Port Macquarie

Located on the mid north coast of NSW, Port Macquarie sits where the mouth of the Hastings River meets the sea. One of the oldest penal settlements outside of Sydney, Port Macquarie offers a range of experiences with its nature reserves, national parks, coastal outlets, water-based activities plus gastronomy. What’s more, it’s deemed to have the best climate in Australia. For road trippers and holidaymakers, the Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park has pole position in town and is an easy walk to the beach, jetty and main hub.

Once called ‘hell on earth’, a Port By Night Tour with Bruce Thompson puts the area’s intriguing convict past into startling perspective. Founded in 1821, Port Macquarie was a place of punishment for convict reoffenders. Commencing at the Town Green, the tour weaves past notable buildings and ends at the historic graveyard.

For thrillseekers, Port Jet run a range of exhilarating jet boat rides, with the Ultimate considered the most adrenalising. Reaching up to 90ks per hour, the purpose-built Wild Thing chops through the waves on the ocean, plus does 360 degree spins, fish tails and power brake slides.

Another adrenalin-filled activity about town is Extreme Velocity. Created by former skydivers Christie and Christain Corse, visitors can try a two to four minute flight in a wind tunnel, where the velocity can reach up to a maximum of 220 kilometres per hour. Suitable for four to 76 year olds, it also provides a fabulous core body workout.

Nabiac

South of Port Macquarie, via the Pacific Highway, is the small and pleasing rural town of Nabiac. It’s here that you will find the charming Honeycomb Valley Farm that runs a ‘meet the bees’ tour. The tour includes a personally guided overview of the farm, beekeeping suit hire and a bee sanctuary visit. Comprising 90 acres, this highly sustainable property is not only renowned for its native stingless bees plus regular stinging bees, it also has solar ovens and is an eco friendly farmstay. Here you can see the likes of cute miniature Galloway cattle, dairy goats, suri alpacas and dorper sheep, miniature cashmere lop-eared rabbits and chickens or ‘hens on holidays’.

Mansfield

One of the best ways to get off-the-beaten-path is to take to the High Country on horseback. Watsons Mountain Country Trail Rides and Lovick’s High Country Adventures, which are conveniently located next door to each other, tick the boxes for a worthwhile equine experience. Michael Watson is the second generation in his family to have been riding horses in the area and offers one hour to day-long rides. Meanwhile Charlie Lovick, a High Country legend, who was the master of horse for both of the Man From Snowy River movies, generally offers longer overnight rides through the area, taking in some of the cattlemen’s huts, as well as cattle drives.

The Lakes Way

For one of the most spectacular coastal drives, from Nabiac head slightly north to join The Lakes Way, where you can journey from Tuncurry-Forster to Bulahdelah. Here you will pass gob smacking lakes, national parks and coastline. A worthwhile road stop is at The Green Cathedral, which is located at the Sundowner Tiona holiday park. Built in 1939, The Green Cathedral is an open-air consecrated venue that hosts regular weddings and draws visitors by the busload. Surrounded by Cabbage Tree Palms, Seven Mile Beach and Wallis Lake, the walkway to the chapel is through a rainforest.

Not too far from The Green Cathedral is the naturally unspoilt Seal Rocks, which can be accessed via an unsealed gravel road from the Lakes Way. Superbly situated, it is surrounded by national park, stunning beaches and rock pools. The heritage-listed Sugar Loaf Point Lighthouse is located on the second most easterly point of Australia, where it is perched high above Seal Rocks. The expansive vistas of coastline extend to Crowdy Head in the north, to Port Stephens in the south.

Port Stephens

Port Stephens is a large natural harbour of about 119 square kilometres and forms part of the The Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park. Located 2.5 hours north of Sydney and about 45 minutes from Newcastle, it has 30 kilometres of sandy beaches and is the culmination of almost a dozen towns on the northern and southern sides. As IFISH host Paul Worsteling knows, Port Stephens is a fishing mecca and teems with a variety of fish and marine life. It is internationally renowned as a marlin fishing hot spot with popular catches including blue, black and striped marlin, yellow-fin tuna, mahi mahi, broad bill and Sword Fish to name a few.

A fabulous place to stay is at Discovery Holiday Parks Port Stephens. Located at Lemon Tree Passage, it has a peaceful waterfront location and offers a range of sites from powered camp sites to self-contained cabins. It’s only a couple of minute’s drive to a boat ramp, which provides direct access to the mainstream of Port Stephens.