Ssssh! Port Macquarie...the best kept Aussie holiday secret. (Port Macquarie)

Member Name: rachelmerrey

Product:	Port Macquarie
Date:	16/03/01 (163 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Idyllic retreat that you will fall in love with.

Disadvantages: You will it extremely difficult to leave.

If you ask any Aussie where they go on holiday they'll probably say Cairns or Port Douglas. Don't believe them they're lying! I was fortunate enough to stop off on route to Cairns at this little retreat. I intended to stay 2 nights...i ended up staying 10!

Port Macquarie is 7 hours north of Sydney along the Pacific Highway and when you first get off the coach you rub your eyes and think you've stepped into the twilight zone. I think my exact words were..'is this it?' On closer inspection however i began to realise this was no ordinary little seaside town I had actually stumbled upon the Garden of Eden.

The hotel I stayed at was called the Port Aloha run by a sweet little Italian guy who kindly gave me a fantastic deal on a cute little room with Tv, video, kitchnette, bathroom, use of his microwave if I ever needed it and the hotel pool.This was all for $50 per night about £17 per night and it could easily accomodate 2-3 people if you wanted to share the cost.

Who needed the hotel pool though! There were about 6 different beaches to this small town, huge ones that you could lose yourself in. The sand was so white and so fine and powdery that your feet squeak when they walk on it. It sounds as if you are stepping over hundreds of seals! My favourite beach..they all had different names was 'Town Beach' because at the end of this beach well what looked like the end because you came up against this huge mound of rocks, was a cove. I had to walk through the sea to get to it but it only came up to the knees and there you had it. Your own private little cove. Fantastic. I named it 'The beach' as the movie had just come out. I spent many a day there writing my diary the sun scorching my back and listening to the waves crashing behind me. Heaven.

Even better 5 miles away is a rainforest you can go and explore and another beach named 'Shelley beach' for obvious reasons which stretched for abo
ut 5 miles and just me on it! Cool. Well actually it was very hot!

The town is so friendly its weird. There are cute little icecreameries that do the most mouthwatering frozen yogurts(icecream but fat free and tastier) and you can even take a trip on a seaplane if you like that kinda thing. There are loads of shops to keep you occupied if the weather turns on you aswell.

I asked a local fisherman why it was so Tourist free and he said as he tapped his nose knowingly...its Australians best kept secret. Most of the houses are time shares and are only occupied at certain times of the year by the highpowered city guys who come to get away from Sydney. I asked if they would like more tourists because surely it would make more money for them and help expand the town. He scowled at me in utter disgust. 'We like it the way it is!' he muttered as he walked away. We like it the way it is. You know what...so did I. Sssssh.

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