Port Macquarie is a beautiful town at the mouth of the Hastings River, situated about halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, cities from which the town is a popular holiday destination.
We're currently living full-time in our campervan, a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter, and exploring Australia, with a plan of "driving the lap" (completing the entire perimeter of the country). I first visited Australia in 2019, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport. This time, with the freedom of our campervan, we're trying to hit the lesser known spots and go slower.
After leaving the Barrington Coast behind, we carried on up the east coast of Australia to Port Macquarie to check out the gorgeous beaches and viewpoints, home to almost 90,000 people.
For over 40,000 years, the Birpai people lived on this land, long before any Europeans arrived. The first Europeans who arrived in 1821 were actually convicts sent to serve their penal sentences in a region known as being one of the toughest. From 1830, the area became a free settlement although the convicts remained until 1847, after which many more Europeans arrived to what was quickly becoming known as a beautiful place.
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Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Port Macquarie. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. In Port Macquarie, the traditional language of the Birpai people is Gathang.
→ Learn more about the language of the Birpai people.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. Port Macquarie, situated on the southeast coast of the country, halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, can get very hot and busy especially around the school summer holidays and cool in the winter months. I recommend visiting in spring (September-November) or autumn (March-May) for pleasant, sunny days.
Length of stay: We spent just an afternoon driving through Port Macquarie on our roadtrip, specifically to visit the Flagstaff Lookout, but plan to come back and explore the town more. It's a very popular holiday destination and there is so much to do!
Port Macquarie is a beautiful town at the mouth of the Hastings River, situated about halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, cities from which the town is a popular holiday destination.
By flight: Port Macquarie does have its own airport but only connects domestically with Sydney, Brisbane and Lorde Howe Island. The airport is just ten-minute drive outside the town or you can hop on bus 341 to Settlement City Shopping Centre and transfer to bus 322 or 323 to get into Port Macquarie, a journey of about half an hour.
The closest international airport is about 400km away in Sydney, so the easiest would be to get a connecting flight through there.
By car: If you're driving around the country as we are in our campervan, then the easiest way to get to Port Macquarie is with your own wheels. The most popular way of exploring Australia is by camping - whether with a motorhome, campervan, caravan or a roof tent on top of a car. This gives you the ultimate freedom of going as fast or as slow as you like.
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Sydney or Brisbane.
You might want to start in Sydney as your base for renting a campervan to explore Australia.
→ Rent a campervan in Sydney with Apollo, Camplify, Indie or Juicy.
By public transport: Sydney connects with Brisbane on the North Coast Railway, stopping at Wauchope, a 20-minute bus ride from Port Macquarie.
By guided tour: A few multi-day trips of the east coast include a stop in Port Macquarie.
→ Book a guided tour of the east coast, stopping in Port Macquarie.
By bus: Port Macquarie has an extensive bus route operated by Busways.
By car: If you have your own wheels, of course you can drive yourself around. Parking is free in Port Macquarie but there are a few time limits in some locations.
→ Find out about parking in Port Macquarie.
By Uber: Uber is readily available in Port Macquarie and is a popular and convenient way of getting around the area.
We spent just one afternoon in Port Macquarie, driving through on our east coast roadtrip arriving from the Barrington Coast in the south and headed up towards the Macleay Valley in the north.
Specifically, we came to check out the view from Flagstaff Lookout, a gorgeous viewpoint on the coast. It was first established in 1821 as a beacon site and signal station and has (somewhat overgrown) views looking to Town Beach on the left and Oxley Beach on the right.
From May to November, you might be able to spot whales on their migration. The lookout is a part of a 9km coastal walk if you want a longer trek.
We definitely plan to come back through Port Macquarie as we drive the east coast back south again and I will update this post with new things we get up to!
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
