Muttonbird Island

Muttonbird Island, also known as Giidany Miirlarl, is a small coastal island nature reserve at the entrance to Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, connected to the mainland by a breakwater. Managed by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, it is renowned as a major breeding colony for wedge-tailed shearwaters (muttonbirds) and offers a paved walking track to an eastern lookout with panoramic views over the Solitary Islands Marine Park and coastline.

Visitors access the island on foot via the northern breakwater from Coffs Harbour Marina and follow a paved, mostly sealed walking track uphill to a viewing platform at the eastern end. The setting is exposed coastal headland with windswept vegetation, rocky cliffs and ocean views. Interpretive signs explain Aboriginal heritage and seabird ecology. Visitors can observe wedge-tailed shearwater burrows, enjoy 360-degree views of the harbour, Jetty Beach and Solitary Islands, and watch for whales and dolphins from the lookout.

The island was connected to the mainland by the northern breakwater constructed in 1935 to create Coffs Harbour. It has been managed as a nature reserve since 1961 to protect the wedge-tailed shearwater colony. The reserve is jointly managed with Aboriginal custodians and is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register for its natural and cultural values.

Known as Giidany Miirlarl to the Gumbaynggirr people, the island holds strong cultural significance as a traditional place and is associated with Dreaming stories. It remains an important cultural site for the local Aboriginal community and is jointly managed to protect both natural and cultural heritage, with interpretive information provided along the walking track.