The popular tourist region of Coffs Harbour Australia

The advertising slogan for Coffs Harbour, on the north coast of New South Wales, calls it the "Holiday Coast." This is no exaggeration: Coffs Harbour and the surrounding region is one of Australia's most popular holiday destinations. There was a time when it was known as the "Banana Coast." The same subtropical climate that makes it ideal for growing bananas is a large part of its attraction for tourists.

Legend says that the first European visitors to Coffs Harbour were convicts, not tourists. They were followed by timber cutting interests. Until 1865, when the Carywell sank while trying to enter the harbour, it was also a busy shipping port. The sinking of the Carywell brought that to an end for nearly 15 years until finally a lighthouse was constructed, making navigating the waters safe.

Compared with fishing and forestry, banana growing was a relative latecomer to Coffs Harbour, but not long after banana plantations were established, the region became known as the "banana belt" and the "banana coast." While one of the signs that you were approaching Coffs Harbour was the sudden appearance of large banana plantations was part of the reason, the name stuck after the Big Banana was built just outside of Coffs Harbour. For over forty years, the Big Banana has been a major Coffs Harbour attraction.

The first bananas were grown in Coffs Harbour towards the end of the 19th century, but the industry didn't become big there until the 1920s, when a disease devastated banana crops north of the area. In 1923, the railway line linking Coffs Harbour with Sydney was completed and it almost immediately became a tourist destination.

Today, tourism is booming in Coffs Harbour. Thanks to its abundance of natural and man made attractions, it is a favorite destination for families. Of course, many of the major activities are either in the ocean or along its shores. These include surfing, whale watching, fishing and scuba diving, along with just enjoying a day at the beach.

Of course, as tourism grew, so did the opportunities for tourist oriented businesses. Today, Coffs Harbour and surrounding areas are a shopper's cornucopia. Aside from all the local enterprises, smaller communities like Bellingen, in the hinterland to the west of Coffs Harbour are famous throughout Australia for their arts and crafts communities. In Bellingen, establishments like the Old Butter Factory and the Yellow Shed offer hand crafted gifts, souvenirs, furniture and homewares that can be found nowhere else in Australia.

Not far from Coffs Harbour is the town of Woolgoolga. You can't miss it because of the large domed structure that resembles a mini Taj Mahal. Woolgoolga has one of the largest concentrations of Indian residents in Australia and is famous for its delicious Indian restaurants.

As you can see, there is more to Coffs Harbour and surrounds than you can possibly see in a day or two. Find a Coffs Harbour accommodation and give yourself at least a few days in and around the city center. Then give yourself plenty of time to explore the towns and townships north, south and west of the city. See for yourself why they call it the Holiday Coast.

Take a few days off, find Coffs Harbour accommodation, things to do and other travel related information about the area on bookitnow.com.au. Or visit our Australia blog for more Australian holiday ideas.