:: Family life

What a fantastic place to bring up a family. Live in town and be close to the action - every kind of sporting and cultural pursuit is on offer. Or settle out of town in the beautiful hinterland, grow your own vegies, keep chickens and let the kids have a pony. Enjoy the benefits of being part of a small rural community with closely knit schools of a small size, or send the kids to one of the town based schools for an urban experience of Australian life.

Schools - The New South Wales Department of Education offers free schooling to all children aged 4.5 to 18 years of age, and there are also a number of private schools. There are also many afterschool activities for children at very affordable rates, from dancing and music activities to sports training which can be carried out all year round in this very amenable climate.

Port Macquarie is regional centre and has a large retail shopping precinct, and offers a wide range of choices from large supermarkets to small country markets for wonderfully fresh and healthy produce. It also has a very active community sector, like the Neighbourhood Centre which offers a wide range of support services for people living in this area. They even offer to pick up and deliver children to attend after school care and holiday care programs- so working parents are well supported. 

The innovative family friendly AquaSculpture is Port Macquarie’s biennial outdoor sculpture prize and exhibition for sculptural works and 3d art in all its forms. The event links community, arts and the environment, with this years theme - based on ‘Climate Change’.