Romantic Getaways in Port Macquarie

A Romantic Weekend in Port Macquarie

For two, with nowhere else to be but here…

Port Macquarie has this quality that's genuinely hard to fake. The light is different here. The pace drops the moment you arrive. The river turns gold at exactly the right time of evening, and there are stretches of coastline you can walk for an hour without seeing another soul. If you're after a weekend that feels like a proper reset, the kind where you actually look at each other over dinner instead of your phone, you've found your place.

This is how we'd do two nights and three days in Port Mac if we wanted to get the romance right.

Where to Stay

The right base makes a big difference for a couples' escape. These are our picks, each with their own particular magic.

• Mercure Centro Hotel is our pick if you want everything on your doorstep. 72 modern rooms, a bar, restaurant, day spa, heated pool and secure parking, all on William Street within easy walking distance of the waterfront, beaches and the best of Port's dining scene. A good one if a spa treatment is on the agenda without having to go anywhere. centrohotel.com.au | 1300 786 989

•      Sandcastle Apartments

Luxury apartments opposite Town Beach. In-room spa, ocean views, The Stunned Mullet restaurant downstairs. Hard to beat.

sandcastleportmacquarie.com.au  |  (02) 6583 8888

•      Sails Resort by Rydges

92 rooms and suites with garden or waterfront views. Pool, spa, cocktail bar, on-site dining, and the Boathouse Bar doing waterside drinks to a Hamptons standard.

sailsresort.com.au  |  1800 025 271

•      The Observatory by Mantra

Right on Town Beach with indoor pool, spa, sauna and an on-site day spa. Perfect if couples massage is on the agenda.

observatory.net.au  |  (02) 6586 8000

•      Macquarie Waters Boutique Apartments

4.5 stars, self-contained apartments, heated pool, in-room spas, roof deck, on-site dining. Very walkable to everything.

macquariewaters.com.au  |  (02) 6584 5755

•      Camp Jordan on the Hastings

Glamping tents, Airstreams and converted shipping containers on the river. Deeply romantic in a wonderfully unexpected way.

jordans.com.au  |  0477 483 799

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Friday: Arrive Slowly, Ease into it

AFTERNOON

Check in and decompress

Resist the urge to do anything purposeful for at least an hour. Walk down to Town Beach and just stand there for a bit. This is not a waste of time. This is the whole point.

Florence Jones Cheese and Wine

When you're ready to move, wander to Florence Jones at Town Wharf. Grab a table overlooking the water, order a cheese and charcuterie board, and pick something from the boutique wine list. One of Port Mac's best-kept secrets for a quiet, sophisticated drink with a beautiful outlook.

SUNDOWNERS

The Beach House Hotel (The Beachy)

Port Mac's iconic waterfront venue on Town Green, right on the Hastings River. The heritage terrace catches that golden-hour glow perfectly. Great cocktails, unmistakably local energy, and a view that does most of the work for you.

1 Horton St  |  thebeachhouse.net.au  |  (02) 6584 6011 Open every day from 10am to late. Live music every Sunday 3-6pm.

DINNER

The Stunned Mullet

Book this before you book anything else. Port Macquarie's award-winning fine diner has been doing extraordinary things since 2005, with Chef's Hats and Wine List of the Year recognition. Dress up a little. Order the dressed oyster flight. Trust the wine list implicitly. This dinner will be remembered. 24 William St  |  thestunnedmullet.com.au Open lunch and dinner, 6 days. Book well ahead for Friday nights.

LATE DRINKS

Stick Bar

Tucked beside the Museum on Clarence St is this character-filled small bar serving up inventive cocktails and hibachi-grilled snacks. A little further up Clarence St is the Italian-style venue, Bar Florian.

Saturday: The Long Beautiful Day

MORNING

Breakfast with a river view

Start slow. Use your pool or spa before you go anywhere. Then walk to Hastings Coffee Co on the ground floor of the Westport Club for breakfast with waterfront views. The Hastings River in the morning from this spot is genuinely something. Did someone say cafe crawl? OK then, follow the promenade across the bridge and into town, stopping at Little Shack for sustenance under a fringed umbrella. Then walk the colourful breakwall and follow the pathway around to Town Beach and Salty Crew Kiosk. Town Beach is usually patrolled and perfect for a dip.

The Coastal Walk to Flagstaff Hill

After breakfast, walk the first section of the Coastal Walk from Westport Park to the southern headlands. The views from Flagstaff Hill Lookout over Oxley Beach are spectacular, and if you time it right you might share them with no one at all. Dolphins are a realistic possibility. Whales too between May and November.

LATE MORNING

Tacking Point Lighthouse

Drive the ten minutes along Pacific Drive to the heritage-listed Tacking Point Lighthouse. Still working, still beautiful, and the views up and down the coast from this headland on a clear day are breathtaking. This is the kind of place where people get engaged. You've been warned.

Insider tip   Park near Lighthouse Beach and walk up. It only takes a few minutes and the approach is part of the experience.

LUNCH

Taste@Cassegrain, Cassegrain Wines

This is the long lunch you came for. A refined set menu with every dish matched to two wines, eaten overlooking the vines, surrounded by local art. The cellar door is open every day for tastings and sales, if you want a bottle or two to take home.

10 Winery Drive, Port Macquarie  |  cassegrainwines.com.au Cellar Door (02) 6582 8324  |  7 days 10am-5pm Restaurant (02) 6582 8320  |  Wed-Sun 10am-4pm

AFTERNOON

Sunset River Cruise with Port Jet Cruises

Book the Sunset River Cruise and head down to Town Wharf. Their double-decker catamaran Essence takes you out onto the Hastings River as the light changes, with dolphins showing up almost every time. BYO drinks and snacks. This is the afternoon's entire agenda, and it's enough. Town Wharf, Short Street  |  portjet.com.au Sunset River Cruises, whale watching tours, Eco cruises and private charters.

EVENING

Dinner & A Show

Birdrock Bar & Grill does packages for accommodation, dinner and a Glasshouse show. Modern Australian with French technique, premium steaks, handcrafted cocktails, and a dining room that feels like a proper occasion. The CBD's most sophisticated dinner spot, and reliably excellent. 103A William St  |  Open 7 days for dinner and weekend lunches.

Catch a show at The Glasshouse

Right in the heart of the CBD on Clarence Street, The Glasshouse is Port Macquarie's premier arts and culture venue, and it punches well above its weight for a regional town. The state-of-the-art theatre hosts everything from international touring acts and big-name comedians to intimate local productions, musicals and live music, so there's nearly always something worth booking. Even if you're not catching a show, it's worth a wander for the Regional Gallery with its rotating exhibitions, the Gift Shop packed with locally made goodies, and the Visitor Information Centre if you're after insider tips. Check what's on before you arrive and book ahead, because the good ones sell out fast. 30-42 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie | glasshouse.org.au | (02) 6581 8888

Sunday: Slow and Easy

MORNING

Breakfast in the rainforest

Take the short drive to the Rainforest Cafe at Sea Acres, tucked inside one of Australia's largest remaining coastal rainforests just minutes from town. Lush greenery, birdsong, and genuinely good food. Walk the 1.3km elevated boardwalk through ancient rainforest afterwards. Do not rush this. The Rainforest Cafe at Sea Acres, 159 Pacific Drive, Port Macquarie  |  (02) 6582 4444 Open 7 days for breakfast and lunch.

MID MORNING

Gin tasting at Maria River Distillery

Book in advance, then hop on the car ferry at Settlement Point and take a slow drive up Maria River Road to this gorgeous ex-dairy farm turned boutique distillery. Small-batch gins made from botanicals grown on the property, antipasto platters, farm-cured prosciutto, and a Tuscan-style setting that feels a world away. Getting there is half the fun, and it’s well worth the drive. mariariverdistillery.com.au Book tastings online.

LUNCH

Last lunch: Aqua at the Westport Club

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Hastings River, a seasonal menu built around the best local produce, and that quiet Sunday energy that makes you want to stay one more night. Open for lunch and dinner, bookings recommended.

25 Buller Street, Port Macquarie  |  (02) 6588 7201  |  thewestportclub.com.au Open lunch and dinner.

AFTERNOON

A visit to Guulabaa, Place of Koala

About ten minutes from the CBD, tucked into the Cowarra State Forest off the Oxley Highway, Guulabaa- Place of Koalais one of those places that Port Macquarie does genuinely better than anywhere else in the country. Home to the world's first Wild Koala Conservation Breeding Visitor Centre, run by Koala Conservation Australia, this is where you can meet resident koalas, wander the architectural timber boardwalks through the eucalypts, and learn what's actually being done to stop Australia from losing one of its most iconic animals. The whole precinct has real heart to it. While you're there, get the selfie with the Big Koala (part of the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail, and frankly unmissable).

Good to Know

Book ahead: The Stunned Mullet and Taste@Cassegrain both fill up fast on weekends. Book both before you leave home, and secure the Maria River Distillery tasting and the Port Jet Sunset Cruise while you're at it.

Getting here: Port Macquarie is about 4 hours from Sydney or 5 from Brisbane. Rex and Qantas both fly direct from Sydney in under an hour.

Getting around: The CBD, beaches and waterfront are all very walkable from most accommodation. You'll need a car for Cassegrain (15 minutes out of town) and Maria River Distillery.

Whale season: May to November. If your weekend falls in this window, at least one whale watching cruise should absolutely be on the list. Port Jet Cruises run tours daily in season.