
Do
Animal encounters
Port Macquarie offers one of the best vantage points to see whales during the yearly migration season which typically runs from May to November. Get up close and be in awe when they perform their signature somersault moves for you. Port Jet also provides great dolphin spotting opportunities.
The Port is home to the world’s first Koala Hospital and now the world’s first wild koala breeding program, to help bring back the koala numbers after the devastating bushfires. See the koalas climbing their trees in their rehabilitation yards, learn how the hospital saves and conserves koalas, and what you can do to help if you see one injured. Entry is free and they also run free tours.
At the multiple-award-winning Billabong Zoo, get up close with and pat over 80 species of Australian mammals, reptiles and birds. They run zoo talks and personal encounters with animals such as snow leopards and cheetahs.
Take to the sands on a camel safari on the beautiful Lighthouse Beach where you may even catch the sight of dolphins and whales while riding.
Horse rides for all ages and abilities are available at Port Macquarie Horseriding Centre and afterward, enjoy cheese platters and wine at the nearby Cassegrain Winery, brought to you by 2021 Winemaker of the Year, Alex Cassegrain.
Coastal and nature adventures
The Coastal Walk which hugs the coastline, is a must-do activity. With 9km of easy-grade walking, there are fantastic views, opportunities to spot dolphins along the way and it can be broken up into four sections to enjoy. Go from beach to rainforest, by taking the Port Macquarie Coastal Walk into the Sea Acres Rainforest Centre. Have your forest bathing experience, walking along the Rainforest Boardwalk and dine among the lush green surroundings of the Rainforest café.
At Bago Winery and Maze, you have a trio of attractions to enjoy. Firstly, at Baba Lila, a chocolate shop and kitchen, chocolate lovers can indulge in a chocolate art workshop, making artworks out of a delicious melted Russian recipe chocolate to keep and eat. Then stepping into the Bago Winery, enjoy a cheese board and wine tasting in the outdoor patio, while marvelling at one of the world’s largest hedge mazes, the stunning, architect-designed native Lilly Pilly hedge. It just won the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Architecture Award in the Tourism Category, with over 2000m of pathways, bridges and hedges.
The Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail, free and fun for all ages, is a multi-award winning art project, of 83 hand-painted koalas located across the Port Macquarie-Hastings region. Grab a map from the Hello Koala Gift Shop, so you can hunt for one or all of these.
For a venture out of the main town centre, visit the tiny village of Comboyne, and nearby Boorganna Nature Reserve, the second oldest nature reserve in NSW, where you can stroll through and visit the magnificent Rawson Waterfalls.