Wauchope and Port Macquarie.
Another short trip and, wanting to be cheap, of course, we stayed at the Wauchope showgrounds, using that as a base for a couple of nights—it’s not a bad spot, being fairly quiet, and with power and water for $25 a night, which seems to be the standard showground rate, it makes for a decent location with Port Macquarie only 20 minutes away.
On arrival at Wauchope’s showground we were met with Alina’s first nappy blowout—it was quite the scene too, with a shower being our only option for toddler clean up. With that done, and suited up in full hazmat gear, it was time to assess the damage in the car, only to find that, miracle of miracles, there was nothing in the car seat or car…anywhere. I suppose, then, that given we didn’t have to remove the car seat, set it alight and watch it burn, it doesn’t count as a real nappy blowout. That sure was a close call.
Wauchope’s history is in timber, as celebrated by its number one tourist attraction, Timbertown—35 hectares of Australian pioneering heritage. Timbertown opened in 1976, and while its rundown appearance reflects its age, it makes for a decent day out for the family, albeit a little overpriced. With that said, though, we’re a bit tight. Timbertown is a recreation of a late 19th century timber…town, with homes, shopfronts, and various other buildings echoing its pioneering past, built on a site that served as a congregation point for the multitude of travellers and bullock teams that were operating throughout the area.
Entry was free for kids under 3, and $30 per adult, which is a bit steep particularly as it is understaffed on Mondays, and with that, a few attractions were closed—entry does, however, include one trip on the Heritage Railway, a 2.4km steam train ride around the park, which was pretty cool. Of the other attractions, the horse-drawn carriage tour was closed, there’s a working blacksmith, also closed, pedal boats, which seemed to be out of action, but in any case, they are not suitable for kids under 3, and a miniature railway – closed. There are also the Cedar Creek goldfields although, I have to say, calling it an attraction is quite a stretch, too. We’re weren’t sure if the Mechanics Institute was an attraction or not, as we couldn’t tell if it was a shed you look into from behind a chain, or if it was closed. The steam sawmill, however, was in operation and it was great to see the old timber cutting machinery and, along with it, the process of timber production from felled tree to planks of wood. The mill had been in operation, offsite, between1943 and 1977. It is certainly a step back in time, and you can immerse yourself in, and easily imagine what life was like back in the day. If you’re keen on Wauchope, there’s also the Billabong Zoo, and several National parks and forests to explore.
Port Macquarie is only 20km east of Wauchope showgrounds, and offers ocean views and a Coastal vibe that more than rivals Byron Bay. We spent our first afternoon chilling out at Town Beach, which looks like a great swimming beach for kids, and also provides what looks like a reasonable surf spot at the other end, and the day taking a walk to Flagstone lookout. The following day we packed a picnic lunch and made for Tacking Point lighthouse. Built in 1879, it’s Australia’s…thirteenth oldest lighthouse, and remains active. The white rendered brick certainly makes for an impressive focal point, with Tacking Point further offering spectacular views of the southern beaches. We took the steps from the carpark down to what I think is Little Bay, a little cove-like beach nestled between a couple of rocky outcrops. It’s the perfect spot for a picnic, and for pregnant women to have a bush wee. Alina was seemingly adamant that she was going to run into the small waves and splash around, so I took all her gear off and we made for the water. This quickly turned into a scream-fest as she discovered that the little waves were a little more daunting than they appeared. I think she would have preferred to splash around in little puddles. In any case, once she was dry, and dressed, she quickly got over it, and that was Port Macquarie done.