Port Macquarie-Hastings Council

Best things to do in Port Macquarie-Hastings Council

Port Macquarie-Hastings Essentials

Port Macquarie-Hastings combines maritime history with significant wildlife conservation efforts. The region features the 1879 Tacking Point Lighthouse and the world’s first hospital dedicated solely to the care and conservation of wild koalas. Inland, the Timbertown Heritage Village recreates a 19th-century timber-getting settlement. Natural landmarks include the 40-metre Rawson Falls in Boorganna Nature Reserve and various coastal lookouts such as Laurieton and Gaol Point, offering views across the Tasman Sea and the Hastings River estuary.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Essentials — Map

Sterry2607 / CC BY-SA 3.0

A

Tacking Point Lighthouse

Built in 1879 to a design by James Barnet, this is the third-oldest lighthouse in New South Wales. It sits on a rocky headland providing elevated views for whale watching during migration seasons.

Cgoodwin / CC BY-SA 3.0

B

Timbertown Heritage Village

Timbertown is a popular attraction, depicting the colonial era of a sawmiller's village in northern New South Wales.

Bjørn Christian Tørrissen / CC BY-SA 3.0

C

Koala Hospital

A licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility established in 1973. It includes a treatment clinic, intensive care units, and rehabilitation yards for injured and orphaned koalas, with public walkways for viewing.

Wade Johanson / CC BY 2.0

D

Billabong Zoo

Billabong Zoo is a 10-acre wildlife park and koala breeding centre located in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia.

E

Big Ax

A 13-metre-long monument located in Kew. Originally built in 1979 and replaced in 2002, it commemorates the region's historical timber industry.

F

Laurieton Lookout

Situated atop North Brother Mountain in Dooragan National Park, this viewpoint offers panoramic views of the Camden Haven River system, Queens Lake, and the Pacific Ocean.

G

Bago Maze

One of the largest hedge mazes in New South Wales, featuring over 2,000 metres of pathways set within a local vineyard.

H

Gaol Point Lookout

Overlooks the entrance of the Hastings River and the site of the former Port Macquarie Gaol. The lookout provides views of the breakwall and Town Beach.

I

Rawson Falls

A 40-metre waterfall located within the Boorganna Nature Reserve, accessible via a 5.4-kilometre return walking track through subtropical rainforest.

J

Grants Head

A prominent headland in Bonny Hills featuring a coastal walking track and views over North Haven Beach and the surrounding coastline.

K

Transit Hill Lookout

A high point offering 360-degree views of the Port Macquarie township, the coastline, and the hinterland mountains.

L

Kendall War Memorial

A stone monument and memorial garden dedicated to local residents who served in World War I and subsequent conflicts.