The wharf at Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie
Large and attractive holiday destination on the Mid North Coast.
Port Macquarie must be one of the best tourist destinations on the NSW coast. It has everything: a history which dates back to convict times, superb nature reserves in the area, some interesting historical buildings, lovely beaches with good surfing and excellent fishing opportunities, a fine museum, beautiful walking tracks around the headlands and beaches, lots of amusements for the kids; even a koala hospital. And, of course, it has every kind of accommodation imaginable.

Port Macquarie is located 407 km north-east of Sydney and 17 metres above sea-level at the mouth of the Hastings River. With over 65 000 residents it is a rapidly expanding centre which serves as a regional capital to other resorts of the south such as Camden Haven. Tourism is obviously central to the local economy, although fishing, oyster farming, manufacturing and mineral processing are also important.

In historic terms, Port Macquarie is the most significant town between Newcastle and the Queensland border. Prior to European settlement, the area is thought to have been occupied by the Kattang Aborigines. Captain Cook sailed past this section of the coast in 1770, as did Matthew Flinders in 1802. However, the first to investigate the Hastings River Valley was John Oxley who followed the river during an overland trek from the Tamworth district in 1818. He named the river after the governor-general of India and, when he arrived at its estuary, he named the site Port Macquarie after the governor of NSW, Lachlan Macquarie, who initiated the expedition.

Oxley noted that 'the port abounds with fish, the sharks were larger and more numerous than I have ever before observed. The forest hills and rising grounds abounded with large kangaroos and the marshes afford shelter and support to innumerable wild fowl. Independent of the Hastings River, the area is generally well watered, there is a fine spring at the very entrance to the Port'.

Macquarie sent Oxley back to survey the port and surrounding countryside more closely in 1819, with a view to establishing a penal settlement. At this time, pastoralists were moving into the Hunter Valley so the government was looking to close the penal settlement at Newcastle and move it to another spot beyond the expanding settlement. It was intended for the incarceration of England's worst offenders and for transportees who had compounded their original convictions with further crimes in NSW.

Oxley reported favourably on the port's capacity to receive coastal vessels, on the suitability of the area for the penal settlement and on the richness of its soil and natural resources. He was sent again in 1820 to choose a townsite and he selected the area upon which the CBD is now located.

Three ships set sail with 44 military personnel and 60 convicts who were chosen for their skills and good behaviour and encouraged with the possibility of conditional pardons or tickets-of-leave after 18 months. Thus was a penal settlement established in 1821 under Captain Francis Allman who landed on what is now the town green and hoisted the British flag on the rise now known as Allman Hill (at the top of Clarence St). It was indicative of future problems with the shallow river bar that all three ships were wrecked in entering the harbour.

The convicts were set to work clearing what is now the CBD of thick bush (mostly tea-tree and banksia) and substantial trees. They established a stockade for defence against prospective Aboriginal attacks, within which they erected quarters for officers and convicts, a cottage for the Commandant and gardens for the cultivation of produce. One of the first buildings - the garrison hospital - still stands. Port Macquarie was then the most northerly settlement in the colony.

Governor Macquarie visited the settlement in November 1821 and approved the site. He noted the abundance of timber, the 'verdant hills' to the 'rear of the town which afford excellent rich pasturage for cattle' and recorded that the indigenous inhabitants had 'lately manifested a very hostile spirit...by frequently throwing spears at the men employed in procuring rosewood and cedar, a very useful man was killed'.

Macquarie's idea was that the settlement would prove self-sustaining and, by 1824, convicts were employed in building, agriculture (mostly wheat, tobacco, cotton, vegetables and maize), boatbuilding, blacksmithing, teaching, baking and clerical duties etc. Poultry, pigs, cows and horses were also slowly amassed. St Thomas' Anglican Church was built between 1824 and 1828 and a Female Factory, where the women made nails and other items, was erected in 1825. As timber was being rapidly decimated in the Newcastle area, the cedar and other timber near Port Macquarie was of particular interest to administrators. In 1821 Captain Allman also instructed a black prisoner from Antigua in the West Indies to commence the cultivation of the first sugarcane in Australia. The first sugar mill was established in 1824. However, the port was a little too southerly and the industry was abandoned in the 1860s.

As settlement continued to radiate outwards from Sydney, a decision was made to begin dismantling the penal settlement in 1830 and open it to free settlers. The more hardened criminals were removed to Moreton Bay and Norfolk Island. However, the phase-out was gradual and the last prisoners were nor removed until 1847. The remaining convicts were either 'cripples, invalids and lunatics' ending their days, or labourers and tradesmen who completed their sentences by working for the settlers or the government. In the 1830s and 1840s they built roads, a substantial gaol, a dam and a bridge over Kooloonbung Creek.

One 1840s convict, James Tucker, is alleged to have written three literary works while at Port Macquarie, the most notable being Ralph Rashleigh. Novelist James Hardy Vaux wrote of his life on the road gangs of the late 1830s in The Life and Experiences of an Ex-Convict in Port Macquarie.

The arrival of free settlers initiated a period of rapid growth as they took up land, established properties and businesses (including the first public house in 1830) and built their homes. Cattle and timber were a major focus, horses were bred for the supply of the Indian army and viniculture was established in the latter half of the 1830s. Dairy farms also emerged at a later date. The provision of cheap unfree labour was central to the success of these endeavours.

A road was built from New England in 1840 and the port thus became an important outlet for the wool and other produce of the tablelands. The first Presbyterian Church was built in 1842, the first Methodist Church in 1846 and the Church of England school became a state school in 1848.

Surveyor Clement Hodgkinson passed through the area in 1840 and left some impressions of 'the town, built on a gentle rise, which shows to advantage its pretty little cottages with pointed roofs, its broad straight streets...and its tall square church tower...A grove of magnificent trees encircles Port Macquarie'.

However, like most of the colony, Port Macquarie was hit hard by the depression of the 1840s. Activity at the port declined and free settlers suffered from the combined effect of the economic downturn and the loss of cheap labour with the final closure of the penal settlement in 1847. Consequently the town declined in importance. Indicatively, the town's first bank opened in 1840 but closed in 1844. Many families left the area in the ensuing years with the golds finds of the 1850s offering more exciting possibilities.

Agriculture began to supplement pastoralism with the arrival of the first free selectors in the 1860s and the river and harbour traffic began to pick up in the 1870s, although the shallow bar prevented Port Macquarie from ever emerging as a crucial port. Moreover, the railway began to wind its way through the Hunter Valley and up into the tablelands from the 1860s to the 1880s, offering a more reliable transportation alternative to farmers and pastoralists of the west. Nonetheless timbergetting remained a major activity in the Hastings Valley and a number of sawmills opened in the area which meant that the harbour at Port Macquarie saw some action. Signs of a slight quickening are apparent in the construction of a Catholic Church (1878), the first bank in 35 years (1880), the first newspaper (1882) and the establishment of local government (1887).

In 1886 The Picturesque Atlas of Australasia described Port Macquarie as 'simply the business centre of the agricultural district and the pastoral background....maize, barley, oats, potatoes; the cultivation of the vine is also an important industry'.

In the late 1890s, Louis Becke wrote of Port Macquarie that it was an 'old-time town...a quaint, sleepy little place of six hundred inhabitants, who spend their days in fishing and waiting for better times. There are two or three fairly good hotels, very pretty scenery along the coast and up the river, and a stranger can pass a month without suffering from ennui - that is, of course, if he is fond of fishing and shooting; if he is not, he should avoid going there, for it is the dullest coast town in New South Wales'.

The construction of the North Coast Railway in the 1910s spelt the virtual end of the harbour and, by the 1960s, Port Macquarie was essentially a quiet fishing town. Development since that time has been rapid due to the improvement of roads and cars, population pressures, and the prosperity of the postwar boom which fuelled marginal incomes for both holiday purposes and retirement. Thus the population of Port Macquarie more than doubled between 1966 and 1981, at which time it was the state's second-fastest growing centre.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
The Port Macquarie Visitors' Centre is located at the corner of Clarence St and Hay St, tel: (02) 6581 8000.

You can contact them for details relating to scuba diving, yachting, boat hire, fishing charters, local fishing locations, sailboarding, windsurfing, houseboats, jet-skis, canoe safaris, scenic and charter aeroplane flights, river cruises, parasailing and skydiving, 4WD and motorcycle tours, hang-gliding, horseriding, golf and eco-tours.

Marina
Port Marina, off Park St, has a boat ramp (one of many in town), a restaurant, a fishing wharf, bicycle hire and a boat-hire service, as well as the usual berths, moorings, slipway, bait, tackle and fuel.

Beaches
The beaches in the area are quite superb. To the north of town and across the Hastings River is 16-km North Beach. Off Stewarts St, in the CBD, is Town Beach, situated at the mouth of the Hastings River. The southern part of the beach is sheltered by the rocks beneath Flagstaff Hill and so it offers safe swimming. The northern end is good for surfing.

Seven other beaches extend southwards from Town Beach. The first five can be accessed from Pacific Drive which follows the coastline southwards. The first, on the other side of Flagstaff Hill, is Oxley's Beach with a grassy verge ideal for picnics. To its south is a headland known as Windmill Hill which features a lookout and gardens. It was named for a windmill erected in the mid-19th century to grind wheat and corn for government contracts. On the other side is Rocky Beach which, as its name suggests, is not a great spot for a swim. At its southern end is Flynn's Point, beyond which lies Flynn's Beach - the area's prime surfing and generally most popular beach with a surf lifesaving club and a grassy area with barbecue facilities.

Another small headland separates Flynn's from Nobby's Beach and south of Nobby's Hill is Shelly Beach. There is a protected swimming area and boat ramp at the foot of Shelly Beach Rd. You can, if you wish, climb up to Harry's Lookout. Another headland separates Shelly Beach from Miners Beach to the south.

Looking from Tacking Point across to some of the new housing at Port Macquarie

Tacking Point Lighthouse
As Pacific Drive veers westwards, Lighthouse Rd heads off to the left, running parallel with the coast and out to Tacking Point Lighthouse. Walking trails to Miners Beach depart from Lighthouse Rd.

Tacking Point was named by Matthew Flinders in July 1802. He was presumably tacking up the coastline at the time. The lighthouse is the third-oldest in the country. It was built in 1879 to warn ships of the rocks near the shore and was converted to automatic operation in 1919. Apart from the interest of the lighthouse itself, Tacking Point, with its elevation above the surrounding coastline, offers superb views to both the north and the south.

Lighthouse Beach Camels
South of Tacking Point is Lighthouse Beach. The main access road is Matthew Flinders Drive which branches off Lighthouse Rd. You can go for a camel ride on the beach one kilometre south of the surf club, tel: (02) 6583 7650.

Walks
There are seven scenic walks outlined on a map available from the visitors' centre. They explore the waterfront from the marina area south to Lighthouse Beach, taking in the breakwall, some fine lookouts, spectacular scenery, beautiful beaches, rainforest areas and Tacking Point Lighthouse.

Gaol Point Lookout
Just off Stewart St (near the Lord St corner) is Gaol Point Lookout from whence there are pleasant views over the river mouth, the harbour and Town Beach. It is located on the northern edge of the site whereupon a brick gaol was built by convict labour between 1837 and 1840. Three men and a woman were hung there in 1844 and an Aboriginal man was hung outside the gaol walls in 1848. It was demolished in 1920.

The Lions Club have created a very interesting historic map for the site which conveys what the settlement looked like in the early nineteenth century.

Opposite, at the corner of Stewart and Lord Sts, is the Historic Well Motel which contains one of the two wells built to service the gaol. It is located near the motel's laundry.

Port Macquarie Observatory
The Observatory is located a little further along Lord St, on the other side of the road. There is a planetarium and telescope. It is open on Wednesday and Sunday evenings from 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. When daylight savings are in operation, the hours are 8.15 p.m. to 10.00 p.m.

Historic graves on the headland

The Historic Graves and Allman Hill
Walk westwards along Stewart St then turn right into Clarence St. In the sward, adjacent the road, are a few headstones which mark the site of the settlement's first cemetery (1821-24). One tells of a young soldier killed by a convict during an escape attempt and another of a child who died within three weeks of birth. Dr Fattorini's tombstone features a crown which attests to the doctor's belief that he was a relation of Napoleon.

This site is named Allman Hill after Francis Allman, the commandant of the original penal settlement, who hoisted the British flag on this site after stepping ashore in 1821.

Port Macquarie Museum and Courthouse
Head down Clarence St. Between Murray St and Hay St is the Port Macquarie Museum which is housed in a convict-built store erected c.1836 (there were extensions in the 1880s and in 1968 when it became a museum). It contains numerous historical documents and artefacts. In the courtyard are recreations of 19th-century shopfronts. Other features are a Victorian parlour, colonial farm equipment and sugar mill crushing machinery from the mid-19th-century. It is open Monday to Saturday from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. and Sundays from 1.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m., tel: (02) 6583 1108.

Across the road is the simple but dignified courthouse (1869), designed by James Barnet and flanked by Norfolk pines.

St Thomas Church

St Thomas's Anglican Church
Turn left into Hay St and proceed south for one block to the William St intersection where you will see St Thomas's Anglican Church. Australia's third-oldest remaining church, it is a Georgian structure built by convict labour between 1824 and 1828. The walls are of hand-made brick, one metre thick, and glued with mortar produced by burning oyster shells from Limeburners Creek. The square nails and spikes were forged by female convicts.

Highlights are the 1857 barrel organ which plays 33 hymns (it is the only one of its type in Australia), a crenellated bell-tower from whence there are fine views and the draught-proof, box-type cedar pews (originally reserved for the military). Free settlers were allowed to hire pews at the rate of five pounds per annum (the average wage being three pounds per annum).

In her memoirs, Eliza Walters left some interesting observations of the Sunday church ritual which provide some insight into the initial penal colony: 'The interior of the building was then plastered and lime-washed as white as snow. There was no flooring and no gallery...a reading desk, but no pulpit...and there were more prisoners than free people present.

'How well I can remember the grand old bass-toned bell, ringing out on a Sunday morning....As we walked up the green, grassy hill, we were joined by the Officers, their wives and families and other free people...

'At each door stood a guard of two red-coats. As soon as the bell rang at 10 a.m., the guards, with fixed bayonets, assumed command of the Church and marching into the building took up a position in the South-east corner. Opposite, in the North-east corner, stood the musicians [violin and flute]...

'There were four rows of wooden seats, or benches in the body of the Church, and on the North side sat the Iron gang, while on the South side sat the invalids from the Barracks. In front of the rows of rough seats were the Commandant's Pew...near to where the musicians were stationed, and as soon as he and his family entered it, a screen was drawn across, and they were shut off from observation by the rest of the congregation.

'At the West end of the Church stood the Military Guards who had conducted the prisoners to the Service. The Commandant and all the free people were seated in their places before the prisoners were marched in.'

Interestingly, Captain Rolland, the Commandant in 1824, is buried under the front row of pews. It is said he was murdered during an escape attempt. At any rate his body was apparently buried here as the ground had been consecrated in preparation for the laying of the foundation stone, as it was believed that the convicts would be less likely to desecrate his grave if it were on sacred ground.

The present chapel was built in 1821 as a dispensary for the garrison hospital which was located across the road where St Agnes' Catholic Church now stands. The building was extended and renovated in 1937 but the original portion retains its initial form.

Kooloonbung Creek Nature Park
Head west along William St for one block, turn left into Horton St and proceed south to the Gordon St intersection. On the southern side of the roundabout there are rows of weathered tombstones bearing the names of convicts and free settlers The earliest interment dates from 1824. Here now are flower beds, expansive lawns and shady trees which form a part of Kooloonbung Creek Nature Park - a 50-ha site redeveloped to present an area of natural bushland. There are 3 km of walking trails and several bird-watching platforms (the reserve contains some 130 species). The reserve also contains some koalas. Maps are available at most entry points and from the visitors' centre.

The Rota Building, once the home of John Flynn, now the headquarters of the National Parks and Wildlife Service for the area

Roto House
Roto Place runs off Lord St, just south of the Hill St intersection. It leads to Roto House, an historic ten-room country house built of red mahogany in 1890 for surveyor John Flynn. Restored and supplied with period furnishings, it is open for inspections from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. on weekdays, tel: (02) 6584 2203.

Koala Hospital and Port Macquarie Nature Reserve
Roto House is surrounded by Port Macquarie Nature Reserve - a 12-ha section of wet sclerophyll forest which is essentially a treatment and relocation centre for koalas displaced by urban expansion. The focal point is the Koala Hospital which is a short distance from Roto House. The public are not allowed into the hospital itself but when the animals have been treated they are initially placed in the yard where there are two permanent marsupial residents along with other sundry visitors. A good time to visit is during feeding which takes place publicly from 8.00 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. and from 3.00 p.m. to 3.3.0 p.m. daily. There is also an associated shop, tel: (02) 6584 1522.

Flagstaff Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum focuses on local maritime history and is open from 11.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. every day but Sunday. It is located at 6 William St which is appropriately by Flagstaff Hill, named after the signal station and beacon established there in 1821, tel: (02) 6583 1866.

Sea Acres Rainforest Centre
A little further south is the Sea Acres sanctuary. A NSW Tourism Award Winner, this National Parks and Wildlife Service venture preserves 72 hectares of rare coastal lowland rainforest adjacent Shelly Beach and Miners Beach. There are 3 kilometres of boardwalk, guided tours, an enviro theatre and ecology display, a rainforest cafe and gift shop. There is also a Bush Tucker tour which offers visitors an opportunity to taste native herbs and spices. Access is off Pacific Drive. It is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., tel: (02) 6582 3355.

Lake Cathie
About 12 km south of Tacking Point is Lake Cathie which provides safe swimming in scenic surroundings.

Innes Lake Vineyards
This winery is located on The Ruins Way which heads south off the Oxley Highway about 6 km south-west of the city centre. They are open daily for tastings and sales, tel: (02) 6581 1332.

Cassegrain Winery
Cassegrain Winery, established in 1980, is situated on the Hastings River, slightly to the west of Port Macquarie. Noted for its red and fortified wines, it boasts a restaurant, a playground, and picnic-barbecue areas, all set amidst 2000 roses. The winery is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. To get there, follow Hastings River Drive westwards from the town centre to the Pacific Highway. Turn left, following the highway south for about 3 km and turn left again into Fernbank Creek Road. For the winery ring (02) 6583 7777 and for the restaurant ring (02) 6584 2237.

Billabong Koala and Aussie Wildlife Park
Billabong Koala and Aussie Wildlife Park (the home of the 'Big Swaggie') has native fauna in landscaped gardens linked by billabongs and level walkways. There are rainforest aviaries, spacious animal compounds and free-roaming wildlife, as well as a restaurant, outdoor picnic areas and a gift shop, tel: (02) 6585 1060. From the intersection of the Pacific and Oxley Highways, head west along the latter, towards Wauchope. You will soon come to a turnoff on the right into Billabong Drive.

Limeburners Creek Nature Reserve
Limeburners Creek Nature Reserve consists of 9123 hectares of coastal heathlands characterised by banksias, blackbutt wetlands and small patches of rainforest. The area is ideal for birdwatching, swimming, surfing, canoeing, bushwalking and fishing. The main access route is via Crescent Head but there is a very rough road from Port Macquarie which is strictly for those with a 4WD.

To access this road, catch the vehicular ferry across the Hastings River from Settlement Point then follow North Shore Drive for a short distance to the coastline where you must turn left into Point Plomer Road which will take you straight up the coast. For detailed information about the reserve, see the entry on Crescent Head or contact the Port Macquarie District National Parks and Wildlife Service Office on (02) 6584 2203.

Sundry Activities
Hydro Golf is available at the Hibbard Sports Club in Boundary St, tel: (02) 6583 3200. Mini-golf is offered at Supa-Putt in Gordon St, opposite the Olympic Pool, tel: (02) 6583 4677. Port City Bowl is located in Hastings River Drive, tel: (02) 6583 2238.

	Tourist Information
	Port Macquarie Tourist Information Centre Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6581 8000 Facsimile: (02) 6581 8010
	Motels
	Arrowyn Motel 170 Gordon St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 1533 Facsimile: (02) 6583 3040 Rating: ***
	Beachpark Motel 44 Williams St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2266, 1800 224 483 Facsimile: (02) 6583 5226 Rating: ***1/2
	Bermuda Breezes Resort 1 Cathie Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6582 0957 Facsimile: (02) 6582 0691 Rating: ***1/2
	Best Western Macquarie Barracks Motor Inn 103 Hastings Rover Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 5333 Facsimile: (02) 6583 5395 Rating: ****
	Best Western Palm Court Motor Inn 138 William St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 5155 Facsimile: (02) 6584 1128 Rating: ***1/2
	Comfort Inn Aquatic 253 Hastings River Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 7388 Facsimile: (02) 6583 7913 Rating: ***1/2
	Coolibah Motel 167 Gordon St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1647 Rating: **
	Country Comfort Port Macquarie Cnr Buller & Hollingworth Sts Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2955 Facsimile: (02) 6583 7398 Rating: ***1/2
	El Paso Motor Inn 29 Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1944, 1800 027 965 Facsimile: (02) 6584 1021 Rating: ***1/2
	Excelsior Motor Inn 92 William St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6584 5156 Facsimile: (02) 6584 4144 Rating: ***1/2
	Hastings Valley Motel 64 Burrawan St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1303 Facsimile: (02) 6583 2282 Rating: ***
	HW Boutique Motel 1 Stewart St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1200 Facsimile: (02) 6584 1439 Rating: ****
	Koala Tree Motel 179 Gordon St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2177 Rating: ***1/2
	Le George Motel 4 Hollingworth St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 3288 Facsimile: (02) 6583 5236 Rating: ***
	Major Innes Motel 693 Oxley Hwy Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6581 0606 Facsimile: (02) 6581 1931 Rating: ***
	Mid Pacific Motel Cnr Clarence & Short St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 2166, 1800 024 894 Facsimile: (02) 6584 1191 Rating: ***1/2
	Narimba Lodge Motel 4 Narimba Cl Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 3839 Facsimile: (02) 6583 3839 Rating: ***
	Ocean Breeze Motel 24 Burrawan St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1799 Facsimile: (02) 6583 9470 Rating: ***1/2
	Port Aloha Motel 3 School St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1455 Facsimile: (02) 6583 2459 Rating: ***1/2
	Port O Call Motel 105 Hastings River Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 5222, 1800 181 717 Facsimile: (02) 6584 1277 Rating: ***1/2
	Quality Inn & Suites 15 Mort St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 3266, 1800 235 232 Facsimile: (02) 6584 9003 Rating: ****
	Quality Resort Sails 20 Park St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 3999, 1800 025 271 Facsimile: (02) 6584 0397 Rating: ****
	Rocky Beach Motel 10 Pacific Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 5881 Facsimile: (02) 6583 5881 Rating: ***
	Somewhere To Stay 54 Burrawan St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 5850 Facsimile: (02) 6583 5877 Rating: ***1/2
	Town Beach Motor Inn Cnr Gordon & Lord Sts Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 8899 Facsimile: (02) 6583 8408 Rating: ***1/2
	Hotels
	Fernhill Tavern 4 Jindalee Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6581 0377
	Port Macquarie Hotel/Motel Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 1011 Rating: **
	Royal Hotel Horton St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 1896 Rating: **
	Rydges Port Macquarie 1 Hay St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6589 2888, 1800 226 466 Facsimile: (02) 6589 2899 Rating: ****1/2
	Settlers Inn Hotel 101 Hastings River Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 3100
	Resorts
	Village Resort Vacations Cottage 288 Hastings River Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 5544
	Sails Resort Park St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 3999 Rating: ****
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Lighthouse Beach Bed & Breakfast HomeStay 91 Matthew Flinders Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6582 5149
	Timber Ridge Bed & Breakfast 31 Timber Ridge Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6582 0099 Rating: ***
	Wenderholm Lodge Bed & Breakfast 20 Mahogany Hill Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 8208
	Joys Doo Drop Inn Bed & Breakfast 29 Laguna Pl. Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 3405 Rating: ***
	Apartments
	Airlie Palms Holiday Apartments 50 Pacific Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 7279 Facsimile: (02) 6584 1253 Rating: ***
	Bay Park Gardens Holiday Apartments 1 Walters St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6584 1154
	Beach House Holiday Apartments 7 Lord St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6584 1084, 008 025 096 Facsimile: (02) 6584 9924 Rating: ***
	Beach Park Apartments 58 Pacific Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6584 1154
	Beachfront Regency Holiday Apartments 40 William St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 2244 Rating: ***
	Blue Pacific Holiday Apartments 37 Pacific Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1686 Rating: **
	Central Views Holiday Apartments 2 Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1171 Rating: **
	Century 21 Mid Pacific Realty (Holiday Apt Letting) 43-47 Horton St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6584 1007 Facsimile: (02) 6584 1119
	Flynns Beach Holiday Apartments 51 Pacific Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2528 Rating: ***
	Golden Sands Holiday Apartments 9 Everard St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2067 Rating: ***
	Harbour Watch Holiday Apartments Burrawan St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6584 1154
	Kirkwood Holiday Apartments 15 Grant St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1152 Rating: **
	L.J. Hooker Real Estate (Holiday Apt Letting) 49 Horton St P.O. Box 21 Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2988, 1800 803 833 Facsimile: (02) 6583 1577
	La Mer Holiday Apartments Cnr Gordon & Owen Sts Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 3099
	Manchester Unity Holiday Apartments 29 Owen St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 1855 Rating: **
	Merv Green Real Estate (Holiday Apt Letting) 42 Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1822 Facsimile: (02) 6584 0185
	Port Pacific Resort Service Apartments 6 -14 Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 8099 Facsimile: (02) 6584 9024 Rating: ****
	River Motel Holiday Apartments 5 Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 3744 Rating: **
	Rydges Port Macquarie 1 Hay St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6589 2888, 1800 226 466 Facsimile: (02) 6589 2899 Rating: ****1/2
	Seychelles Holiday Apartments 135 Pacific Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6582 3738,1800 803 901 Facsimile: (02) 6584 9924 Rating: ***
	Shelley Beach Resort Holiday Apartments 156 Pacific Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6582 3978, 1800 810 248 Rating: ***
	The Breakers Holiday Apartments 2 Hill St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1625
	Vacation Village Holiday Apartments Settlement Point Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 5555 Facsimile: (02) 6583 7373 Rating: ***
	Holiday Homes & Units
	Flynns Beach Townhouses Cnr Ocean & Crisallen Sts Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6584 1786 or (02) 6584 1166 Rating: ***
	Sandringham Holiday Unit 66 Pacific Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 65 84 1154
	The Penthouse Holiday Unit 39 Matthew Flinders Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6584 1154
	The Reef Holiday Unit 4/8 Burrawan St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6584 1154
	Cottages & Cabins
	River Haven Cottage 82 Hibbard Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6582 1267 Facsimile: (02) 6582 3432
	The Cottage 6 Elizabeth St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6584 1154
	Lodges & Chalets
	Beach Lodge & Sea Spray Holiday Units Cnr William & Owen Sts Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 6226 Facsimile: (02) 6584 2721 Rating: ***
	Limeburners Lodge 139 Shoreline Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 3381
	Caravan Parks
	Coral Trees Caravan Park 42/44 Flynn St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1747 Rating: **
	Jordan's Caravan Park Settlement Point Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1005 Rating: **
	Koala Court Caravan Park 178 Oxley Hwy Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6581 1927 Rating: **
	Marina Holiday Park 52 Settlement Point Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 2353 Facsimile: (02) 6584 0771 Rating: **
	Riverlodge Caravan Park 340 Blackman's Point Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6585 0264 Rating: **
	Aquatic Caravan Park 259 Hastings River Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6584 9155 Rating: ***
	Edgewater Caravan Park Hastings River Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2799 Facsimile: (02) 6583 7695 Rating: ****
	Flynns Beach Caravan Park 22 Ocean St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 5754 Rating: ***
	Hastings River Caravan Park 268-270 Hastings River Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 3387 Rating: ***
	Leisure Park 202 Hastings River Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 1261 Rating: ***
	Lighthouse Beach Holiday Village Matthew Flinders Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6582 0581 Facsimile: (02) 6582 2830 Rating: ***
	Melaleuca Caravan Park 128 Hastings River Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 4498 Facsimile: (02) 6584 9723 Rating: ***
	Mid Pacific Park 174 Oxley Hwy Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6581 0738 Facsimile: (02) 6581 0748 Rating: ***
	Sundowner Breakwell Tourist Park 1 Munster St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2755 Facsimile: (02) 6584 0123 Rating: ****
	Tasker's Port Macquarie Caravan Park 14 Flynn St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 1520 Facsimile: (02) 6583 2366 Rating: ***
	Camping & Other
	Lindel Travellers Hostel 2 Hastings River Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1791
	Restaurants
	Al Dente Restaurant Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6584 1422
	Beachfront Regency Motor Inn Restaurant 40 William St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 83 2244, 008 022 101 Facsimile: (02) 6583 2868
	Bitz & Pizzas Restaurant Cnr Clarence & Murray Sts Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 8046
	Breakers Bistro Restaurant Horton St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 1011
	Ca Marche at Cassegrain Winery Cnr Pacific Hwy & Fernbank Creek Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6582 8320
	Cassegrain Winery Restaurant Fernbank Creek Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6584 2237
	Castaway Restaurant Cnr Buller & Hollingworth Sts Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2955
	Chiang Mai Thai Takeaway Restaurant Gordon St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 1766
	Chula's Thai Terrace Restaurant 73 Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6584 9049
	Color'z Restaurant Settlement City 1 Bay St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6580 2300
	Coolenberg Reception Centre & Restaurant 60 Lake Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6584 3770
	Crays Waterfront Restaurant 74 Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 7885
	El Paso Motor Inn Waterfront Restaurant Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 1944
	Flynn's Beach Pasta Place 53 Pacific Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2679
	Harpo's Restaurant 4 Flynn St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1401
	Hogs Breath Cafe 65 Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2252
	Hook & Slice Restaurant Cathie Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6582 5888
	Hot Wok Chinese Restaurant 139 Gordon St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 4707
	John Oxley Restaurant Settlement City 1 Bay St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6580 2300
	La Roma Italian Restaurant Port Pacific Bldg 3 Murray St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 4523
	Lighthouse Beach Holiday Village Restaurant Matthew Flinders Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6582 0581
	Lotus Beach Restaurant Lighthouse Beach 42 Watonga St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6582 3233
	Macquarie Motel Restaurant 21 Grant St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1533
	Mercure Inn Sandcastle Restaurant 16-24 William St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 3522 Facsimile: (02) 6583 3465
	Mexican Cantina Toro's 22 Murray St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 4340
	Palm Court Motor Inn Restaurant 138 William St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 5155
	Pancake Place Restaurant Cnr Hay & Clarence Sts Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 4544
	Port Macquarie City Bowling Club Restaurant Owen St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02 6583 1133 Facsimile: (02) 6583 1461
	Port Macquarie Golf Club Restaurant Cathie Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6582 0409
	Port Macquarie La Roma Italian Restaurant Murray St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 4523
	Port Macquarie Motel/Hotel Restaurant Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1101 Facsimile: (02) 6583 5822
	Port Macquarie RSL Club Restaurant Settlement City Bay St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6580 2300
	Riverview Terrace Restaurant River end of Horton St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6584 1446
	Sails Resort Restaurant Park St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 3999 Facsimile: (02) 6584 0397
	Salty's Restaurant McInherney Park Settlement Point Rd Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 7861
	Scampi's Marina Seafood Restaurant Port Marina Park Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 7200
	Sea Acres Rainforest Centre Restaurant Pacific Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6582 3355
	Sun Hing Chinese Restaurant 112 William St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 5667
	The Tickled Trout 2 Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 6822
	Westport Bowling Club Restaurant Buller St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1499
	Whalebone Wharf Restaurant Hastings River Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2334
	Whar Hing Restaurant Horton St Port Macquarie NSW 2428 Telephone: (02) 6583 1800
	Yuen Hing Chinese Restaurant 101 Horton St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 2269
	Zar's Cafe & Restaurant Galleria Shopping Centre Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 1875
	Cafés
	Bangalow Cafe Sea Acres Rainforest Centre Pacific Dve Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6582 3355
	Cafe Margo Cnr Hay & Clarence Sts Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6583 5145
	Portabello's Shop 6, 124 Horton St Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6584 1171