Just a little break from my overseas holiday post. I thought I’d get this post done first as it’s just very recent and it was a very quick trip.
Coffs Harbour is about 527 kms away from Sydney. About 9 hours 30 minutes drive. People normally drive by Coffs Harbour when doing the very long drive from Sydney-Brisbane/Goldcoast and vice versa. I myself have never been to Coffs Harbour before, so when the invitation from Qantaslink and Novotel came from work, I was more than happy to see the place even for just a day.
Coffs Harbour is a famous beach and family holiday destination. Qantaslink flies the Dash8 400 series aircraft for this route. Flying on a smaller aircraft means you don’t get very high which means awesome views at all times during the flight!
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| my favourite landing shot. i’d be walking in that harbour minutes later! |
Coffs Harbour Regional Airport. Reminds me of Bora Bora Airport! Good vibes already!
Our first stop was the harbour/pier.
It was a very leisurely walk, the weather was perfect too.
Similar to any sea-side area, there were tackle and bait shops around, not to mention seafood restaurants
After that we drove to the downtown area of Coffs Harbour. It’s just a small area with open markets and shops.
I did notice that the vegetables were miniature sized. They’re probably home-grown or organic.
We then proceeded to the Novotel Pacific Bay Resort, who hosted us for the afternoon.
It’s such a huge and sprawling property with its own golf course. I love that you also get mountain views.
Just as I was wondering if we were going to explore this vast area by foot, Novotel presented a surprise for us. To my utter delight:
SEGWAY!!!
I was beyond thrilled when they told us we were going on this activity. The Novotel Pacific Bay Resort, huge as it is, offers a bunch of activities that you can do inside their property.
One of them is the Segway Experience, which you can easily book from the reception.
We first practised around the tent area, then later explored the property on Segway. It was so cool but as it was just my first time on it, I wasn’t daring enough to Segway with just one or no hands so no action shots this time.
This was the area we explored, and more! It was so much fun. I wish I went much faster though. By the time we did the full round, I was just getting into the hang of segway-ing. It’s such a practical and eco-friendly way of getting around. People should use them more than motorcycles!
All that action’s definitely made me hungry so it was perfect timing that our next agenda was lunch
And what a lovely lunch it was. Novotel treated us to their in-house restaurant, Charlie’s.
I’m still dreaming of this Calamari with Asian Noodle salad that I had!
Lovely weather, and lovely view as well. Their menu selection was complete- Steak, seafood, pasta, Asian (oriental, and Indian) and Vegetarian. No need to venture out into town to eat when staying at the Novotel.
And then, as if Novotel hasn’t treated us enough, they told us what’s next in store for the afternoon: Complimentary massage by their In-House Spa, Tranquility Beauty and Massage.
I do love a good pampering, so I was really thrilled to get spoilt. I mean look at that cheshire cat grin on my face!
I was amazed by the really wide range of products the spa had. They use Thalgo products, and for nail services, they use OPI. They even have the latest OPI collection (James Bond)
I was given a hot stone massage with oil. It was just so good. That good, I zoned out on the first minute. (as happens with all my massages anyway)
and me after the massage treatment:
Still very high from all that aromatic oil treatment! I was given Thalgo sample products to try at home too. I swear whenever I get a whiff of that bag of goodies, I almost fall asleep remembering my really awesome hot stone massage treatment
This massage was so relaxing that it left me just wanting to lie down and sleep. And aptly so, we soon headed back to Coffs Harbour Airport for our flight back to Sydney
We first checked out the Qantas Regional Airport lounge
It’s just a small area but you’re still secluded and away from the hustle outside.
Pretty soon we were on our way back to Sydney
Qantaslink flies daily (4x a day except Saturdays where it flies 2x a day) from Sydney to Coffs Harbour and vice versa.
And here’s my last cool shot of the day. How many times have you seen another plane flying while inside an aircraft?
My entire day in Coffs Harbour was really wonderful–who knew one could squeeze in all that activity under 6 hours??
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