City Stays in Port Macquarie

Rydges Hotel Port Macquarie is the stay that best fits the city label. It sits on the waterfront with rooms that have private balconies or patios and river views, and its description presents it as a city stay with easy access to vineyards and beaches. On site there is an outdoor heated swimming pool, a spa and a fitness centre, useful after a day of meetings or sightseeing. From here the riverside Town Green, the restaurants of the centre and the breakwall are all within walking distance, which means you can leave the car parked for most of your stay and explore the town on foot.

Beaches Holiday Resort is a different kind of base. Its family apartments face Flynns Beach and come with full kitchens and laundry facilities, and some include a spa bath. There is an outdoor swimming pool, barbecue facilities and free parking. Flynns Beach sits on the coastal walk, so you can reach the town centre on foot along the coast, or drive there in a few minutes. I would choose it if you want to cook some of your meals, swim in the sea in the morning and go into town for dinner, rather than sleeping in the centre itself.

Shelly Beach Resort sits directly opposite Shelly Beach, further south along the coast, with air-conditioned villas that have full kitchens, plus a swimming pool, a spa pool, a tennis court and a children's playground. It is the quietest of the three and the furthest from the centre, so I would not book it for a city break in the strict sense. It suits travellers who want a villa with space and the rainforest of Sea Acres close by, and who are happy to drive into town for restaurants, the Glasshouse or an evening by the river.

What makes Port Macquarie work as a city stay is how much fits into a small area. The Glasshouse on Clarence Street hosts exhibitions and performances, the Town Green runs along the river with the marina nearby, and the painted rocks of the breakwall lead out towards Town Beach. The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, in the grounds of the historic Roto House, is a short drive or a longer walk from the centre. I would spend a day on foot in town, from the Town Green to the breakwall and the koalas, then pick the stay that matches how you want your evenings.