Hometown flair in the Nambucca Valley

Stacey Montford here, you know me for my rock painting, now I want to take you on a trip to my hometown! Get inspired by the amazing entries and the fun Around the World tours on the blog, and work on your last minute entry for our giveaway and art competition.

I live in a quaint town called Bowraville which is a small town on the Mid North Coast hinterland in the Nambucca Valley.

Photography by Maz Syratt

Upon entering the town many have said that it’s like taking a step back in time to where things are slow paced and everyone greets you with a smile and says hello. Our town is known for attractions such as a folk museum, a war museum, a historic theatre, and other historic buildings. 

It is a town full of friendly and creative people with no shortage of art attractions with multiple local art galleries displaying an array of various exhibitions for the purpose of selling and displaying art including traditional and modern-contemporary indigenous artworks.

One of the major local splendors is the Nambucca River, the beautiful pristine conditions allow for the cleanest pure waterways for swimming and wildlife such as turtles for breeding.

Photography by Maz Syratt

The area is full of fertile soil which makes it bountiful with home grown foods such as macadamia farms, blueberry fields, fresh vegetable produce, mushroom cultivation, banana plantations, potato farms, bee and honey farms, beef and milk producers, fingerlimes and other native produce to name a few.

Many locals grow their own vegetables and farm their own animals like duck to both eat and barter for other sought after produce.

The sunsets are absolutely magical because the atmosphere has just the right conditions to display a multitude of colours. 

The awesome beauty of the sun setting over the mountain range creates the perfect backdrop for this small township and paints a picture of a million unsaid words.

In a short drive you can be on the Nambucca coast line enjoying some of the most peaceful beaches with hardly a soul to be seen. 

Our family often enjoys an afternoon walk on the beach hunting for soldier crabs, finding shells and rocks and watching the bird life hunt in the shallow pools.

The Nambucca area has some of the best seafood available on the coast including locally grown oysters which are some of the biggest I have seen in my life!

The seafood theme of the Nambucca inspired a Mosaic construction created by Guy Crossley which is situated in the Main Street of Nambucca Heads in front of the police station, the Mosaic sculpture stretches around 20 metres long. 

Photography by Maz Syratt

It depicts the landscape of the swirling river and winds its way through the Great Dividing range through farmland until it meets the sea. Animals such as dolphins, fish and octopus jump out of the concrete mosaic waves to create a truly impactful piece of art. There are seats that you can sit on to enjoy a peaceful rest or capture a picture with this awesome display.

Rock painting heaven can be found along the V-Wall Outdoor Gallery, Nambucca Heads. The break wall consists of many concrete blocks that have been painted by both locals and visitors to the area. 

A variety of holiday themes, inspirational words, memories and scenes have been painted along the walk and you too are welcome to bring along your Life of Colour paint pen supplies to leave your mark there too!

Photography by Maz Syratt

As we venture further north along the Pacific Highway we arrive at the popular holiday destination of Coffs Harbour. 

When I was a child I would catch the train from the Mid North Coast to visit relatives in Coffs so I always feel nostalgic when I travel to the area. There are many places to visit and lots of activities to participate in whilst in Coffs Harbour.

The Big Banana has had many face lifts over the years and the activities for families include - a candy shop with live demonstrations, a waterpark, toboggan, mini golf, ice skating and laser tag. You can also learn about the banana industry via a theatre and plantation tour. The Dolphin Marine Conservation Park is a rehabilitation centre for injured wildlife and is the only zoological park offering hands on experiences in NSW. Grab some pictures of the kids getting a kiss from a seal or dolphin!

 The timber jetty and surrounding areas known to locals as “the jetty” offers a great place to get a family meal, take a walk, go for a fish, jump off the jetty and go for a swim.

Further along the reaches of the jetty is Muttonbird Island which is a National Park that is home to flocks of  wedge-tailed shearwaters. The island is the perfect spot to get some artistic inspiration as the views stretch out over the ocean, back towards town and beyond it is a beautiful place to watch sunsets and sunrises.

The Butterfly House is known for its glasshouse that houses live butterflies, live bug exhibits and maze but did you know that it now has a Dinosaur attraction with an interactive dinosaur walk with mechanical roaring dinosaurs plus a entertaining puppet show!  Other attractions in Coffs Harbour include - whale watching tours, scuba diving, treetops adventure park, seals lookout, the national marine science centre, blueberry picking and forest sky pier.

Where is your hometown and what unique features can you share about it with us? We would love to see it painted on a rock, canvas or any other medium you can think of!

Get inspired by the amazing entries and the fun Around the World tours on the blog, and work on your last minute entry for our giveaway and art competition.