My second stop in Australia was Port Macquarie, and is an excellent place to spend a day or two. The Greyhound buses going north drop you off at 2:30 pm, and can take you on your next leg at the same time. After getting situated, I joined the hostel group to go view kangaroos at the local golf course around dusk. This was my first time viewing them since I was eight, but I admittedly don’t remember much from then.
It was great to see so many kangaroos lounging around, and eating grass. We all took a few photos before we really started to get close, and potentially scared them off. Then, we went into stealth mode as we walked through the field toward them. We actually formed a line, and it looked like we were doing a search and recover mission. After successfully getting close enough to see a joey still in the pouch I wanted to see just how close I could get without being in their kicking range. Surprisingly, I got within that distance, but had to leave before I could manage to scare them off and capture a good video of them jumping away. Some may object, but I ended the day with a tasty, lean ‘roo steak.
My second day in Port Macquarie was a long day, and took me all along the edge and back through town for the return. I started at the Glasshouse Cultural Center, which housed a theater, art gallery, and café. You could also still see the foundations from the previous houses the building now occupies in the basement. The art was definitely better here than in Newcastle, but the exhibit on WWII meant for kids gave me the most to think about. The picture above shows the number of Jews in black, and the total exterminated in white. I find it perplexing how they could be so effective in some countries, but not others such as their homeland.
My day became more uplifting when I left, and took a walk along the breakwater. The residents spiced up the rocks with family pictorials, empowering messages, or just a bit of artistry. At the end of the breakwater were a group of dolphins hunting for their breakfast as the currents from the Hastings River merged with the incoming ocean tide. The sun was casting a lot of glare on the area, but I did manage to get one good shot before moving on.
I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon meandering from beach to beach. Being able to see through the waves was breathtaking as the light illuminated the flawless water. My last stop was the Koala Hospital before returning home. This will be covered separately in the next post. For those looking to past time before catching the bus, there are also a nearby brewery and winery.
