Port Macquarie (wikipedia) is a town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about 390 km (242 mi) north of Sydney, and 570 km (354 mi) south of Brisbane. The town is located on the coast, at the mouth of the Hastings River, and at the eastern end of the Oxley Highway (B56). The town with its suburbs had a population of 41,491 in 2011, while the population of the local government area was 72,696.

History

The site of Port Macquarie was first visited by Europeans in 1818 when John Oxley reached the Pacific Ocean from the interior, after his journey to explore inland New South Wales. He named the location after the Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie. Oxley noted that ‘the port abounds with fish, the sharks were larger and more numerous than I have ever before observed. The forest hills and rising grounds abounded with large kangaroos and the marshes afford shelter and support to innumerable wild fowl. Independent of the Hastings River, the area is generally well watered, there is a fine spring at the very entrance to the Port’. In 1821, Port Macquarie was founded as a penal settlement, replacing Newcastle as the destination for convicts who had committed secondary crimes in New South Wales. Newcastle, which had fulfilled this role for the previous two decades, had lost the features required for a place for dumping irredeemable criminals, that being isolation, which was lost as the Hunter Region was opened up to farmers, and large amounts of hard labour, which had diminished as the cedar in the area ran out and the settlement grew in size. Port Macquarie, however, with its thick bush, tough terrain and local aborigines that were keen to return escaping prisoners in return for tobacco and blankets, provided large amounts of both isolation and hard labour to keep the criminals in control. Under its first commandant, Francis Allman, who was fond of flogging, the settlement became a hell, where the convicts had limited liberties, especially in regard to being in possession of letters and writing papers, which could get a convict up to 100 lashes. Because of the lack of liberties of the settlement, Governor Ralph Darling quickly sent there many ‘specials’ or literate convicts with a decent education who had voiced negative views about him. Later on in the settlement’s history, in the 1830s, disabled convicts started to arrive. One-armed men would be grouped together and required to break stones, men with wooden legs would become delivery men, and the blind would often be given tasks during the night which they performed more skilfully than those with sight. In 1823 the first sugar cane to be cultivated in Australia was planted there. The region was first opened to settlers in 1830 and later on in the decade the penal settlement was closed in favour of a new penal settlement at Moreton Bay. Settlers quickly took advantage of the area’s good pastoral land, timber resources and fisheries. St Thomas’s Anglican Church is a Georgian building designed by Lieutenant T. Owen and built by convicts under military supervision during 1824-1828. This church is among the oldest in Australia and one of the few remaining convict-built churches. Inside there are red cedar box pews that were peculiar to that period in church architecture. The Walker pipe organ is the only one of its type in the southern hemisphere. The castellated tower permits excellent views of the coastline, town and river. This church is now classified by the National Trust of Australia (NSW) and has been registered on the National Estate heritage list. In 1830 Major Archibald Clunes Innes built Lake Innes House which grew over the next decade into a luxurious establishment and attracted many notable visitors. It is now a ruin and is managed by the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service. In 1840 the “Wool Road” from the Northern Tablelands was under construction to enable wool and other produce to be shipped from the port. Port Macquarie was declared a municipality in 1887, but the town never progressed as a port owing to a notorious coastal bar across the mouth of the river. Over 20 shipwrecks occurred in the Tacking Point area before a lighthouse was designed by James Barnet and erected there in 1879 by Shepard and Mortley. Tacking Point Lighthouse is classified by the National Trust of Australia (NSW) 22^nd October, Wednesday We left on time this morning and thought that we would be in Port Macquarie early, but it wasn’t so. The going was slow as we had to snake our way up and down through the Great Dividing Ranges, 100 or so kms through the mountains.  Poor Ralphie really had to concentrate, hair pin bends, steep inclines and declines etc. and with the caravan it is slow.  I, on the other hand could enjoy the view and what a view there was.  Some of the way is through some amazing valleys of farmland, green and lush with cattle, sheep, deer and goat farms, also some vineyard and orchards. We went through National Park which was all rain forest.  The smell, vegetation and sounds of the birds are something to really be experienced.  Just before one of the national parks there was a logging company cutting down trees in an area that was all rain forest.  It made me really sad to see that as there is so much wild life in these places and not to mention how it opens up the canopy to let the light in and kill the smaller plants that grow lower down. We only arrived in Port Macquarie after 2 which is 2 hours later than we had planned.  This is quite a nice caravan park and the spot we have is quite spacious and quite private.  We set everything up, had a bit of an R&R and decided that we didn’t feel like cooking.  We drove along the coast to town to find a fish and chip takeaway.  The coast line is magnificent and so many beautiful beaches.  There a quite a lot of dog beaches here and poor Hugo has been so patient with being in the bush so he will have his swim in the surf tomorrow.  The fish and chip shop we found was awesome, they had all the fresh fish displayed and you could chose whatever you wanted and they cooked it for you.  Fresh as and cheap as fish and chips, haha.  We are tired so early night for us and we will go out and about tomorrow.

23^rd October, Thursday What a beautiful day it is today. We had breakfast and decided to look at the some of the beaches today and a couple of wineries and take Hugo for a much deserved swim. There are probably about 12 or more beaches here and about half of them are dog friendly.  It makes such a change from Queensland and WA. Port Macquarie is a lovely place and this is coming from a person who hates big places.  It is very diverse and perhaps that’s why we like it.  There is the town, the beaches, the country with beautiful farms and vineyards and such beautiful scenery. We took a drive to see the lighthouse which is circa 1879. The view from there is beautiful as is any view really from a lighthouse position.  On one side of the lookout is Lighthouse beach which seems to be a popular surfie beach.  We then went to North Haven which is an inlet from the sea.  It is a popular fishing spot for local fisherman and from what we saw, shags and pelicans.  The birds seemed to be having a great feed as the tide was coming in.  There are walk ways along the inlet and I’m sure if it’s the trendy thing to do here or not but there were a few people walking their dogs in a pram.  These dogs were capable of walking because we saw them been lifted out to go to the toilet have a run around and then back in the pram, we’ve seen it all now. We then went to rainbow beach which is yet another pretty beach.  Most of the beaches here seem to be separated by cliffs so that is probably why there are so many.  We then went to a lovely winery (Long Point).  They grow some Spanish varieties and blend them with the more traditional Ozzie grapes and the effect is amazing.  I’ve not tasted wine like this before so hence walked out with quite a few bottles.  They only use the grapes they grow and don’t bring any in.  We found another winery that did a cheese platter so we stopped there (as you do) and had a platter and a bottle for lunch, very civilised.  By this time we thought that poor Hugo really was deserving of his swim so we stopped at a doggie beach close to the caravan park and he thought that he’d died and gone to heaven.  He was so excited to see the water as they poor puppy has been inland with nowhere to swim for such a long time as the last place we stayed was snakesville in the creeks.  Honestly it was so good to see him so excited, he thought that he was a puppy again.  Back to the park, showers and dinner and of course a few glasses of newly acquired beverage.  Actually they also did a very good ginger beer so we got a few bottles of that as well and a liquor called “Agent Orange”, it’s yummy and I will save this to bring home.  I think that it would go really well with Proseco, so you all need to be nice to me to be able to have this taste treat when we get home.

24^th October, Friday

I woke up some time during the night, I think that it was way after midnight to the most awful screams. It sounded as if a woman was being attacked. It went on for a while and was quite scary.  I waited to hear the sounds of police sirens but all went quite.  The lady (permanent resident) staying in the cottage next to us asked Ralph if he had heard the screaming during the night.  I said that I had and was waiting for the cops to show and she told us that it was Koalas doing their business.  He, evidently puts his claws right into her until he’s finished and she screams…….. EISH….. I’m glad that I am not a Koala. It really was an awful sound and it did sound like a woman was being attacked.  We did a touring driving around thingie today, walked along the foreshore, had a milkshake, took Hugo to the vet for his monthly shot, went and visited the historical cemetery (as I do and Ralphie and Hugo wait for me in the car), the cemetery is so full of bats that you can’t hear yourself think.  We have heard that they are becoming a big nuisance and if bitten it’s quite dangerous. So all in all it was a chilled out relaxing day.  BBQ tonight and let’s hope that the Koalas don’t decide to get frisky again tonight.  Tomorrow there is a market on so we’ll go and check that out, take Hugo to the beach and just veg for the rest of the day.

 

25^th October, Saturday

Today is another beautiful day. It stormed and rained last night and this morning the sun was shining and everything smelled so clean and fresh and you could really smell the trees.  We went to the farmers market, they have a lot of organic produce, herbs, handmade goats milk soaps, local wines, preserves, candles etc.etc. It was a lovely market but I couldn’t buy much because I can’t bring it back to WA.  We visited the flag staff which is on the top of a hill and it used to be used in the old days to communicate with ships.  The seas here are so full of rocks and there are 16 old wrecks along the shore.  We came back to camp had a bit of a chillax and then took Hugo to the beach for another swim.  He was so excited.  He had his injection yesterday so he is like a puppy today.  Tomorrow we leave for Tuncurry which is also on the coast and only 110kms from here so we don’t need to rush to pack up and leave early in the morning.