Port Macquarie

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Port Macquarie [1] is an Australian coastal town on the New South Wales coast, approximately 400 km north of Sydney.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By air

Qantaslink provides up to 3 flights per day from Kingsford Smith International Airport, on Dash 8 (or similar Turboprop driven) aircraft. The flight to or from Sydney takes between 50 minutes to an hour.

From Brisbane, Sunshine Express airlines provide one flight per day, via Coffs Harbour, which takes approximately 2 hours.

Both of these airlines operate under separate banners, however, both are owned by Australia's national airline Qantas, and bookings for both can be handled at most Qantas offices or online. During the middle of the year, and out of school holiday times, flights into and out of Port Macquarie are quite easy to get seats on, however, early bookings are highly recommended for flights in school holidays, and especially the summer break.

Flights to other regional or capital cities are not currently available direct from Port Macquarie, however connecting flights are very easy to get in both Sydney and Brisbane.

[edit] By bus

Both Greyhound and Premier Motor Service run multiple daily bus services to and from Port Macquarie to and from Sydney and Brisbane.

Sydney buses arrive and depart Central Railway Station in Central Sydney, and take approximately 8 hours to travel between Port Macquarie and Sydney. Brisbane buses depart and arrive at the Roma St Transit Centre in Central Brisbane and take approximately 10 hours to cover the distance.

In Port Macquarie, all buses drop off at the Port Macquarie Coach Station on the southern side of the Central Business District (CBD). The main shopping area is located withing easy walking distance from this station, and some hostels, hotels and a caravan park are located within a distance that you could walk if you didn't have much luggage. If you'd prefer not to walk, the coach station has a public phone to call a taxi, or hotel for pick-up, but most hotel owners and taxi drivers know when the buses arrive, and will be waiting for you anyway.

[edit] By train

Port Macquarie does not have a railway station, however located approximately 20 mins west of Port Macquarie is Wauchope, which is serviced by the North Coast Railway Line.

Services to Wauchope originate at Central Station in Sydney and take around 10-12 hours. Services from the North are subject to change quite often, sometimes running all the way to Brisbane, and sometimes only running as far as Murwillimbah on the Northern NSW Coast.

CountryLink Rail Services arriving or departing during the day, and early afternoon are connected to Port Macqaurie by bus, which must be booked at the same time as booking your rail ticket. (This bus drops off at Port Macquarie Coach Station - see above). Services departing or arriving early in the morning or late at night are more of a challenge, as this connection is not availble, and no public transport services Wauchope at this time. In this event, you will be forced to decide between staying in Wauchope (some cheap hotels are located west of the station, and some motor inns are located several Km's further west as well) or getting a taxi back to Port Macqaurie, which can be extremely expensive. For this reason, arrival by rail at these times is not recommended.

[edit] By car

Port Macquarie is located to the east of the Pacific Highway, which is the major north-south highway in NSW.

When travelling from the south (Sydney) you will see an exit sign pointing to Wauchope/Walcha/Port Macquarie on the left hand side of the road. Take this exit, and turn RIGHT at the large round-a-bout (called "The Doughnut" by locals) and follow this road (Oxley HWY) into all the way into central Port Macquarie where it terminates.

When travelling from the north you will enter an 80Km/h zone and cross the Hastings River over a bridge signposted as Dennis Bridge. After crossing the bridge, the exit is located immediately to the LEFT. Follow this road (Hastings River Drive) all the way into town.

Note that an alternative route from the south is available which is quite scenic. When travelling from Sydney, turn RIGHT at the set of traffic lights in the small town on the highway called Kew. Follow this road for about 10 minutes until you see a sign pointing LEFT, saying "Port Macquarie". Follow this road into town. This route takes aboute 45 minutes to get to Port Macquarie, however it is worth it for the scenery including North Brother Mountain, Middle Rock Beach & The Christmas Bell Plains. A tourist information board is located in Kew for you to check this route & confirm it before taking it. You should also avoid taking this road after dark, as it is notorious for wildlife on the road, and numerous accidents have been caused by kangaroos jumping in front of cars.

[edit] Get around

Unfortunately, Port Macquarie does not have a reliable or useful public transport system which can make getting around difficult. While buses may run to most places, they often run at odd times, and terminate early in the day. The most useful bus route is the Shelly Beach - Town Centre route, which seems to run quite regularly, and is the best way of those without a car getting to the beaches and lighthouse. Other than this, dont bother with the public transport, it isnt worth the aggravation.

Fortunately, Port Macquarie has a great many places to walk to from the Town Centre. From here you can quite easily walk to many beaches, some attractions etc. Because it has such a compact CBD, you wont have to walk far to get to restaurants, shops & pubs if you stay in town, or nearby.

[edit] See

Port Macquarie has an interesting history. Being the first English convict settlement outside of Sydney and the Hunter it has a few historical sites & museums.

• Mid North Coast Martime Museum, corner of Hayward St & Ocean Drive, old Pilot's Building on just below Flagstaff Hill. It is run by a dedicated group of volunteers, and has a small collection of artifacts, documents & displays showcasing Port Macquarie's maritime history. The steps up to the top of Flagstaff hill are located in the park directly across the road, and this hill is a former naval lookout station. It affords great ocean views.

• Port Macquarie Historic Grave Yard, Gordon St almost behind the bus station (and across the road). This grave site was the major burial ground for early settlers. It is quite shaded by Lilli Pilli trees and is a pleasant place to wander around for an hour or so. It backs onto Koolonbung Nature Reserve, a native mangrove swamp area, with several Km's of elevated boardwalks (so you dont have to walk in the mud!) and notice boards informing you about the ecosystem, this is a great, central spot for birdwatching or exploring nature in a close up environment. Remember to stay on the boardwalks at all times. Note: While Port Macquarie is an extremely safe town, some robberies have happened in Koolonbung Creek Reserve, and while it is very unlikely to happen, it is recommended you do not enter alone or at night.

• See Acres Rainforest Centre Located at Shelly Beach, this National Park is home to a native fly fox colony, scrub turkeys, wallabies, kangaroos etc. The rainforest is criss-crossed with several Km's of elevated boradwalks, and forest floor trails, and rangers often give guided tours. During school holidays, night tours are a must, for those interested in wildlife as it's your best time to see Australia's nocturnal animals in the wild.

• Town Green Central Port Macquarie's showpiece. A large park located right on the river in the CBD. It is surrounded by cafe's and hotels, and is a pleasant spot to have a cup of coffee, or picnic. A public wharf is located there, and the Alma Dopel - a former merchant sailing ship - is moored there most of the year. Tours are available. Markets are also held in summertime on the Town Green.

• Whalewatching Whales migrate past Port Macquarie during early winter and summer, and there a lots of headlands which overlook the sea to spot them from. The Lighthouse, which is located at the end of Lighthouse Road in the south, is an excellent place to spot them (and generally a great place to see views down the southern coast to Laurieton). Also, located just west of the Town Green (see above) are the commercial charter boat docks. Whalewatching (or any other water activity) can be booked here.

• Hinterland 20 minutes west of Port Macquarie, Wauchope is the official start of Port Macquarie's hinterland. Home to a good number of farms, and small hamlets, the hinterland is well worth taking a drive through (tours are available, see the local tourist information centre) Cassegrain Vineyard is the largest winery in the area, and is located just off the Pacific Highway between both aforementioned exits (Look for signs). Other wineries include Bago Mountain Wines (located near Wauchope) and Long Point Vineyard (located south of Port Macquarie, ask for directions before leaving, as it's tricky to find).

[edit] Do

Unfortunately, the most of the amusement parks in Port Macquarie have now closed down, and show no signs of re-opening. Port Macquarie is still blessed with numerous great beaches:

• Flynns Beach: Located in the resort precinct of Flynns Beach, this is a great tourist beach. With good waves for surfing, commonly patrolled areas (all summer long), lots of shady spots under the Norfolk Pines and a cafe, Flynns is an excellent family beach. Parking can be a major hassle during summer, so either arrive early (very early) or be prepared for a walk.

• Shelly Beach: Located right next to Sea Acres (see above) this beach has good waves on the northern end, and a semi-protected rock pool for snorkeling and children to the south. Barbeque areas are availabe, but no food stores are on the beach. Parking here is very hard at the best of times, so arrive very early, or park at the top of Shelly Beach Road (near the service station) and walk down. It's an easy 800m or so walk.

• Town Beach: The most central beach in Port Macquarie. The southern end is the family end, and patrolled by life savers. It also has a great beach front cafe. The northern end is the surf end, and is NOT recommended for poor swimmers or families as it commonly has strong currents, and submerged rocks. Parking is not as bad a the other beaches, but if you're staying in town, simply follow the footpath from Town Green along the breakwater. A small skate-park is located nearby.

[edit] Buy

There isnt really anything you can get in Port Macquarie that you cant get anywhere else.

[edit] Eat

[edit] Budget

• Hamburger Heaven Located just up the hill from the CBD, in the Port Pacific Resort Building (the big white building) Hamburger Heaven makes reasonably priced breakfasts, but the real reason to go there is for the hamburgers. Made with premium grade, home made patties, they are the best in town. (AUS$5 - AUS$ 15)

• Macquarie Seafoods A popular fish & chip shop in central Port Macqaurie. Serving sizes are very genorous for the price, and the lemon & pepper squid rings are great. (AUS$2 - AUS$ 25)

[edit] Mid Range

Central Port Macquarie has plenty of high quality mid range cafes and most days you can just turn up and get a table. Here are some of the best:

• Beau Thai Restaurant (Thai) Ignoring the terrible pun name for a second, this place is good value, and makes delicious Thai food. Located at the traffic lights in the CBD, it doesnt have any outdoor seating, and is a good place to go if the weather is bad, or in the evening.

• Beach House Bar & Grill Located withing the old Royal Hotel building on the Town Green, it is surrounded by parkland, and the outdoor area has unobstucted views of the river. The food varies from great to subpar with no real pattern, but this place is still worth a look.

• Finnians Irish Tavern Bistro, behind the bus station downtown. This bistro doesnt really serve anything all that Irish except for the fantastic Irish Guiness Pie. It does however serve good pasta, steaks and seafood, and often runs beer and meal deals during the middle of the week.

• Tacking Point Tavern Bistro, within the Tacking Point Tavern (see drinking). This place serves standard bistro fare, or pasta, burgers, steak, and seafood. The food is quite good, and it's a popular place with local families. $10 all you can eat pasta nights happen quite often during the week.

[edit] Expensive

There are so many mid range places in Port Macquarie that serve food of a high range standard, that it's almost not worth the extra effort. If you must eat at a high range place, here are a couple:

• Scampis Seafood, Port Macquarie Marina. This seafood restaurant has great views. It serves a selection of fresh seafood dishes, however, as of recent times, the quality of meals has dropped slightly.

• Vintage Restaurant, 6583 9300 [2]. Rated the best in the region from the Sydney Morning Herald good food guide 2007. European cooking with local produce. Only open for dinner M-Sa, so don't miss this one when traveling through Port Macquarie. priced competitively for the town. licensed and BYO wine.

[edit] Drink

Port Macquarie is a great place for beachside relaxation, or a family holiday, but a haven for nightlife, it is not. Compared to most other towns of similar size along the east coast of Australia, the pubs and clubs in Port Macquarie are quite substandard. Below are some of the better ones.

Tacking Point Tavern: Located on the southern outskirts of Port Macquarie, just off Pacific Drive, this tavern is a good family pub, with a childrens play area, and a decent bistro. (See above). Standard tap beer is available, as well as spirits and wine. Live covers bands play often on weekends, and this is the best place in town for a spot of mid-week pub trivia. A free courtesy bus picks up and drops off in town, which is the best way to get there. It is too far to walk from the CBD.

Beach House Bar & Grill: Once this place stops serving food (see Eating), it becomes the most up to date and fashionable bar in Port Macquarie. Playing a good mix of up to the minute electronic music, serving great German beers and with it's night views of the Hastings River, you cant go past this place in the CBD. Frequently visited by young proffessional workers, and a more mature clientelle than the other bars nearby, it is the place to see and be seen. Drinks can be very expensive.

Finnians Irish Pub: Located behind the bus terminal downtown, this place is the place to get pints of Guiness or Kilkenny, as well as other Australian brews. Home to an older crowd than the rest of the pubs downtown, it provides live covers bands on weekends. Has a great bistro as well. (See Eating)

Hotel Macquarie: The most popular pub with teenagers and young adults in Port Macquarie, and for no good reason. Every Friday and Saturday this place fills with just legal teenagers and young adults, and becomes very smoky and hot. It has 2 separate bars, one showing live sports, with a pool table and juke box. The other bar is a disco bar, playing terribly dated top 40 pop music. Fights commonly happen here on weekends, and although it's very unlikely you'll get caught up in one, be careful who's beer you spill. Located just up from the river away from The Beach House.

Altitude Nightclub: Located upstairs in the Galleria Arcade, and with a panoramic view of the street directly below it, this place used to be called Roxy's Nightspot in a former life. During that time it was a damp, smoky club, playing techno music from 5 years ago, through speakers that distorted due to the bass. It has since been renamed Altitude, and the door charge has since been raised from AUS$5 to AUS$10. The place has been re-vamped with quality sound and entertainment, and it is very popular with the Hotel Macquarie crowd.

[edit] Sleep

• Rydges Port Macquarie, 1 Hay Street ph 1300 857 922 - Attactions include Town and Flynn's Beach, Hastings River, Shops, Restaurants, Cafes, and close to Hinterland. Rydges Hotel and Resorts is an Austrailian owned and operated company.

• Squid's Ink Hotel in Lake Macquarie],[3] Squid's Ink is only 90 minutes north of Sydney, and one hour from Sydney.690 Pacific Highway Belmont NSW 2280 Australia.

[edit] Get out

See Get In for details of transport to and from Port Macquarie.

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