We are going to be visiting Sydney in early May and have the opportunity to stay in a timeshare in Port Macquarie, but can only stay for 3 nights due to school schedule. Is it worth it to drive from Sydney and back in that short of a time. I have figured it is about a 5 hour drive - am I right on this? Thanks for any help.

Yes it is about 5 hours...perhaps a little less from the north shore of sydney. The highway is almost interstate standard for all the way(and that is saying something for oz roads)

Don't leave sydney on a friday evening or return on a sunday afternoon/evening.
Port is a picturesque pleasant place.
Visit the koala park out on the highway....maybe drive up to the comboyne plateau.

On your way up,
take a cruise on the Dangar ferry on the Hawkesbury and visit the reptile park.

on the way back you could visit the hunter wineries and perhaps swing back to sydney via the blue mountains.

Hello John. Thanks for your response. Do you think it would be worth the travel time to drive there for 3 nights? It seems like a long drive, is that area worth a 3 day visit? Thanks for all your help on this trip so far!

Well if it was a choice between 3 nights in cairns or port then....

but from memory ur itinerary is strongly based around sydney...it might be good to get away for a few days at a beach place.
Visit attractions on the way up and back.There is enough to do up there for a couple of days...
timbertown
koala sanctuary
winery
dolphin cruises
beaches
ellenborough falls

BTW...how is ur daughter coping with the hectic pace of macquarie uni?

She's doing great. I just don't think we'll have time to fly to Cairns and back with her and enjoy it in only 4 days. And she is going there for spring break with a group. My understanding is that it is quite a trek there and back. And if we go by ourselves during the week, we'll really only have about 3 days , since she is off on Mondays and Fridays which gives us all 4 days for an excursion to Blue Mountains and maybe Port Macquarie....???

Cairns for spring(autumn) break!!

Macquarie is still the social uni.

I think you could do a nice loop
blue mountains,mudgee,upper hunter,port macquarie.

Get away from the city...maybe meet some real aussies and see a few country towns.

Actually we are planning a separate weekend to go to the Blue Mountains. Our first weekend will be Port Macquarie if that seems doable, the second weekend will be Blue Mountains. When my son was there visiting friends, he thought that was a highlight.

You don't say which time share you are staying in in Port Macquarie - we stayed in one at settlement point and were almost eaten alive by the mosquitoes (and not just at sunset!)
The resort right in the main town area is excellent, and there's another on the road into town that looks OK, but take your repellant if you're staying at the one in the settlement point area.

Hiya

We actually have a timeshare option in Port Macquarie also.

I really want to go for a weekend but seems too far for a few days so I did my research and figured the best way was to fly to Coffs Harbour with Virgin. (about 1 hour) I found one fare with some effort for about $90 return per pax.

It is about 160 kilometres south of Coffs (about 100 miles).

Would be preferable to hire a car out of Coffs than drive all the way, or worse take the train to Wauchope. imho

Also you can detour off on the way down the side road to Belligen/ Dorrigo.

Just my 2 cents.

The timeshare is Port Pacific. I think that is the one closer to town. I don't think we want to fly there - there will probably be 4 or 5 of us. I thought it would be interesting to see the country along the way since we won't be seeing much outside of Sydney and Blue Mountains otherwise.

yes GBS...drive up..get away early on the friday and visit some places on the way. the reptile park at Gosford ain't bad.

the blue mountains and port would make two good weekends for your time here.

BTW the offer of an afternoon pittwater sail still stands.

John,that offer sounds very interesting!Btw, what is a pittwater sail???
I sent you an e-mail, but perhaps you didn't get it. I was wondering if you know of any car-rental agency outside of the city that is easily accesible by public transportation. From what I have gathered, we will only need a car on the weekends for travel, but I haven't a clue how to find one outside of the airport. Or perhaps the airport would be best....? Again, I really appreciate your help.

There are car rental agencies all over sydney. I would not do it via the airport but rather arrange it when you get here and from somewhere close to your hotel.Public transport is fine when you are in sydney itself.Have you decided where u are staying yet?

Pittwater is the next bay north of sydney harbour.It is significantly less developed than sydney harbour.The Pittwater area and associated northern beaches are the best places in sydney imho.We have a sailing boat...if the weather is good it makes for a pleasant sydney afternoon to go up and down pittwater.
if you are interested try my email again...it is
[email protected]

the johhj_au is a typo!

And I'll second that - maybe biased for living on penisula for about 40 years and knowing the rest of Sydney pretty well - the northern beaches and Pittwater

whoops, hit post button too quickly again - but certainly best part of Sydney's metropolitan area.