Sights in North Coast
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Yuraygir National Park
This 20,000-hectare park covers the 60km stretch of coast north from Red Rock. The isolated beaches are outstanding and there are some bushwalking paths where you can view endangered coastal emus. Walkers can bush camp in basic campsites (adult/child $10/5 per night) at Station Creek in the southern section; at the Boorkoom and Illaroo rest areas in the central section; on the north bank of the Sandon River; and at Red Cliff at the Brooms Head end of the northern section. These are accessible by car; there is also a free walk-in campsite at Shelly Beach.
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North Coast Botanic Gardens
Immerse yourself in the subtropical surrounds. Lush rainforest and numerous endangered species are some of the features. The 6km Coffs Creek Habitat Walk passes by, starting opposite the council chambers on Coff St and finishing near the ocean.
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Fort Scratchley
Originally constructed during the Crimean War to protect the city from possible invasion, this recently restored fort perched high above Newcastle Harbour was one of the few gun installations in Australia to fire a gun in anger during WWII. On 8 June 1942, a Japanese submarine suddenly surfaced, raining shells on the city. Fort Scratchley returned fire, negating the threat after just four rounds. Learn all about it on a guided tour.
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Wetlands Centre Australia
The Wetlands Centre Australia was born out of a desperate bid to stop the highway storming through the guts of this former rubbish tip. Now it’s 45 hectares of swampy wonderland, home to over 250 wildlife species. Mosquitoes are plentiful, so you’d best keep on walking, cycling or canoeing. The centre is a short walk from Sandgate train station.
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Kooloonbung Creek Nature Park
Home to many bird species, this park close to the town centre encompasses 50 hectares of bush and wetland that can be explored via walking trails and wheelchair-accessible boardwalks. It includes the Port Macquarie Historic Cemetery.
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Hat Head National Park
This coastal park of 6500 hectares runs north from near Hat Head to Smoky Cape (south of Arakoon), protecting scrubland, swamps and some excellent beaches backed by one of the largest dune systems in NSW. Rising up from the generally flat landscape is Hungry Hill, near Hat Head, and sloping Hat Head itself, where there’s a walking track.
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Big Banana
Some see this as a national icon, others find it ripe for abuse. Admission is free with charges for individual attractions such as the ice skating and snow-slope combo ($16/14). Built in 1964, it actually started the craze for 'Big Things' in Australia (just so you know who to blame or praise).
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Naval & Maritime Museum
Behind the information centre, this museum is where you will find the amazing remains of a balsawood raft that drifted across the Pacific from Ecuador as part of the Las Balsas expedition in 1973.
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Glasshouse Cultural Centre
The Glasshouse opened in July 2009 in the heart of Port, and is the new talk of the town. The funky building, modelled on environmental sustainability, houses the regional art gallery, museum and two theatres.
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Sea Acres Rainforest Centre
This 72-hectare pocket of coastal rainforest (a candidate for national-park status) is alive with birds, goannas, brush turkeys and, so as to be truly authentic, mosquitoes (insect repellent is provided). While there's no charge for wandering through most of the paths here, it's worth paying the admission to the ecology centre and wheelchair- accessible 1.3km-long boardwalk. Fascinating one-hour guided tours by knowledgeable volunteers are included in the price. Call ahead for times of bush-tucker tours led by Aboriginal guides.
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Clog Barn
Clog Barn is a bizarre miniature Dutch village with windmills, a clog barn with a ridiculously large range of collectable spoons. It makes the Big Banana look sophisticated. Kids will like it, adults will be bamboozled.
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Blackbutt Reserve
Sitting in a tract of bushland with plenty of walking trails and picnic areas, this council-run reserve has enclosures featuring native critters, including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and wombats, along with a cacophonic chorus of native birds. Take bus 224 or 317 (30 minutes) to the park's edge then walk 1km to the entrance.
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Captain Cook Lookout
Start your 4km (2.5mi) walking track around Cape Byron from the Captain Cook Lookout on Lighthouse Rd. The rainforest stretch near the lookout provides a good chance of seeing wallabies, bush turkeys and feral goats.
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Newcastle Region Art Gallery
This excellent regional gallery has a permanent collection of works by revered Australian artists (Drysdale, Nolan, Whiteley) and hosts exciting temporary exhibitions.
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Newcastle Maritime Museum
Explore maritime memorabilia at the Newcastle Maritime Museum, including old captains’ logs, photographs, uniforms, and the flotsam and jetsam washed up with shipwrecks.
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Port Macquarie Historic Cemetery
The Port Macquarie Historic Cemetery , bizarrely built above what was the early settlement's main water supply is in the Kooloonbung Creek Nature Park .
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Big Prawn
The Big Prawn is beached unceremoniously next to a transit centre at the town’s southern entry. It’s only worth stopping at if you need seafood from the co-op below.
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Myall Lakes National Park
These stunning lakes form the largest natural freshwater system in NSW. Pooling in deep blue basins, they weave around clumps of forest and small settlements.
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The Pass
For the famous breaks, walk from Main Beach past Clarks Beach to The Pass, which leads onto Watego's and Little Watego's Beaches. Dolphin sightings are common at these spots.
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Astronomical Observatory
For those looking for answers beyond the horizon, sneak a peek through the telescope at the astronomical observatory on one of its its public viewing and presentation nights.
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Roto House
Roto House, next to the Koala Hospital in Macquarie Nature Reserve, is a lovely Victorian villa (1891) with interesting displays about its original owners.
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Legends Surf Museum
Over 160 boards are on display, including ancient ones from, like, 50 years ago, man. Owner Scott Dillon is as salty as the ocean and has a passel of tales, although as he notes: 'Everyone wants to hear shark stories'. It's 500m west of the Pacific Hwy, 7km north of town (if highway construction work doesn't see it relocated).
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Queens Wharf Tower
Get your bearings (and your heart racing) with a climb up 180 steps to the top of the 40.3m-high Queens Wharf Tower for a 360-degree view of the city.
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Koala Hospital
Koalas living near urban areas are at risk from traffic and domestic animals, and more than 200 each year end up in this shelter. You can walk around the open-air enclosures any time of the day, but you'll learn more during the tours (3pm). Some of the longer-term patients have signs detailing their stories. Check the website for details of volunteer opportunities.
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Alma Doepel
The Alma Doepel is a resplendent three-masted trading vessel built in 1903, now spending its retirement as Port Macquarie’s centrepiece.
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