Holiday houses in Sawtell

Halfway between Sydney and Brisbane lies the Coffs Coast region, encompassing 31 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline, as well as an inland tangle of World Heritage-listed rainforest. From hinterland to waves lie dozens of tiny towns, including Sawtell, where the hardest decision you have to make on a given day is where to swim: in the surf, in the ocean-fed Memorial Rock Pool, or in Bonville Creek (flowing through national parkland to the sea). Warm waters here attract resident bottlenose dolphins and, during migration (May through November), humpback whales; when they breach and blow, you’ll know about it, as crowds gather on the town’s rocky headlands to take in the spectacle.

While Christmas holidays see Sawtell busy over the summer season (December through February), these months can be hot and humid, with regular rainfall. Daily temperatures hover around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In February, water temperatures are only slightly cooler than the air. May through November are also popular, for a number of reasons: Daytime temperatures are balmy (65 to 75 degrees); water temperatures are mostly warm (around 68, though a little cooler in winter proper, from June through August); migrating whales are on full view; and the surf is at its finest.

Bongil Bongil National Park

If you want to get up close to some of Australia’s most iconic wildlife, Bongil Bongil is the place to do it. The national park has one of the largest populations of koalas in New South Wales, not to mention kangaroos, wallabies, and 165 species of birds. Wander through the rainforest to remote Bongil Beach where, during migration (May through November), you’ll also likely spot humpback whales frolicking off the shore.

Drive the Waterfall Way

If the name of this road trip sounds dreamy, it’s because it is. The 115-mile journey begins just north of Sawtell in Coffs Harbour, then cuts inland through vast swathes of World Heritage-listed national park, with plenty of waterfalls along the way. Feel the full force of nature at Wollomombi Falls, tumbling 1,100 feet to the forest floor, then pause to refuel at the many locally sourced cafes and restaurants along the way.

Muttonbird Island

You can glimpse Coffs Harbour and Muttonbird Island from Sawtell’s Boambee Headland Lookout. Then drive the short distance north to explore Muttonbird, one of the region’s most sacred Aboriginal sites, up close. The island’s nature reserve is home to thousands of wedge-tailed shearwaters (muttonbirds), which create distinctive nests in the sand. Join an Aboriginal ranger to hear Dreamtime (Indigenous creation) stories and taste bush tucker (edible native plants).