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Port Macquarie attractions
Port Macquarie attractions
Port Macquarie has an interesting history. Being the first English convict settlement outside of Sydney and the Hunter it has a few historical sites and 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 and 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 kilometres of elevated boardwalks (so you don't 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, do not enter alone or at night.
Sea Acres Rainforest Centre Located at Shelly Beach, this national park is home to a native flying fox colony, scrub turkeys, wallabies, kangaroos etc. The rainforest is criss-crossed with several kilometres of elevated boardwalks, 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.
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Port Macquarie Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.