Sapphire Beach, NSW

Ratings: CP ***  Surroundings ***

  

Tawny Frogmouth pair in trees behind the caravan

Split Solitary Island, one of the three solitary islands which can be seen from Sapphire Beach which is 10km north of Coffs Harbour. This area forms part of the Solitary Islands Marine Park which extends over 75 km of coast and is 71000 hectares in size.

Tight line, Gillian! Fishing in a gully before the storm.

Meandering behind the veil of glittering waters of Crystal Shower Falls in Dorrigo National Park, The park is a sub tropical rainforest where an elevated boardwalk allowed us to experience the mid levels of the rainforest and a Skywalk took us above the forest canopy to view the world below.

 Behind veiled shimmerngs of Crystal Shower Falls.

Coffs Harbour from Muttonbird Island which is home to a large colony of wedge tailed shearwaters. They travel thousands of kilometres from south east Asia in August and dig or repair their burrows in the soft soil of the island ready for laying eggs after they have paired and mated. Burrows are used year after year by the same pair.
This area is home to the Gumbaynggir people who form one of the largest coastal Aboriginal nations in New South Wales. An interesting document about their history has been compiled by Liz Thomas at Coffs Harbour City Library.
Captain John Korff is recognised as the European discoverer of Coffs Harbour in about 1847. He sheltered there when he was trying to reach the Bellingen River and was first to submit a report on the suitability of the harbour when he returned to Sydney. Settlement by Europeans occurred from the 1870s and clearing, fencing and disease had a devastating impact on the Aboriginal people resulting in them becoming dependent on the Europeans for food and shelter.