dorrigo National Park on Wed). Blue Tongue Transport ( & 1800/
258 386 in Australia, or 02/6651 8566) offers smaller group tours of Dorrigo
National Park daily costing A$50 (US$33) for adults and A$40 (US$26) for
children; a morning city tour for A$11 (US$7.15); and an upmarket afternoon
champagne tour of town for A$22 (US$14).
VISITING THE BIG BANANA & OTHER THINGS TO DO
You can't miss the 10m (33-ft.) reinforced concrete banana alongside the high-
way at the Big Banana Theme Park ( & 02/6652 4355 ), 3km (2 miles) north
of town. The park includes an air-conditioned, diesel-powered train that takes
visitors on a 1-hour tour of the 18-hectare (44-acre) banana plantation that con-
tains some 18,000 banana trees. Along the route it passes various off-the-wall
exhibits relating to farming, Aborigines, and local history. It stops at the prop-
erty's hydroponic glasshouses and at a viewing platform and cafeteria, which
serves up all things banana—cakes, breads, splits, shakes, and so on. The park is
open daily from 9am to 4:30pm (3pm in winter). Admission is free, but the
train tour costs A$10 (US$6.50) for adults, A$6 (US$3.90) for children, and
A$25 (US$16) for families. I had my doubts about this place before I visited,
but I ended up charmed—even if it was simply by the wackiness of the place.
The Coffs Harbour Zoo ( & 02/6656 1330 ), 10 minutes north of town on
the Pacific Highway, has plenty of koalas, as well as wombats, kangaroos, din-
goes, Tasmanian devils, waterbirds, and aviaries. The award-winning native gar-
dens are full of wild birds expecting a feed. The zoo is open daily from 8:30am
to 4pm. Admission is A$12 (US$7.80) for adults, A$6 (US$3.90) for children,
and A$30 (US$20) for families.
A free natural attraction is Mutton Bird Island, which you can get to via the
Coffs Harbour jetty. A steep path leads up the side of the island, but views from
the top are worth it. Between September and April the island is home to thou-
sands of shearwaters (or mutton birds), which make their nests in burrows in the
ground.
If you prefer fish, try diving with gray nurse sharks, manta rays, and moray
eels with Island Snorkle and Dive ( & 02/6654 2860 ) or Dive Quest ( & 02/
6654 1930 ). The Pamela Star ( & 02/6658 4379 ) offers good-value deep-
sea-fishing trips including all tackle and bait, and lunch, for A$60 (US$39). The
boat leaves Coffs Harbour jetty at 7:30am and returns at 1:30pm daily.
For a taste of gold fever, head to George's Gold Mine, 40km (25 miles) west
of Coffs Harbour on Bushman's Range Road ( & 02/6654 5355 or 02/6654
5273). You get to go into an old-time gold mine, see the “stamper battery”