Myall Lakes National Park
Tourism New South Wales

Highlights

Coffs Harbour

During the holiday season the population of Coffs quadruples. Attractions include the Big Banana, marking one of  the area’s largest industries; the Pet Porpoise Pool, which features trained sea mammals; and Muttonbird Island,  the breeding ground of thousands of wedge-tailed shearwaters, which you can access via a short walk along the sea wall.

Bellingen Bat Island

This 3-hectare island, in the centre of Bellingen, is home to a colony of around 40 000 grey-headed flying foxes (fruit bats). At dusk you can witness the bats setting off in search of food, filling the sky to spectacular effect in the process. The best time to see them is between September and March; access is via Bellingen Caravan Park in Dowle Street. Don’t forget your hat.

Myall Lakes

The ‘Murmuring Myalls’ are 10 000 ha of connected lakes protected from the South Pacific by a long line of windswept dunes. Hire a houseboat and explore the calm waters, or enjoy fishing, windsurfing or canoeing. There are 40 km of spectacular beaches and lookouts along the adjoining coast.

Timbertown

This re-created 1880s sawmilling village near Wauchope is a step back in time to the days of horsedrawn wagons, bullock teams and blacksmiths. Features include a wood-turning workshop, a
craft gallery and a leather goods outlet; the activities range from rides on a restored steam train to sleeper-cutting demonstrations. Australian bush songs, roast meats and damper can be enjoyed in the
authentic 1880s hotel.

Dorrigo National Park

This World Heritage-listed park preserves rugged escarpment country and the continent’s most accessible area of temperate rainforest. There are excellent walking tracks, lookouts and picnic areas, and opportunities to see lyrebirds and brush turkeys. The popular Skywalk is an elevated walkway high above the rainforest canopy.

Focus On: Beaches

Just like the towns here, the beaches of this region cover both ends of the scale; you can
choose a stretch of sand with a lively social scene, a secluded inlet, or one of the many
options in between. Elizabeth Beach (near Forster) is calm, seasonally patrolled and
popular with families. Solitude seekers and nature lovers should explore the bays and
coves protected by Crowdy Bay National Park. Further north, top spots include Crescent
Head (popular with surfers, particularly longboard riders), South West Rocks, the beaches
of Hat Head National Park and those around Coffs Harbour.