Save Your Annual Leave: Plan a Remote Work Escape to Port Macquarie Instead

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In frightening news, we're almost halfway through the year so a well-deserved escape from your desk is on the cards. Whether you're saving up your leave for a trip abroad or waiting impatiently for enough to accrue, we've got a solution that allows you to coast through the work week without using up any precious annual leave.

Enjoy a scenic four-hour drive up to sunny Port Macquarie where you can trade the confines of your home office for a week of remote working with a view and mornings and evenings (and some cheeky lunch breaks) spent discovering the picturesque region.

Start your day with a swim or hike at one of the surrounding beaches or rainforests, before setting up shop in a local cafe. Ditch your usual meal-prepped salad for some fresh seafood overlooking the water, and then close out a day of work with a meal at one of the city's many stellar restaurants or a cellar door. Read on for our top picks of where to stay, eat and explore around Port Macquarie.

Where to Stay

Ditch the fake Zoom background for a real view that'll make your colleagues jealous. Whether you opt for a cosy motel, boutique apartments or a luxe resort, you're guaranteed idyllic views of the water at each of these hotels.

Keep it simple at The Mid Pacific, which offers five different room types to suit solo travellers, couples and groups alike. The modern motel overlooks the Hastings River and is an ideal base from which to post up for the week with kitchenette and private balcony in every room, plus a communal laundry.

If you've convinced a mate or two to tag along, Macquarie Waters has one- to three-bedroom options for your stay. Located a stone's throw away from Town Beach, various shops and popular eateries, such as Bandwagon and Zebu Bar & Restaurant, the apartment hotel also has a pool, hot tub and free parking.

For the ultimate beach vacay experience, choose to unwind at Sails Port Macquarie. The newly refurbished resort boasts sprawling views of the Hastings, an outdoor heated pool and spa, a tennis court, three restaurants and room service. Your full inbox will seem much more manageable when you're holed up in a poolside cabana with drinks and snacks on hand.

Must-Try Dining

Port Macquarie's dining scene has evolved in recent years. Cafes, bars and restaurants take full advantage of the region's fresh produce and seafood while working closely with local producers.

Kick off your day with a picture-perfect piccolo at Banks, which serves breakfast classics and coffee by the river in McInherney Park. Drop in to the coastal cafe for seasonal brunch dishes including poached pear brioche toast, reuben benedict, butter-poached prawn croissant and chorizo scrambled eggs. On Friday and Saturday evenings, you can sip on a glass of wine or a cocktail while enjoying the sunset when the cafe transforms into a romantic restaurant for dinner.

Beat the afternoon slump with a light lunch or go for a post-work wine and dine at Zebu Bar & Restaurant. The Italian restaurant offers everything from sunrise coffee to sunset cocktails in an airy space by the Hastings River, with dishes that include a blue swimmer crab risotto, gnocchi with garlic chilli prawns, chargrilled swordfish and seared chicken with portobello mushroom, smoked eggplant, hazelnut salsa and prosciutto crisp.

Continue your Italian journey at Bar Florian. Inspired by the famed Caffé Florian in Venice, the inviting eatery serves a selection of antipasto, such as French brie with chilli jam, and gourmet pizzas.

Unmissable Attractions

Between endless emails and dreary meetings, reignite your curiosity with some of Port Macquarie's inspiring nature. Whether you want to ride the waves, hike through lush rainforests, visit koalas or wander through charming rural towns, there's an experience for every type of traveller.

Tack another trip onto your time away with a short drive to nearby Wauchope. The country town is well worth visiting for a day, with historic museums, local bakeries and cascading waterfalls.

If you've only got a short lunch break but are itching to get out and explore, the Sea Acres Rainforest Centre is located just three minutes from Port Macquarie's CBD. Stretch your legs with a one-kilometre stroll along the looping boardwalk before stopping in at the Rainforest Cafe for lunch or a coffee.

Finally, make some new furry friends at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. The rehabilitation facility and research centre is committed to the conservation of koalas, with treatment rooms, intensive care units, recovery yards and a round-the-clock rescue operation. Admission is free, but the non-profit will gratefully accept donations, and any purchases from the gift shop will go towards the care of these endangered animals.

To start planning your break and find out more, head to the Port Macquarie website.