Port Macquarie – Final stopover on our holiday

On to Port Macquarie (8th – 9th  July)

There was something I liked almost immediately about Port Macquarie but I couldn’t really put my finger on it. This was our last stop on the way back to Sydney and we spent three days in the area. It was busy but not crowded. Motels had no vacancies but the streets did not seem too full.

Koalas

On the first day I took Dani to a Koala hospital. We had pre-booked it just in case we never saw any in the wild and it was a pleasant walk from our motel, so off we went. I am never impressed with these places but of course you are guaranteed to see some of the furry creatures.

Spot the koala! Pretty much in the centre of photo

The town had a Koala Trail thing going on. Lots of different themed koala statues for the kids (large and small) to spot.  It proved to be great fun for Dani while we were here….

Wonderful old Art Deco cinema – now shops – in centre of Port Macquarie

Craft breweries but few pubs

The town centre is not big but nor is it small and there seemed to be a shortage of standard watering holes. However, just outside of the town on an industrial estate there are several local craft beer breweries complete with sampling bars. We visited a couple – to keep the big kid happy while the little kid moaned. We visited Moorebeer Brewing Company and the Black Duck Brewery but the Wicked Elf brewery was not open. Which was disappointing as we had just discovered one of the their fine tasting and even better named beers – Fastidious Bastard IPA. Naturally, Dani thought the name was hilarious.

Black Duck brewery truck
Fastidious Bastard ale by Wicked Elf Brewery
Inside the Black Duck Brewery – with the smaller of the two guard dogs!!

Old Courthouse

Also worth a quick visit – and free to enter – is the old courthouse. Well preserved with plenty of original features

Taking the stand
In the dock
Recurring theme around these parts. All that remains of the original Port Macquarie gaol.

I think it was the wide but uncrowded roads that appealed to me in this town. The town itself is big enough but not too big. It is set on the sea with beaches and a huge river estuary, so has a bit of everything.

Plenty of people spotting whales from the lighthouse

There were also a few things to see and do in the immediate area before we left Port Macquarie . More on that in the next post… By the time I have caught up on our last holidays we will be off again. One more week of school to go…

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