things to see & do in emerald beach, nsw

Emerald Beach is a small, seaside village located 17 km north of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. Known for its beautiful, protected coastal landscape, warm and temperate climate, swimming and surf conditions and family-oriented community, Emerald Beach is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.

There are a range of facilities at Emerald Beach including a children’s playground, electric barbeques, picnic shelters, toilets, beach showers, a boat ramp, a general store and two great cafe/restaurants close by. Council lifeguards patrol Emerald Beach 7 days a week during the summer holidays, starting the end of December and finishing the end of January from 9am - 5pm daily.

If you love nature and going for walks, you will enjoy the Moonee Beach Nature Reserve. A prominent feature of the Reserve is 'Look At Me Now' Headland, a significant Aboriginal site with amazing panaoramic views of the ocean, South Solitary Island and lighthouse, Moonee Beach, Mount Coramba and the surrounding mountains and village of Emerald Beach. You’ll most likely be joined by the resident kangaroos on your walk, and from June to November there’s a good chance you’ll spot migrating humpback whales!

Along the walking path between Emerald Beach and Shelly Beach you will also find other cultural sites commemorating early european settlement. On Dammerels Head there are two graves of male victims whose ships collided in 1886. There is also a memorial to the Dammerel family, who operated an historic signal station that provided communication between an offshore lighthouse and the coast.

things to see and do in coffs harbour, nsw

Coffs Harbour is located approximately 15 minutes south of Emerald Beach, halfway between Sydney and Brisbane. From the rainforest escarpments of Dorrigo to the beautiful beaches stretching from Scotts Head to Woolgoolga, to the blue waters of the Solitary Islands Marine Park, Coffs Harbour is a place of natural beauty with a year round temperate climate.

There are plenty of things to do in Coffs Harbour! From lush World Heritage-listed subtropical rainforests to the temperate waters of the Solitary Islands Marine Park, you can go bushwalking, four-wheel driving, scuba diving, surf rafting, whale watching, fishing, swimming, surfing and beach activities.

There are also popular attractions to see and experience in Coffs Harbour such as the Big Banana, the Pet Porpoise Pool, the Butterfly House, helicopter joy flights, go-karting or extreme skirmish.

If you are an art lover, there are some great local art galleries in Coffs Harbour and surrounding areas. There is also plenty of shopping to do such as at the Park Beach Plaza, the largest regional shopping centre between Newcastle and the Gold Coast. There are also local markets, cosmopolitan-style cafés, golf courses and more. For more detailed information on Coffs Harbour, please visit the Coffs Coast Tourism website.