 We didn’t realise just how beautiful the Coast was, until we flew over it on a scenic flight with Precision Helicopters. The kids were just awestruck, with jaws hanging open in disbelief and joy.
Precision Helicopters offers excellent scenic flights, from the eight minute flight over the Big Banana to the 30 minute trip down the coast to Sawtell, up over the verdant green of the hinterland, over Coramba and Nana Glen, and back to view the sea and islands around Coffs. It’s not that expensive either, with the 15 minute Coastal Experience costing $80 per person for a family of four.
Our pilot, treated us to heart-pounding circling manoeuvres above pods of dolphins frolicking in the shallows below.
 Sealed with a kiss
After seeing the dolphins from the helicopter, we wanted to see them up close, so visited the famous Pet Porpoise Pool. Billed as the world’s most interactive marine park, the Pet Porpoise Pool was voted last year as the best tourism attraction in NSW and it’s easy to see why. Included in the entry fee is the special opportunity for everyone to touch the seals and dolphins and be kissed by them, which is such a treat. I almost fell in love with the dolphin that puckered up on my cheek! The intimacy you enjoy with the animals here really sets the Pet Porpoise Pool apart.
The spectacular show the lovable, leaping, dancing, ball-surfing, rugby-playing dolphins put on is also great fun, especially as I was selected to be in it, standing aloft on a long plank suspended over the pool as a dolphin leapt for the fish I was holding.
A star of this engaging show is cheeky Cindy, the seal that stars in the Lotto TV ad where she wins the cash and opens a marine park for humans!
The Pet Porpoise Pool is very popular so a good tip is to get to the morning show to get a better view of the show and longer, sloppier kisses from the seals and dolphins.
 Bigger is better
Of course, it’s the Big Banana that put Coffs on the holiday map more than 40 years ago. It was Australia’s first big thing and during our recent visit, we peeled off the Pacific Hwy to pay homage to this great Australian icon. While there, we had a whole ‘bunch’ of fun screeching down through the banana plantation on toboggans, with my wife shrieking louder than all the kids at the park put together!
There was so much to choose from on the Coffs Coast, it was hard to pick. We could have visited the Butterfly House, had surfing lessons, gone go-karting, whale watching, kayaking, snorkelling or diving, 4WDing, fishing from the jetty or white water rafting down the Nymboida River. Phew! We decided on a scenic drive to the hippy-herbal town of Bellingen, 30 minutes from Coffs Harbour. The pace here is considerably slower than the Big Banana’s toboggan track, with old-style emporiums, cosy cafes and idyllic vistas across the valley beckoning us to linger awhile.
We also could have visited Dorrigo, with its legendary Rainforest Centre, where you walk high above the rainforest canopy on the Skywalk.
 Darlo - the place to be
In honour of all things big, we stayed at the NRMA Darlington Beach Holiday Park - the biggest holiday park in Australia.
This sprawling seaside resort on the NSW north coast is as close as you can get to a fun-filled cruise ship vacation without leaving shore. Spread over 45 hectares of palm-studded, sub-tropical bushland and fronting a pristine 6km stretch of sun-kissed beach, Darlington Beach is an idyllic and affordable holiday destination where that common cry ‘I’m bored’ is never heard. Why? Because ‘Darlo’ has more attractions and activities than you can possibly fit in a week’s holiday.
Darlington Beach has three resort pools, a giant heated spa, two waterslides, a nine-hole golf course by the beach, floodlit bowling green, archery range, two tennis courts, sports field, huge jumping pillow, go-karts, giant screen TV, games room, restaurant and cocktail bar, picnic area, camp kitchen and bushwalks in the beautiful state forest which surrounds the park.
There are kids’ activities from morning to night, including surfing lessons, dance classes, sand crafting, hay rides, kids discos, trivia nights, karaoke contests, water sports, ball games, fancy dress parties, beach volleyball, bowling competitions, ‘Gladiator’ tussles on the giant bouncing pillow, possum prowls and guided walks.
Accommodation at Darlington Beach Holiday Park ranges from shady camping sites to spacious three-bedroom family villas. We could either cook in our villa or dine in the Park’s Spinifex Restaurant – a good option when Mum is too tired to cook.
The staff were so friendly they really made us want to go back to Darlo again!
By Andrew Mevissen
For information visit Coffs Coast Visitor Information Centre
Ph: 1300 369 070
Website: www.coffscoast.com.au |
