Holiday houses in Lake Cathie

Twenty minutes south of Port Macquarie on the north coast of New South Wales, Lake Cathie is the ideal home base for visiting some of the region’s most stunning natural wonders, including Bago Bluff National Park. The town is blessed with long sandy beaches where people come to surf in the ocean or bathe in the calmer waters of the river mouth, and is known year-round as a destination for anglers casting for whiting and flathead. Its close proximity to Port Macquarie is convenient for hopping between cafes or visiting the oceanside Sea Acres Rainforest with its tree-lined walkway and tours.

In fact, Lake Cathie is surrounded by conservation areas with trails through old rainforest, but perhaps most stunning of all is the Port Macquarie Coastal Walk, where visitors can swim, hike, and spot wildlife. There are also a handful of local small wineries nearby to explore, one of which contains the largest hedge maze in New South Wales.

Lake Cathie experiences consistent rainfall throughout the year, so be sure to pack an umbrella or raincoat and sturdy shoes if you’re planning on hiking. However, the amount of precipitation is spread out and therefore not particular to any season. The end of the winter and early spring both tend to see slightly less rain. The summers are generally warm and humid, which is when visitors fill the lake and beaches for outdoor activities like surfing and swimming. Given the mild winters and sustained temperature, many of these summer activities can be enjoyed all year round. The autumn is when visitors can take a boat tour or hike along the coast to see the humpback whale migration off in the distance.

Innes Ruins

Overlooking beautiful Lake Innes, these ruins are the former residence of Major Archibald Clunes Innes, one of the first free settlers to the region in the first half of the 19th century, and a stark reminder of the nation’s history and use of convict labour. A depression in the 1840s caused Innes to abandon the settlement, which fell into ruin in the subsequent decades. Today, it is an interpretive centre open to the public.

Old Bottlebutt in Burrawan State Forest Park

Located just 25 minutes from Lake Cathie is this historic natural landmark located in Burrawan State Forest Park. Known as Old Bottlebutt because of its wide trunk base, the tree is the largest Red Bloodwood tree in the southern hemisphere, thought to be more than 200 years old and about 16 metres wide above the base. The park itself has walking trails through the thick rainforest and a picnic area.

Port Macquarie Coastal Walk

Make the 20-minute trip up to Port Macquarie and spend the day walking along the coastline. The nine-kilometre track takes you from Westport Park by the Hastings River and continues along the coastline to Tacking Point Lighthouse. The southern portion of this route is one of the few places along the New South Wales coast where the forest meets the ocean. Along the way, you’ll also see rugged landscapes, rainforests, and inviting beaches. Between May and November, find your way to one of the lookout points along this trail to see humpback whales migrating to Antarctica.