Coffs Harbour

Coordinates: -30.30228°N, 153.1189°W
 * ''For the state electoral district, see Electoral district of Coffs Harbour.

Coffs Harbour is a coastal city located on the north coast of New South Wales about 540 km north of Sydney and 440 km south of Brisbane. The region has a population of nearly 70,000 that swells to over 100,000 in the holiday season. Popular with people wanting to relocate from big cities to small towns on the coast or in rural areas, Coffs Harbour continues to grow at an exceptional rate, with a population projection of 80,014 by the year 2016. According to the CSIRO, Coffs Harbour has the most livable climate in Australia and is nestled between a high mountain backdrop and dozens of unspoiled beaches. Coffs Harbour's economy is based mainly on farming (of bananas), tourism, and manufacturing. The town has a university (Southern Cross University), a hospital, several radio stations, and three major shopping centres. Coffs Harbour is near numerous national parks, including a marine national park. There are multiple flights per day by QantasLink, by Virgin Blue, and by Regional Express from Coffs Harbour to Sydney, Brisbane, and Newcastle. Coffs Harbour is also accessible by road, by Countrylink trains, and by regular bus services.

Geography
The greater Coffs Harbour city is broken up into several suburb and precinct areas including:
 * Boambee
 * Toormina
 * Coffs Harbour City Centre (City Centre)
 * Coffs Harbour Jetty (Jetty)
 * Diggers Beach
 * Korora
 * Moonee Beach
 * Park Beach
 * Red Hill
 * South Coffs
 * West Coffs
 * West Korora
 * Sapphire Beach

The city is surrounded by outlying towns that have established themselves and are sometimes referred to as suburbs of the Coffs Coast Region:
 * Bellingen
 * Coramba
 * Nana Glen
 * Corindi/Red Rock
 * Dorrigo
 * Karangi
 * Upper Orara
 * Sawtell (Including Toormina and East Boambee)
 * Woolgoolga

Sawtell, 10 km south along Hogbin Drive from the city has become a satellite suburb of Coffs Harbour, with it increasingly referred to as being part of the city instead of it's own entity as a town.

Coffs Harbour is also one of many regional cities along the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and The Gold Coast. The city's close proximity to the centre of the mid and north coasts makes it a comfortable drive from either end of the highway. Some of the regional cities that scatter the highway include Tweed Heads, Ballina, Grafton, Kempsey, Port Macquarie and Taree. It has become a major service centre for those living between South West Rocks in the south and Grafton to the north.

The surrounding region is dominated by coastal resorts and apartments with hinterland hills and mountains covered by forests, banana plantations, and other farms. It is the only place in New South Wales where the Great Dividing Range meets the Pacific Ocean.

History
By the early 1900s, the Coffs Harbour area had become an important timber production centre. Before the opening of the North Coast Railway Line, the only way to transport large items of heavy but low value, such as timber, was by coastal shipping. This meant sawmillers on the North Coast were dependent on jetties either in rivers or off beaches for exporting their timber. Timber tramways were constructed to connect the timber-getting areas, the sawmills and jetties built into the ocean at Coffs Harbour.

Name
Coffs Harbour owes its name to John Korff, who named the area Korff's Harbour when he was forced to take shelter from storm in the area in 1847. Its name was accidentally changed by the surveyor for the crown when he reserved land in the area during 1861.

Attractions
Coffs Harbour is the hub for a thriving banana industry. One of the biggest attractions is the Big Banana, the first of Australia's Big Things (it celebrated its 40th Birthday in 2005), with the World's Largest Banana celebrating the region's best known export. There is also a popular underwater diving spot on a small natural reef.

The Coffs Harbour Jetty is an historically important timber wharf where coastal shipping once moved the timber from the hinterland. The Jetty area is the subject of current planning by Council and consultants to develop a cultural precinct and rejuvenated residential area.

Nearby the Solitary Islands Marine Park preserves a diverse underwater ecosystem that mirrors the terrestrial biodiversity, covering the southern limit of northern tropical species and the northern limits of the southern temperate species. Directly out to sea from Coffs Harbour adjacent to the man-made breakwater is Muttonbird Island. The island is a nature reserve protecting a significant Wedge-tailed Shearwater breeding site.

There are many National Parks, Reserves and Marine Parks surrounding the city, including:
 * Bellinger River National Park (west of Bellingen in the Bellinger headwaters)
 * Bindarri National Park (20km west of the city, near Ulong and Dairyville)
 * Bongil Bongil National Park (south of Sawtell)
 * Cascade National Park (north of Dorrigo)
 * Coffs Coast Regional Park (beachside reserves and parks along the Coffs Coast)
 * Dorrigo National Park (just south of the Dorrigo township)
 * Hayden Dent Nature Reserve (North West of Coffs Harbour)
 * Junuy Juluum National Park (north of Dorrigo)
 * Moonee Beach Nature Reserve (Moonee Beach-Emerald Beach)
 * Nymboi-Binderay National Park (north of Dorrigo, east of Glenreigh, on the Nymboida River)
 * Solitary Islands Marine Park (in the Tasman Sea from Coffs Harbour to Wooli)
 * Ulidarra National Park (Bruxner Park]] and Mount Coramba area)
 * Yuraygir National Park (stretching from Yamba to Red Rock and west along the Coast Range)

The town's water supply comes from the nearby Orara River at Cochranes Pool and the city hosts the Coffs Harbour Regional Botanic Garden.

Education
Coffs Harbour is home to the Coffs Harbour Education Campus (CHEC), a unique concept which is a partnership between the Southern Cross University, TAFE and the Coffs Harbour Senior College. Local State and Private High Schools include the Senior College, Woolgoolga, Orara, Coffs Harbour (Jetty), Toormina, John Paul College, Coffs Harbour Christian Community and Bishop Druitt College.

Bypass
Although the Pacific Highway cuts through the centre of the city, much attention has recently been focused on obtaining state government commitment to determining the routes of proposed highway deviations at a number of places including Bonville, the North Boambee Valley to the west of Coffs Harbour and north of Arrawarra to Wells Crossing.

Newspapers

 * The Coffs Harbour Advocate - Daily newspaper, printed Monday to Saturday. Wednesday and Saturday editions delivered free to all homes, other days available by subscription.
 * Coffs Coast Independent - Weekly full colour newspaper delivered free each Thursday to all homes in the Coffs Harbour district.

Commercial

 * 2CS FM 106.3 – Converted from AM 639. Macquarie Southern Cross Radio network shows from Hobart, Gold Coast and Albury; the rest of the time it is an "Adult Hits" station. The station takes the Charles Wooley Across Australia program from Hobart.
 * Star FM 105.5/105.1 – Hot AC station that is networked. Commenced in 1997 as a third commercial license for the Coffs Coast.
 * 2HC 639 AM – Music, news, talk format. Part of the Broadcast Operations Group's Super Network continuously relaying programs from 2SM in Sydney except for the Steve Price Morning Show from between 9am and 11am which comes from 2UE. The station was purchased by Bill Caralis in 2005.

Government

 * Triple J 91.5 FM
 * Radio National 99.5 FM
 * Classic FM 97.9 FM
 * ABC Mid North Coast 92.3 FM

Community

 * 2CHY FM 104.1
 * Racing Radio 107.1 FM
 * 2AIR FM 107.9
 * 2 I AM FM (Christian Community Radio)

Narrowcast

 * RawFM 88.0 FM

Analog/digital stations

 * ABC TV
 * SBS TV
 * Southern Cross Ten
 * Prime Television
 * NBN Television

Bus
Busways, Sawtell Coaches, and Ryans Bus Service all run service throughout Coffs Harbour and the surrounding areas. The various coach services which run along the east coast also stop at Coffs Harbour.

Busways North Coast Coffs Harbour Services include For More information Visit www.busways.com.au
 * 360 Bowraville, Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Urunga, Coffs Harbour
 * 361 Bellingen,Urunga, Coffs Harbour
 * 359 Nambucca Heads, Uurnga, Bellingen
 * 358 Macksville, Nambucca Heads,Valla Beach
 * 353 Macksville, Scotts Head
 * 360 Park Beach Plaza, Park Avenue Via Pacific Highway
 * 365 Park Beach Plaza, Park Avenue Via The Jetty
 * 366 Park Beach Plaza, Park Avenue Via Frances Street
 * 367 Park Beach Plaza, Park Avenue Via West Coffs Harbour

Sawtell Coaches Services include
 * 362 Boambee to Coffs Harbour via Boambee East, Centro Tormina, Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour CBD and Coffs Harbour Showground
 * 363 Boambee to Coffs Harbour via Centro Tormina, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour Airport, Botanical Gardens, Coffs Harbour CBD and Coffs Harbour Showground
 * 364 Sawtell to Coffs Harbour via Centro Tormina, University, Airport, Coffs Harbour Botanical Gardens, Coffs Harbour CBD and Showgrounds

Services all combine to do a less frequent weekend run. See www.sawtellcoaches.com.au for more information.

Ryans Bus Service runs frequent buses to the northern suburbs of Coffs Harbour and some less frequent services to Grafton. Visit http://www.ryansbusservice.com.au/ for more information.

Train
Coffs Harbour is serviced by Countrylink Railway Services. Three northbound and three southbound XPT trains stop at Coffs Harbour Railway Station each day. Services include

Northbound

3.24pm Casino XPT

12.58am Grafton XPT

8.30pm Brisbane XPT

Southbound

7.41am Grafton XPT 12.49pm Brisbane XPT

10.00pm Casino XPT

Taxis
Local taxis are run by Coffs Harbour Taxi Cab Network

Air travel
Coffs Harbour Regional Airport is the local airport serving the region, and is regularly serviced by Qantas, Virgin Blue, and Brindabella Airlines. The passenger terminal is accessible via Hogbin Drive.

The Coffs Harbour Aero Club on Aviation Drive supports private pilots, but there is currently no instructor to train new pilots.

Sport
The city is home to the Coffs Coast International Stadium, which has hosted FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and a Women's 2008 Beijing Olympics Qualification fixtures for the Matildas in Football as well as some NRL Pre-Season fixtures and Domestic One Day Cricket matches.

Annual events

 * Pittwater to Coffs Yacht Race (January)
 * National Touch League (March)
 * Coffs Coast International Buskers Festival (October)
 * http://www.marchsamusements.com/ Jetty Carnival
 * http://www.coffsracingclub.com.au/content.asp?id=32 Coffs cup