International trips are great but I'm sticking by my Australian holidays

My sister was one of them.

She has enjoyed plenty of amazing trips visiting friends in Germany, drinking matcha in Japan and going bungee jumping (conveniently forgetting to notify our parents) in Nepal.

I would watch her colourful social media posts of trips abroad with a mixture of admiration and jealousy.

But whilst an overseas trip is a memorable occasion, there's something to be said about the classic Australian holiday.

I recently went on an Easter holiday trip just up the coast to Coffs Harbour with my partner and loved every bit of it.

Many of my Port Macquarie friends raised an eyebrow at my excitement to go.

But as someone who didn't grow up on the Mid North Coast, the prospect of visiting Coffs Harbour is every bit as exciting to me as visiting Newcastle or Sydney.

For me, the city was still an unexplored entity.

Upon entering the Coffs coast, my first destination was the Clog Barn- a local family business that has been operating for over 35 years.

The tourist attraction and holiday park was the perfect opportunity to eat Dutch delights, make multiple gift shop purchases and visit the model village that has been handmade by owner Thomas Hartsuyker.

I was ecstatic.

But the trip didn't end there.

A visit to the Big Banana Fun Park, a delicious dinner by the sea at Latitude30 and taking plenty of photos at the Coffs Harbour Butterfly House were all highlights of the long weekend getaway.

What struck me was that all this was a less than two hour car ride away from me- there was no jet lag, luggage constraints or waiting for any flight delays or cancellations.

I'm not going to knock back an overseas trip anytime soon but my recent Coffs adventure has reminded me there is still plenty of fun to be had on home soil.

I truly loved my stay in the city and returned home well rested with plenty of souvenirs and photographs.

It just goes to show that there is still plenty to do and see in our own backyard that supports local businesses, doesn't break the bank and creates many wonderful memories.

Emily Walker

Journalist