SHORT BREAK PORT OF PLENTY

Port Macquarie, with its magic mix of sun, sand and surf, along with a generous serving of great food and wine and lush rainforest, has long been a favourite summer holiday destination. And now that a dual-lane highway has made it an easy four-hour drive from Sydney (or you can take a daily direct flight from Sydney or Brisbane), it’s also a perfect destination for a short break.

And with weather that is, according to the CSIRO, the best in Australia, with mild winters and gentle summers, it really doesn’t matter when you go: apart from a few weeks in the very depths of winter, the water’s warm enough to swim in almost all year. I’m lucky enough to live on the mid-north coast, so Port