12 surprising secrets of Sawtell to discover

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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It’s renowned for its beach but Sawtell has a whole lot more to offer if you look a little closer.

Sawtell is a pretty resort town south of Coffs Harbour that has long been popular with road-trippers who want to break up their drive along NSW’s North Coast. The idyllic seaside village is bracketed by two rocky headlands that sit adjacent to Boambee Creek in the north and Bonville Creek in the south. And while the number one reason for passers-by to pull off the highway is to picnic, surf or paddleboard at the pretty beach that sits between the two promontories, Sawtell is also full of undiscovered gems to seek out – a compelling reason to ditch a longer NSW road trip and fly direct to embrace a deeper exploration of the region.

1. See Indigenous art at Yarrila Arts and Museum

visitors looking at the art displays inside Yarrila Arts And Museum
Delve into the Indigenous art on display at Yarrila Arts and Museum.

Sawtell is known in the local language as Ganyjarr Ganyjarr and the revival of Gumbaynggirr language is central to Indigenous culture in the region. Head to the Yarrila Arts and Museum in Coffs Harbour, just a 10-kilometre drive from Sawtell, to examine themes of place, community and belonging. Don’t miss the Yaamanga Around Here exhibition, which is on permanent display.

2. Visit Sawtell Art Gallery

Visit the dinky Sawtell Art Gallery for a snapshot of what inspires the local artists in the area. The gallery is one of Sawtell’s hidden secrets with weekly classes on everything from painting and drawing techniques using ‘Anything but Watercolour’ to workshops revolving around the ideas of abstraction. The most recent exhibition, Beauty of Sawtell, included a lot of works featuring the wild, verdant landscapes of the Coffs Coast.

3. There are plenty of cafes and bars in Sawtell to satisfy

people dining outside Cafe Treeo, Sawtell
Cafe Treeo is a great spot to take in Sawtell’s charm.

Sunny Sawtell is much-loved for its iconic main strip, which is lined with giant fig trees that help preserve the town’s charm. Although the town (population: 3788) is rather sleepy, it has plenty to offer on the foodie front. Plan a progressive feast that bounces between its best cafes and bars. Dine on the best local cuisine at Hilltop Store, The Spare Room, Bar Que Sera, The Athletic Club, Café Treeo, Split Café & Espresso Bar and Morty’s Joint. Fish and chips on the headland are also a thing.

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4. Pretty swimming spots in Sawtell

Sawtell Beach
Sawtell Beach is your go-to for surfing. (Image: Destination NSW)

There’s a lot of inspiration to be found in Sawtell for surfers who look out to sea in search of crashing waves. Sawtell Main Beach is a popular place to pull on a neoprene suit and paddle out, while Sawtell Memorial Rock Pool and Jetty Beach are sheltered spots for swimming.

Soak up the sun and walk against the tide at Boambee Creek Reserve before drifting back to the sand spit and doing it all over again. On-leash dogs are welcome.

5. Sawtell lookouts to spot whales and dolphins

the Sealy Lookout in Sawtell, Coffs Harbour
Find Sealy Lookout perched on a ridge just above Coffs Harbour. (Image: Destination NSW)

Sawtell Headlands is a top spot to sit and stare out to sea at dusk and dawn in the hope of spotting whales and dolphins. Even if you don’t see any tail-slapping or dramatic breaches, there are worse ways to bookend your day. Sawtell Headland and Sealy Lookout are perfect viewpoints, and a pair of binoculars should reap awards in the height of the season (between June and October). It’s one of the best things to do on the Coffs Coast.

6. Explore the watery world of Boambee

Fishos should also cast off near the Bonville Railway Bridge where mangrove jack, bream, trevally and flathead can be found. There’s great crabbing and fishing to be had when you venture from Boambee Creek Estuary into Newport’s Creek. Or head downstream to Boambee Creek Reserve, where you will see fishing platforms jutting out over the water. Buddy up with a Boambee local and they might point out the local jewfish hole.

7. Golf, mountain bike, SUP or kayak in Sawtell

an aerial view of kayaks at C-Change Adventures, Sawtell
Go kayaking in Sawtell with C-Change Adventures. (Image: Destination NSW)

Sawtell Golf Club is just 500 metres from the boutique village of Sawtell, where golfers of all abilities can get in the swing. Bonville Golf Resort is another top spot to enjoy a round. Keen mountain bikers should also download the Coffs Coast Mountain Biking Map to help make sense of the trails that squiggle around the Cows with Guns trail in Pine Creek State Forest. Kayaking and SUPing are also popular: book an ecotour with C-Change Adventures.

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8. Spot koalas in the wild at Bongil Bongil National Park

Your kids will declare bushwalking to be a ‘pretty cool’ pursuit when you steer them away from their devices and into the Eco Certified Bongil Bongil National Park. The park on Gumbaynggirr Country is a great day trip from Sawtell with one of NSW’s largest populations of koalas in the wild. Stay in Tuckers Rocks Cottage overnight so you can cover a lot of ground: there’s fishing, beach and rainforest hikes and mountain bike trails, too.

9. Showtime at Sawtell Cinema

family eating lunch in front of sawtell cinema
Pop into the cute Sawtell Cinema.

This Art Deco cinema in Sawtell is the regional theatre of your dreams. The two-screen Sawtell Cinema (formerly the Majestic) complex screens a range of funky arthouse films and foreign flicks, too. It also schedules the latest family and mainstream blockbusters and is fully licensed. Settle in with a choc top for the annual Sawtell Film Festival, which runs from April to May. Follow up your night at the movies with a wander down fig-lined First Avenue.

10. Spice things up at the annual Chilli Festival

Any guide to the secrets of Sawtell includes the annual winter Sawtell Chilli Festival. The festival ticks a lot of boxes for lovers of all things hot and spicy, luring more than 13,000 people for the annual event, held on the first Saturday in July. Don’t miss the chilli chicken wing eating challenge, and the chance to choose from a diverse range of chilli products such as the Alsa range of rubs, seasoning and spices, Mel’s Sweet Picnic chilli and condiments from The Chilli Factory.

11. Take home treasures from Sawtell’s boutique shops

Find stores filled with antique furniture, clothing, books and more along the main tree-lined strip of Sawtell. Forget generic chains and malls. Sawtell is an oasis for shoppers who like people-watching and ease of access when weaving in and out of stylish boutiques and homeware stores along the high street. If you feel the need to recalibrate, bliss out at the Figtree Day Spa.

For more unexpected wonders of the Coffs Coast, read our guide to Coffs Harbour and beyond.

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Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti has written across print and digital for Australian Traveller and International Traveller for more than a decade and has spent more than two decades finding excuses to eat well and travel far. A prestigious News Corp cadetship launched her career at The Cairns Post, before a stint at The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald gave way to extended wanders through Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, Asia and Europe. Carla was chief sub editor at delicious and has contributed to Good Food, Travel & Luxury, Explore Travel, Escape. While living in London, Carla was on staff at Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times Travel desk and was part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK.
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This surprising regional town is making its mark on the culinary world

(Image: Visit Griffith)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    With more than 60 nationalities calling it home and a century of Italian influence shaping its paddocks and plates, Griffith is a regional Australian town with serious culinary cred.

    It might feel surprising to learn that Griffith is one of Australia’s leading food destinations. In-the-know Italians have understood this for generations, drawn to the Riverina region’s fertile soils that reminded them of the terrain they’d left behind more than a century ago. These days, Griffith supplies much of the nation’s pantry: 95 per cent of Australia’s prunes come from the region, it’s the country’s largest citrus-growing area, and it’s a leading producer of almonds and walnuts. Even the pickles in every McDonald’s burger nationwide are produced in Griffith. This is not just a farming town; the Griffith food scene is leading the way.

    Here, culinary confidence is rooted in migration. Italian families began arriving from 1913, with a second wave settling after the Second World War. Today, Griffith has the highest proportion of Italian ancestry of any Local Government Area in Australia. Add to that more than 60 nationalities represented across the community and you have a town where food is driven not by trends, but by tradition. Griffith’s motto, ‘Taste our culture’, isn’t marketing spin; it’s the reality.

    Where the vines tell a story

    A hand pouring wine into a glass, with a table filled with food.
    Uncover the stories behind every glass. (Image: Destination NSW)

    The Riverina has long been dubbed the food bowl of Australia, but it’s also a wine region that remains largely under the radar. What sets Griffith apart is that every one of its wineries is family-owned, many spanning generations.

    Calabria Family Wines is one of the region’s standard-bearers. The Calabria story began in 1945 when Francesco Calabria planted his first vines; today, the family continues to shape the region’s identity while also stewarding the historic McWilliam’s Wines brand. McWilliam’s was the first winery to plant vines in the area, and its barrel-shaped cellar door – complete with a soaring stained-glass window – remains one of the most distinctive in regional NSW.

    Yarran Wines, run by the Brewer family, showcases estate-grown fruit across Mediterranean varietals that thrive in the warm climate. Expect bold reds and textured whites that reflect both heritage and innovation.

    Set inside the old ambulance station, Harvest HQ is owned and operated by the Riverina Winemakers Association and pours a rotating selection of local wines under one roof. It also features spirits from The Aisling Distillery, reinforcing the region’s collaborative approach to craft.

    At the table

    A flat lay of a steak.
    Dine where tradition meets a bold new generation. (Image: Visit Griffith)

    If the vineyards tell one story, the dining rooms tell another. Griffith’s restaurants are where tradition and next-gen confidence meet.

    Zecca Handmade Italian occupies the former Rural Bank building, an imposing Art Deco landmark from the late 1930s. ‘Zecca’ means money print, and the name is a nod to the Zecca di Venezia in Venice. Here, find the Riverina’s only producer of dried artisan pasta and traditional Italian recipes. Importantly, the growers and producers supplying the kitchen are listed on the menu as a transparent expression of the region’s farm-to-table ethos.

    Established in 1977 and still run by the Vico family, La Scala puts authentic Italian cuisine on centre stage. Expect handmade pasta, traditional wood-fired pizzas, slow-cooked sauces and dishes that follow recipes guarded like family heirlooms. For something more contemporary, Bull & Bell in Gem Hotel is a shrine to the Euro-style steakhouse that works closely with local farmers and artisans to showcase Riverina produce.

    And then there are the institutions. Bertoldo’s Pasticceria, now in its third generation, draws locals daily for cannoli, biscotti, crostoli and house-made gelato, alongside classic sausage rolls and potato pies. La Piccola Grosseria feels like stepping into an Italian alimentari, its shelves lined with continental goods that wouldn’t feel out of place in Puglia.

    Meanwhile, Limone celebrates local and seasonal produce across breakfast and lunch menus, enriched by the produce and stories of Piccolo Family Farm. Find pastries and sourdough baked daily, and pop into the onsite retail pantry for products from regional producers – including the Piccolo family’s own wine range, Caro Piccolo.

    From the source

    A plated Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod dish.
    Taste world-renowned Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod, straight from its source. (Image: Visit Griffith)

    Behind every menu is a producer. Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod is perhaps Griffith’s most high-profile export; the brand’s Murray cod and Aquna Gold Murray Cod Caviar have achieved global recognition. In October 2024, Aquna presented its products to King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the NSW Premier’s Community BBQ in Parramatta. Impressed by the producer’s sustainable farming practices, the King requested the cod be sent to Buckingham Palace – not bad for a fish farm in regional NSW.

    Mandolé Orchard champions almonds grown on a family-run farm, transforming them into almond milk and value-added products. At Morella Grove, olives are pressed into premium olive oil and pantry staples that speak to Griffith’s Mediterranean heart. These producers are not peripheral; they are central to the town’s culinary ecosystem. Learn about local sustainable farming practices during a farm tour.

    Mark your calendar

    A woman walking past a food mural, something you can spot during A Taste of Italy Griffith.
    Plan your visit around A Taste of Italy Griffith. (Image: Visit Griffith)

    For a town that helps stock Australia’s supermarkets, Griffith has remained curiously absent from the national dining conversation. That’s beginning to change. If you’ve been searching for a regional food destination with substance, heritage and a clear sense of identity, you’ll find it here in the Riverina, right under your nose.

    Time your visit to the Riverina region to coincide with A Taste of Italy Griffith, held every August. This week-long celebration of Italian heritage and culture offers a wide range of Italian-inspired events and experiences to enjoy. Expect long-table lunches, wine tasting experiences, cooking classes and a Makers in the Piazza market. The headline event is a ticketed long lunch – Festa delle Salsicce (Salami Festival) – where winners of the best salami are announced.

    Start planning your foodie getaway at visitgriffith.com.au.