19 BEST ACTIVITIES TO DO IN PORT MACQUARIE

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19 BEST ACTIVITIES TO DO IN PORT MACQUARIE

19 BEST ACTIVITIES TO DO IN PORT MACQUARIE

LEARN MORE ABOUT 19 BEST ACTIVITIES TO DO IN PORT MACQUARIE AND DISCOVER MORE OTHER AMAZING OLACES IN AUSTRALIA

What to do in Port Macquarie

19 BEST ACTIVITIES TO DO IN PORT MACQUARIE

A four to five-hour journey north of Sydney, Port Macquarie is a popular holiday destination in New South Wales known for its surf, sun, and sand. But it’s much more than just what greets the eye. There’s plenty to keep you busy in Port Macquarie, or you can just find a quiet spot to unwind in. Activities include camel safaris, river cruises, art visits, and gorgeous seaplane rides.

It doesn’t take long to realise Port Macquarie caters for different holidaying tastes and budgets. Named after NSW Governor Lachlan Macquarie, it’s hard to imagine Port Macquarie was originally a penal settlement for convicts from England. Today, it spells holiday bliss, its mid-North Coast address boasting a warm and temperate climate, ideal for some well-earned R&R on the beach – all year round.

PORT MACQUARIE

19 THINGS TO DO IN PORT MACQUARIE

1- ATTEND ARTWALK

port macquarie artwalk
Attending the Port Macquarie Art Walk is one of the fabulous things to do in Port Macquarie in winter. Photo: Lindsay Moller.

ArtWalk is an evening arts festival in Port Macquarie and a good excuse to visit in winter when the city is alive with art and music.

Museums and galleries are complemented by pop-up street art and light installations.

There are music performances, street food stalls and the public spaces to meet new friends and discuss ideas.

There’s a different theme each year. For the next ArtWalk see more information here.

2- GO WHALE WATCHING

From May to November, thousands of humpback whales swim past Australia’s east coast on their long journey back to Antarctica.

They give birth in the warm waters of north Queensland and swim past Port Macquarie, where you can spot them from vantage points along the Port Macquarie Coastal Walk.

For a closer look, join a whale-watching cruise where you might get an eyeful of humpback whales breaching and spy-hopping around the boat. Book your PortJet’s Ocean Blast cruise here.

Whale watching fans, read these posts:

Where to go whale-watching:

  • Whale watching in Hervey Bay
  • Whale watching in Victoria (British Columbia)
  • Whale watching in Juneau (Alaska)

3- SURF AND SWIM PORT MACQUARIE’S BEACHES 

Beaches in Port Macquarie
The beaches in Port Macquarie are absolutely fantastic.

From the town centre to Laurieton, a 20-minute scenic drive to the south, the beaches of Port Macquarie are as inviting as they are portrayed on the tourist postcards and billboards.

Put on the swimming costume and splash on the essential sunscreen.

You can enjoy a dip – perhaps catch a wave or two – by surfing or merely body surfing at sought-after beaches around Port Macquarie.

Port Macquarie has some of the best beaches in Australia. Top Port Macquarie beaches include:

  • Oxley Beach
  • Flynn’s Beach
  • Nobbys Beach
  • Shelly Beach
  • Lighthouse Beach

4- ADMIRE THE VIEW FROM TACKING POINT LIGHTHOUSE

Things to do in Port Macquarie now
Admiring the view from Tacking Point Lighthouse is one of the attractions in Port Macquarie. Photo: Michael Smith.

It’s only when you take up a vantage point at the historic 1879-built Tacking Point Lighthouse, a favourite spot for seasonal whale watching between May and November, that you appreciate how popular the surf, sun and sand is to visitors.

Along this expansive nine-kilometre-long beach surfers share the same sands as fishermen and four-wheel drive enthusiasts.

5- RIDE A CAMEL ON THE BEACH

Things to do in Port Macquarie for kids
Travelling with kids? Riding a camel on the beach is one of the fun things to do in Port Macquarie.

Don’t be surprised to see camels taking holidaymakers on a ride with Port Macquarie Camel Safaris.

For more things to do in NSW, read:

  • 25 Things To Do In The Blue Mountains
  • 22 Things To Do In Bowral
  • 20 Things To Do In Wollongong
  • 20 Things To Do In Yamba
  • 19 Things To Do In Port Macquarie
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  • 18 Things To Do In Kingscliff
  • The Carrington Hotel Katoomba
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  • 15 Things To Do In Byron Bay
  • 15 Things To Do In Newcastle
  • 16 Things To Do In Port Stephens
  • 10 Things To Do In Kiama
  • 12 Things To Do In Windsor
  • 20 Things To Do In Sydney For Couples
  • 20 Things To Do In Sydney At Night
  • 17 Things To Do In Central Coast
  • 19 NSW Country Towns
  • Reflections Holiday Parks

6- PICK STRAWBERRIES AT RICARDOES

Port Macquarie Ricardoes Tomatoes and co owner Anthony Sarks (4)
Picking strawberries is a pleasant attraction in Port Macquarie. Photo: Michael Smith.

What began as a hobby on the outskirts of Port Macquarie has blossomed into a fruitful farming business for brothers Anthony and Richard Sarks.

The effervescent farming pair’s tomatoes and strawberries are so sought after, visitors will drive for hours to sample the juicy fruits, many choosing to roll up the sleeves to pick the succulent strawberries straight from the greenhouse hydroponically-fed vines.

From a modest market garden where the shop was a mere roadside table with an honesty box, Ricardoes Tomatoes and Strawberries – a five-minute drive west of the Port Macquarie town centre – has grown into a multi-award-winning tourist attraction, its Café Red a hive of activity for those wanting to enjoy morning or afternoon tea, lunch or sample the various sauces and jams offered for tastings.

Take a wander through the café and you’ll find all kinds of locally produced delights, the freshly-made strawberry jam and the Hobart gold medal-winning tomato and passionfruit jam favourites.

“We handpick more than one million tomatoes annually,” said Anthony, “What we don’t sell doesn’t go to waste,” he added, proudly holding a jar of their spicy Red Tomato Salsa, a bronze medal winner at the Sydney Royal.

Ricardoes Tomotoes is at 221 Blackmans Point Rd, Blackmans Point NSW.

7- GET LOST IN NSW’S LARGEST HEDGE MAZE

Things to do in Port Macquarie Bago Winery & Maze
Believe it or not, finding your way out of a maze is one of the fun things to do in Port Macquarie.

Near the Hastings River town of Wauchope, a five-minute drive along a winding dirt road among the eucalypts in forested Bago, is a virtual oasis, where guests – young and young-at-heart – literally get lost, only to be rewarded afterwards.

It’s here at Bago Wines that visitors test their skills within the largest hedge maze in NSW – 200 metres of paths that twist and turn in an area spanning 10,000 square metres.

The hedge of Lili pili trees – planted 14 years ago – are shaved at 2.3 metres high, so unless you are a towering basketball player, you’d have little chance of seeing over the top.

Another top Port Macquarie attraction is tasting wine (and meeting the folks at Bago Vineyards)

For many, it takes around 20 minutes to complete. For others, the emergency exits are a handy option, providing you can find them.

Whatever the result, you can reward yourself with some wine tasting from the estate’s cellar door, where local winemaker and owner Jim Mobbs is often on hand to assist with information on the estate’s chardonnay – spritzy or traditional (unwooded) – and the regional favourite red wine, Chambourcin.

Then there’s the rare Norton red variety – if it’s not already sold out.

Bago Maze and Winery is at Milligans Rd, Wauchope NSW.

8- TASTE HANDMADE CHOCOLATES 

Attractions Port Macquarie Baba Lila chocolates
Tasting yummy handmade chocolates at Baba Lila chocolates is a delicious thing to do in Port Macquarie.

In a private room in a corner of the cellar door awaits another mouth-watering treat – Baba Lila Chocolates – where Tash Topschij lovingly makes by hand chocolates inspired by her Russian mother’s family recipes yet spiced by native Australian flavours.

Her mother – Lila Topschij, was keen on making chocolates, so Tash decided to pass down the tradition by making her own versions.

Today, the thousands of chocolates made each week have an Australian slant and Tash’s daughter Rhianna is proud to talk about the 12 tasty truffles (suggest the Lemon Myrtle, Wild Lime and Prune ‘n Brandy), the inviting wine and chocolate pairings and Baba’s famous Chocolate Bark – seasonally flavoured chocolate slabs broken into shards.

9- WALK PORT MACQUARIE’S TRAILS 

Port Macquarie Coastal Walk
Hitting the hiking trails, such as the Port Macquarie Coastal Walk, is one of the top things to do in Port Macquarie.

Whether you choose to put on the walking boots to stretch the legs on a section of the nine-kilometre-long Port Macquarie Coastal Walk or head inland to Hastings River-side Wauchope for the 1.4km Rocks Ferry Walking Trail, hikers of different levels of fitness are well catered for in and around Port Macquarie.

From May to November, the coastal walk is particularly popular for its many whale spotting vantage points.

Don’t be surprised to also see dolphins sharing the same waves as the surfers.

The Rocks Ferry Walking Trail, while scenic, is easy to cover in 30 minutes.

10- EXPLORE BURRAWAN STATE FOREST

Old Bottlebutt Port Macquarie
Check out the Old Bottlebutt when visiting Port Macquarie.

Also, easy to cover is the 600-metre loop walking track within the Burrawan State Forest.

It’s here that the Old Bottlebutt has stood for more than 200 years.

With a massive girth of 16 metres, this towering and the grand tree is said to be the largest Red Bloodwood tree in the Southern Hemisphere.

11- VISIT THE KOALA HOSPITAL 

Things to do in Port Macquarie - koala hospital
If you love wildlife (or just want to see koalas), visiting the Koala Hospital is the top thing to do in Port Macquarie.

Despite being billed as the only one of its kind in Australia, the Koala Hospital at Port Macquarie receives no financial government support.

The hospital is self-funded, as it has been since nature-loving Jean and Max Starr founded it in 1973.

It’s, therefore, a good thing that animal-loving tourists include the hospital on their holiday plans and donate generously to the cause.

Arrive around 3 pm, and you can join a free “feed, walk and talk” tour to find out more about the cuddly patients, and how you can contribute to their survival through an adopt-a-koala scheme.

Any assistance goes a long way for the park which has been responsible for saving around 300 of the injured or malnourished marsupials in a year.

While these figures have dropped considerably in recent years, it is not a good sign as it is indicative of the predicted decline in the area’s koala population.

The Koala Hospital is in Lord Street, Port Macquarie.

12- VISIT ROTO HOUSE

Things to do in Port Macquarie Roto Museum
Roto Museum is another local attraction in Port Macquarie.

Anyone who visits doesn’t leave without visiting the neighbouring and well-preserved 1890-built Roto House (museum), once home to land surveyor John Flynn and one of the few remaining 19th Century timber buildings in Port Macquarie.

Visiting this museum will take you back into history and enthusiastic volunteers are on hand to answer questions.

Roto House is right next to the koala hospital at 2 Roto Pl, Port Macquarie NSW.

13- DON A WIG AT THE PORT MACQUARIE COURTHOUSE

Port Macquarie Courthouse
Impersonating a judge is another fun thing to do in Port Macquarie. All rise…..

Since it opened its doors in 1869, the original Port Macquarie Courthouse and adjacent lock-up have seen their share of convictions in a 117-year history, including the trial of a woman accused but acquitted (due to lack of evidence) of poisoning her husband.

Today, the historic courthouse, designed by prolific and well renowned Scottish architect James Johnstone Barnet, is a fascinating museum where you can learn much about Port Macquarie’s early colonial days from volunteer guides such as former school teacher Colin.

Barnet was responsible for designing as many as 169 post and telegraph offices, including the Sydney GPO in Martin Place.

He also designed 130 courthouses, 110 gaols and 20 lighthouses, including the Port Macquarie Tacking Point Lighthouse.

For a bit of fun, you can dress in costume for the camera.

“But beware. You could be put on trial for impersonating a judge,” laughs guide Colin.

The Port Macquarie Historic Courthouse is at 35 Hay St, Port Macquarie NSW.

14- WATCH A SHOW AT THE PORT MACQUARIE GLASSHOUSE

port macquarie glass house
Another attraction in Port Macquarie is the Glasshouse.

Then explore the most contemporary building Port Macquarie, the Glasshouse, home to a number of air-conditioned theatres, a fascinating art gallery and the invaluable Port Macquarie Tourist Information Centre. Go here to see what’s on at the Glasshouse.

From comedy to dance, drama and opera, Port Macquarie’s Glasshouse offers a good choice of entertainment options for everyone.

There’s also an educational programme for children.

Glasshouse Port Macquarie is at 30-42 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie NSW.

15- EAT FRESH SEAFOOD

From takeaway wraps of fish and chips to beachfront dining on fresh seafood and other locally-grown produce, seeking a spot to eat in Port Macquarie can be as fun-filled as it is tantalising. There’s a dining option for all tastes and budgets.

Here are five recommendations of restaurants in Port Macquarie that won’t disappoint.

  • Whalebone Wharf
  • Fat Fish restaurant
  • Stunned Mullet Restaurant and Bar
  • Mike’s Seafood for takeaway fish and chips
  • Bills Fishhouse and Bar for casual dining
Whalebone Wharf Seafood Restaurant Port Macquarie seafood platter.png
A seafood feast at Whalebone Wharf.
Whalebone Wharf Lindsay Moller Productions 6659
There’s a variety of seafood restaurants in Port Macquarie. Start your culinary journey at Whalebone Wharf.

16- GO CAFE HOPPING 

Cafes are almost as prevalent as the pelicans which call Port Macquarie home, the Rivermark Café overlooking the Hastings River to the Rainforest Café within the Sea Acres Rainforest Centre.

Many locals find comfort in dining at one of the two affordable restaurants at the Westport Club while nearby Quay Lime Bar and Grill is another favourite for its fish of the day, oysters and chilli, lime and ginger dressing.

Bread and pastries are also much sought-after in Port Macquarie.

Walk down Short Street and you’ll find the German-inspired and family-owned Burkhardt’s Organic Bakery, while, also in the heart of town is the Urban Grain Bakery, popular for its sourdough bread, pastries and doughnuts.

17- EXPLORE SEA ACRES RAINFOREST CENTRE

Discover aboriginal culture and learn about bush tucker while you explore the rainforest on the 1.3 km boardwalk.

Along the way, look out for scarlet robins, goannas, diamond pythons and colourful sculptures.

This rainforest was home to the Biripai people, who used the python tree to make weapons.

Sea Acres Rainforest Centre has a cafe and gift shop, where you can buy local artwork. It also offers rainforest meditation sessions, educational programmes

Sea Acres Rainforest Centre is at 159 Pacific Drive, Port Macquarie NSW.

18- EXPLORE CAMDEN HAVEN

Take a drive to the sleeply villages of Camden Haven, where the Camden Haven River is a lovely place for a walk. The section between the North Haven break wall and Laurieton is a picturesque area and there’s a chance of seeing grey nurse sharks and dolphins.

There are tidal pools at North Haven and Dunbogan. The Dunbogan Baotshed has a lovely cafe, where you can enjoy your coffee with river views from the outdoor deck.

Camden Haven is 30 km to the south of Port Macquarie and can be easily visited as a day trip.

19- EXPLORE KATTANG NATURE RESERVE

Kattang Nature Reserve is a fabulous spot for nature-lovers, with stunning scenery and walking trails.

The 40 m cliffs at Perpendicular Point plunge into the Pacific Ocean and the view from the point is simply stunning.

The walk to the point offers scenic coastal views of Port Macquarie and the chance of seeing whales, birds and, in spring, the wildflowers are an uplifting sight.

Charles Hamey Lookout has a fantastic view of Gogleys Lagoon, North Brother Mountain and Dunbogan Beach.

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