Car & Van Hire - Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie (or the Port, as the locals call it) is a popular holiday destination due to the town's vibrant character and exceptional seaside location. The Port is the right place for a relaxing break or an active holiday.

Port Macquarie's beaches are the town's star attraction. Sprawling for kilometres on end along the South Pacific Ocean are dozens of picture-perfect beaches. Some, like Flynns Beach or Town Beach, are great for a family day out. And if you venture further, you'll come across hidden gems like Back Beach or One Palm Beach, located an hour's drive north of the Port.

To explore the local food and drink scene, head to the area between Gordon Street and Hastings River. Here you'll find anything from fish and seafood restaurants to Irish taverns, breweries, juice bars and joints selling pizza, burgers, Asian cuisine and organic food. For an outdoor meal with views, you can check out the kiosks and shacks located along the town's beaches.

If travelling with children, a visit to the town's Koala Hospital is a must. This wildlife rescue centre has a central location near Flynns Beach and offers an educational and moving experience to visitors of all ages.

Other suggestions for families with young children include Billabong Zoo, which can be combined with a trip to the nearby WildNets Adventure Park Cowarra. There are also the Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, the town's astronomical observatory, and mini golf and Putt Putt on Boundary Street.

For an all-in-one-place shopping experience, head to Port Central, the town's shopping centre, which also organises a weekly locally-grown organic food market.

Behind Port Central is The Glasshouse, Port Macquarie's theatre, which has a well-stocked gift shop where you'll surely find something interesting to take home with you. For a boutique shopping experience, the best bets are the independent shops in Wauchope and the lifestyle mall at Sovereign Hills.

Port Macquarie has an active cultural scene. One of the most well-known events at The Port is the annual edition of Ironman, which usually takes place in May.

Alternatively, the ArtWalk creative festival brings live performances, workshops and art exhibitions to the Port's CBD, while music lovers will have a blast at Festival of the Sun. One of the top music events in the region, it's held at the start of the Australian summer (December).

With a car rental in Port Macquarie, you're only about 9 km east of the A1 road. Also known as Highway 1 or the Pacific Highway, it runs parallel to the coast for the entire length of New South Wales state. Speed limits vary along this highway, ranging from 60 km/h to 110 km/h. You should also bear in mind that during the rainy season, flooding may affect sections of the A1.

Other important access roads in and out of Port Macquarie are Lake Road (B56 road), which connects the beaches and the downtown area with Highway 1, Hastings River Drive, which offers access to Port Macquarie airport and Pacific Drive, which runs south from Town Beach until it merges with Ocean Drive, one of the region's most scenic roads.

Once you've got the keys to your car or van rental in Port Macquarie, there are a few things to keep in mind when driving around. First, rush hour is from 08:00-09:00, and again in the afternoon from 15:00-16:00. At these times, it's best to avoid the busiest roads, which are: Oxley Highway at the Port Macquarie Base Hospital roundabout, Ocean Drive at the intersections with Lake Road and Koala Street and Gordon Street between Hollingworth Street and Horton Street in the CBD.

You may also want to avoid the area near Port Macquarie Football Club. Although the team doesn't play in the professional league, traffic can be heavy on weekends at the end of August and beginning of September, when parents and locals flock to the stadium to see the semi-finals and the grand final. This area is easily bypassed via Kennedy Drive.

As for parking, there are several parking areas spread around the CBD. These can be found at Port Central shopping centre, on the river side of Short Street, at the Plaza car park, and also on Short Street, near the Hayward Street roundabout.