The jade-green tributaries around Moonee Creek and Moonee Beach Nature Reserve, about 20 minutes north of Coffs Harbour by car, and the nearby hamlet of Red Rock are calm, clear and teeming with fish and birdlife. A stand-up paddleboard tour with Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours is a magical way to explore these mangrove-lined waterways. Led by Gumbaynggirr guides or First Nations people with strong ties to Gumbaynggirr Country, these 2.5-hour tours blend the natural beauty of the landscape with fascinating insights into the local Indigenous language, traditional storytelling and bush tucker.

Stretching 2775 square kilometres from Red Rock in the north to Bonville in the south, the Coffs Coast is so vast that its contrasts and contours are best viewed from above. Precision Helicopters offers a range of flights that allow guests to take in this majestic Mid North Coast region, whether following the curved coastline, detouring inland to Gleniffer Falls in Dorrigo National Park or soaring over the hinterland’s green valleys and rolling hills. The isolated lighthouse on South Solitary Island is particularly beautiful – you might even spot migrating humpback whales between June and October.

The Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary has been rescuing marine and land animals since 1970 and its team of wildlife specialists has rehabilitated and released hundreds of injured dolphins, seals, turtles and other native species back into the wild. The Meet the Seal experience involves making flippered friends with the sanctuary’s resident Australian sea lions (including Gary, Hugo and Athena), learning about their habitat and the efforts being made to protect them.

Thrilling helicopter flights and up-close wildlife encounters are just the start of what you can enjoy on the Coffs Coast. Book your flights now.

It’s not easy to spot these tree-dwelling marsupials in the wild but you might see them munching eucalyptus leaves high in the tree canopy in Bongil Bongil National Park, where a thriving koala population resides. Two easy trails – the six-kilometre Bundageree Rainforest Walk and the 2.25-kilometre Bluff Loop Walking Track – provide a leisurely way to explore the mix of rainforest, sand dunes and coastline that characterise this scenic slice of Gumbaynggirr Country.

Just a short drive north of Coffs Harbour city centre, Orara East State Forest offers activities to suit any adrenaline level. Niigi Niigi (Sealy Lookout) is home to the Forest Sky Pier, a man-made lookout that juts out from an escarpment 310 metres above the city, letting you take in views stretching all the way to the coast. The Treetops Adventure, featuring 14 ziplines, is for those who like to climb and glide between trees rather than just admire them, while the monthly Giingan Gumbaynggirr Cultural Experience immerses you in First Nations culture through traditional language, dance and the use of native plants.

The 1.6-kilometre walk to Crystal Shower Falls in Dorrigo National Park rewards you with a unique opportunity to venture behind the waterfall. The trek from the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre involves crossing the mist-shrouded valley on a suspension bridge for full-frontal views of Crystal Shower Falls before following a short side track that leads to a cave where you can watch the water crash into the pool below. Accessible from Dorrigo Rainforest Centre, the Skywalk Lookout is a 70-metre-long boardwalk that towers over the forest, delivering spectacular views extending from the Bellinger Valley to the coastline.

Need an escape in nature? The Coffs Coast delivers, with 11 national parks and dozens of beaches to explore. Find great fare deals here.

No experience is needed to take part in this family-friendly kayak eco-tour with a marine scientist guide from C-Change Adventures. You’ll be fully briefed before hitting the water to glide over stingrays while watching ospreys hunt for their dinner. Alternatively, enjoy a serene paddle along the river as it shimmers under the southern sky during a night-time Full Moon Tour. Kayaks and SUPs are also available to hire so you can lead your own quest.

The waterways around the Coffs Coast are a wonderland of marine life, including fish, rays and sharks – it's also a hotspot for migrating whales. With Jetty Dive you can plunge into the blue to get up close to these creatures: embark on a whale-swimming adventure between early August and late September or take a year-round scuba-diving or snorkelling trip through Solitary Islands Marine Park, which is home to green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles as well as the endangered grey nurse shark.

The bright-yellow Big Banana is an Aussie icon but there’s so much more to this tourist attraction. The Big Banana Fun Park is packed with amusements aimed at every age, from tobogganing and ice skating to minigolf and laser tag. Open from September to May, the water park – the biggest of its kind between Sydney and Queensland’s Gold Coast – features slides that are four storeys high.

From old-school activities to marine adventures, the Coffs Coast has big thrills to suit all ages. Book your next family holiday now.

Completing the 60-kilometre Solitary Island Coastal Walk, from Red Rock in the north to Sawtell in the south, is not for the faint-hearted. But there are plenty of bite-size stretches that take in some of the trail’s prettier attractions, including Arrawarra Headland, with its clear views to Solitary Island, and Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve, an important breeding area for wedge-tailed shearwater birds. Whichever section you tackle, there are endless opportunities for whale watching, swimming and birdwatching – you might even meet a kangaroo or two along the way.

Think trikes are just for kids? Then you haven’t met Boom Trike’s purring, low-lying Mustang. This sleek little adventure-maker can be booked through Coffs Harbour Trike & Private Tours for one- or two-person tour (a licensed operator will ride) to explore the region’s coastline, hinterland, wineries and breweries, while larger groups can jump in the 12-seater bus. The sunrise and sunset tours are the pick for those who want to view nature in its best light.

We bet you’ve never explored a holiday destination like this before. See things from a new perspective on a motorised trike tour around the Coffs Coast. Start planning your holiday here.