regionalstopover
Round-up
Getting there
Rex flies to Taree from Sydney. It's a one hour's drive from
there to Wallis Lake, and about 75 minutes' drive from Taree
to Port Macquarie. For more information call 13 17 13 or visit
www.rex.com.au.
STAY
Sundowner Tiona Tourist Park
The Lakes Way, Pacific Palms
02 6554 0291, www.tiona.sundownerholidays.com
Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park
1 Munster Street, Port Macquarie
02 6583 2755, www.breakwall.sundownerholidays.com
EAT & DRINK
I swallowed water every time I was wiped out …
but I also laughed my head off the whole time.
It was fun. A lot of fun. We all had our moments
of glory, with someone managing to take a photo at
the split second we were standing, making it look
as though we'd all 'surfed'. I'm not only a camping
convert, I'm also an 'I'll try it again' surf convert, and
next time I'll be amazing. Well, so I'll silently think
before being wiped out spectacularly ungracefully.
The big smoke
We wrapped up our camping expedition by spending
another night at the sister Sundowner property
in Port Macquarie. Setting up my tent (with my
stretcher the right way around), I felt like a pro. We
headed into town for a tasting at LV's on Clarence
that showed off the region's local produce and then
had dinner at the newbie in town, Zebu Bar & Grill,
at Rydges. We lapped it up with the locals, downing
pizzas and a few drinks as we watched a stream of
ladies on a hens' night flock through the door.
It was barely three minutes' walk from town to
the holiday park, and as I stepped onto the tarmac
road that wound its way among the hundreds of
tents and caravans, a soft ocean breeze flushing my
face, childhood hit me like a playful punch in the
guts. There were little kids running amok, making
the most of every single second of daylight left, their
parents cooking snags and potatoes on barbecues
while sitting around on camp chairs, a wine or beer
in hand, and I could hear the water lapping on the
rocks nearby. There wasn't an iPhone in sight.
I cleaned my teeth with a few other tired
travellers, who all offered a friendly hello as though
we were one big family. One even called out "Sweet
dreams!" as I left the communal bathroom. Then it
was a slow, sleepy walk back to my lovely tent, where
I fell asleep thinking of whales and worms before
I was wiped out.
XXVIII
LV's on Clarence
1/74 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie
02 6583 9210, www.lvsonclarence.com.au
Zebu Bar & Grill
Rydges Port Macquarie
1 Hay Street, Port Macquarie
02 6589 2888, www.rydges.com
EXPLORE
Waves Surf School
$89/day, which includes lunch and beach transfers.
info@wavessurfschool.com.au
MORE INFO
Tents, stretchers and camp chairs courtesy of OZTENT.
au.oztent.com
Above and
left: Sundowner
Breakwall Tourist
Park in the heart of
Port; prawn dish at
LV's on Clarence.
