Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie is a large town located 390 km north of Sydney and 570 km south of Brisbane on the mouth of the Hastings River on the mid-North Coast, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Port Macquarie is at the junction of the Oxley and Pacific highways and a major link to Armidale and Tamworth, rich provincial centres. Port Macquarie is home to over 65000 residents and is a popular tourist and retirement location. Rail access from Port Macquarie is via a bus link to the North Coast Railway Line at Wauchope which is 19 km inland. Greyhound and McCafferty's buses pass through Port Macquarie on the way to Sydney or Brisbane.

Port Macquarie is popular for water sports and is a popular place to live with many employment opportunities. Port Macquarie is its close neighbours the Camden Haven Valley and Hastings Valley have more holiday attractions to experience than any other regional New South Wales holiday destination.

John Oxley was the first European visitor to Port Macquarie in 1820 when he reached the Pacific Ocean coast from his exploration travels in inland New South Wales. A penal settlement was eventually established when Macquarie sent Oxley back to survey the surrounding countryside and port. Port Macquarie was the most northerly settlement from Sydney Cove and built itself from a convict past. Port Macquarie is the oldest town in NSW with many examples of its convict past such as Trial Bay Gaol, St Thomas's Church, award winning Hastings Historical Museum and the Military Surgeons Residence. Another historical building with long sweeping verandah's and a high pitched roof is the Historical Courthouse built in 1868 on the corner of Hay and Clarence Streets and is typical building of the era. Port Macquarie is a holiday destination that can hold its own or a convenient stopover point between Sydney and Brisbane, having attained this reputation since Federation in 1901.

Port Macquarie's climate is sub tropical and therefore very popular for leisure and water sports. Inland from Port Macquarie and North Shore are the towns of Wauchope and Telegraph point and lie to the north on the river and is accessed by car ferry.

Port Macquarie has a great variety of holiday accommodation including tourist parks and caravan parks, resorts, motels, farmstays and bed and breakfasts. Port Macquarie truly is a holiday paradise with a colourful history, wide range of accommodation, beautiful nature reserves, great facilities and activities.

Fifteen beaches line the coast from Camden Haven to Port Macquarie South and are patrolled by surf lifeguards and feature kids playgrounds and bbq facilities. Port Macquarie also offers great scuba diving and deep sea fishing as well as whale and dolphin watching. Other water sports include sailboarding, sailing, water skiing and all other hire equipment is available.

The highest single drop falls in the southern hemisphere exists near Port Macquarie called Ellenborough Falls.

Port Macquarie is an attractive holiday destination from which to explore the NSW North Coast. It has a good surfing beaches, a rich convict history, superb nature reserves, excellent river and ocean fishing, lots of amusements for the kids and beautiful walking tracks around the beaches and headlands. Port Macquarie is Australia's fastest growing towns which was first established as a penal settlement in 1821 now a popular tourist resort for generations and fishing port.

Port Macquarie Weather