Anemone Bay

Grey Nurse Shark Gutters

Muttonbird Island

North Solitary Island

North West Solitary

South Solitary Island: Buchanans Wall

South Solitary Island: The Elbow

South Solitary Island: The Gantry

South Solitary Island: Manta Arch

South Solitary Island: Shark Gutters

Split Solitary

Coffs Harbour offers a diverse and growing food scene that reflects its position as a major regional center on the NSW north coast. The Jetty Strip, near the marina and dive operator departure point, is the culinary heart with excellent seafood restaurants, modern Australian bistros, and casual cafes overlooking the harbor. Fresh seafood is the highlight, with the Coffs Harbour fishing fleet bringing in daily catches of snapper, kingfish, flathead, and prawns that appear on menus across the city. The surrounding region produces excellent tropical fruits, avocados, and macadamia nuts, and the farmers markets held throughout the week showcase the local bounty. The nearby village of Sawtell offers charming cafe culture with beachside dining, while Woolgoolga to the north provides a quieter alternative with excellent local restaurants. The region's craft beer scene includes several local breweries producing excellent ales and lagers.

Pacific Bay Resort Coffs Harbour

BreakFree Aanuka Beach Resort

Park Beach Resort Coffs Harbour

Hoey Moey Backpackers

Coffs Harbour, located on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, is one of Australia's premier temperate-water diving destinations, famous for the Solitary Islands Marine Park and its extraordinary grey nurse shark aggregations that rank among the best shark diving experiences in the world. The Solitary Islands, a chain of small rocky islands located 15-20 kilometers offshore, are the centerpiece of the region's diving, with South Solitary Island offering world-class sites including Manta Arch, The Gantry, Shark Gutters, Buchanans Wall, and The Elbow, each providing encounters with large numbers of grey nurse sharks during the winter months, along with massive schools of kingfish, trevally, and other pelagic species. The marine park also encompasses North Solitary Island, Split Solitary, and North West Solitary, each surrounded by rocky reef systems with outstanding marine biodiversity, from vibrant sponge gardens and kelp forests to dramatic underwater cliffs and gutters. The inshore diving includes Anemone Bay, Muttonbird Island, and various sites accessible from Coffs Harbour's marina, providing options for all skill levels and conditions. The Solitary Islands Marine Park, established in 1998, has been instrumental in protecting the grey nurse shark population and the broader marine ecosystem, with the no-take sanctuary zones allowing fish populations to recover and thrive. The region's warm temperate waters, influenced by the East Australian Current, support a remarkable diversity of tropical and temperate species, making every dive an opportunity to encounter something unexpected, from passing manta rays and sunfish to rare nudibranchs and the iconic leafy sea dragon.

New South Wales – Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour is accessed via Coffs Harbour Airport (CFS), which receives direct flights from Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne via regional carriers, or a scenic drive along the Pacific Highway (approximately 6 hours north of Sydney or 5 hours south of Brisbane). The Coffs Harbour Marina is the main departure point for dive trips to the Solitary Islands, with boat rides of 40-60 minutes to the offshore islands. Several well-established dive operators run daily trips to the Solitary Islands during favorable weather, and the sheltered marina provides year-round access to the inshore diving sites. The Coffs Harbour region is also accessible by train from Sydney and Brisbane via the NSW TrainLink XPT service, and the compact city center means that accommodation, dining, and dive operators are all within easy reach.

Dive Sites in New South Wales – Coffs Harbour