Port Macquarie to Kempsey: Distance, drive time & road trip stops
The Port Macquarie to Kempsey drive covers a 54km distance in a driving time of 38 minutes. Possible road trip stops include Billabong Zoo, Cassegrain Wines and the Slim Dusty Centre.
The drive from Port Macquarie to Kempsey takes you part of the way up the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Kempsey is a Pacific Highway town that makes a good staging post on a Port Macquarie to Coffs Harbour road trip.
Port Macquarie to Kempsey distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Port Macquarie to Kempsey is 54km. That makes for a driving time of approximately 38 minutes. Obviously, there’s no need to stop anywhere on the way, but there are a couple of attractions that might be worth adding to your road trip itinerary.
Take the long route via the coast, and you’ll glide past Limeburners Creek National Park, Goolawah National Park and surfer favourite Crescent Head.
Port Macquarie to Kempsey road trip stops: Billabong Zoo and Cassegrain Wines
However, the quickest route from Port Macquarie to Kempsey runs slightly inland. You follow the Oxley Highway out of Port Macquarie, then turn north along the Pacific Highway. Billabong Zoo – a great wildlife fix for kids – is at the junction of the two highways.
A little further along, you’ll pass Cassegrain Wines, which has a restaurant and cellar door, then cross the Hastings River. There are a few not especially visitor-focused trails in the Rawdon Creek Nature Reserve north of the river, but you’re better off continuing to South Kempsey, where the Slim Dusty Centre awaits just after you branch off down the Macleay Valley Way.
Port Macquarie to Kempsey drive: The Slim Dusty Centre
For the uninitiated, Slim Dusty was a much-loved Australian country singer, famed for his bush ballad style. He recorded more than 100 albums and was awarded a state funeral. The Slim Dusty Centre explores the legend.
Kempsey accommodation options include the riverside Park Drive Motel and the Motel Kempsey, which has a children’s pool.
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