We stopped in Port Macquarie as part of a road trip up the coast, as a bit of a stopgap. The main reason was stopped there was to sleep, and we heard there was a koala hospital there where they take care of injured koalas and rehabilitate them when they can. I

We arrived in the late afternoon, checked in and went for a walk along the coast. The views were great, pretty much the whole east coast of Australia is one big beach. It was windy but not too bad, we strolled along the beaches and walkways – queue another sign saying to watch out for snakes, and queue another snake nearby. He was only small and minding his own business so again, nothing to worry about. That evening we grabbed dinner in the boathouse restaurant (https://goo.gl/maps/n5hdeLbX63MtKzru6), it was ok, nothing special. The outdoor area looked nice when we googled it but it was dark and windy by the time we got there so we sat inside instead.

The town of Port Macquarie itself reminded of a typical seaside tourist town in Spain or Portugal that families might visit in the summer. Apologies to any Port Macquarie locals who might not like that comparison!

The next morning we explored a bit more before heading north again.

Koala Hospital: https://goo.gl/maps/MFTp8WsA7tkkcw1u7

We loved this and spent maybe 30-40 minutes here checking all the koalas out. Its not that big and some people might be in and out in 10 minutes, especially if they are all sleeping but it was the first time I ever seen koalas so I was savouring and taking a few pictures too! They have 2 sections there, one that is behind a blacked out fence and one that is open for viewing.

The blacked out fence is for koalas that are rehabilitating and will eventually be released into the wild, they are keeping them away from human interaction but some times they climb up high to say hello anyway:

Sea Acres Rainforest: https://goo.gl/maps/BAx6Tfkry1rHCLbB9

This was located close to the koala hospital so we thought we’d have a look before hitting the road. There is a nice rainforest loop walk (1.2km) here we strolled around but didn’t see much apart from 1 large lizard. Again, it was a nice walk but not something to go out of your way for. There is also a beach right beside it called Shelly beach that the park guide told us the large lizards go down to in the morning because they know people will feed them (even though they shouldn’t).

We grabbed a late breakfast on COAST, Lighthouse Beach before heading up the road. There were very big queues, and the staff were very good, and fast, and the food looked great so those were all good signs, we queued up and were happy to wait for a good feed before heading up the road.

Tips and Prices

Australian visas need to be applied for online and depending on your country you may have to plan well in advance. For Irish citizens generally the process is very quick and free.

Typical beer price in Australia is 10-15 AUD

Local simcard (vodafone) 40 GB data and 500 local minutes for 28 days 30 AUD

Entry to the koala hospital is free but donations are welcome.

They open at 8 in the morning, and its best to go early as the koalas are awake and being fed, the sleep most of the day so if you go later, it might not be as fun.

Sea Acres Rainforest entry per person 9 AUD

Dinner for 2 with 2 drinks at the boathouse bar and restaurant 158 AUD

Macquarie Waters Boutique Apartment Hotel 1 night for 2 people (without breakfast) 228 AUD

Breakfast for 2 with coffee at COAST 57 AUD