Whales make big splash In Port Macquarie
Written By : Gabrielle Brewer on Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Port Macquarie is one of the best places to see the whales this season - it is the second most easterly point in NSW, which ensures close up encounters just metres off the coast, and a new luxury cruiser hits the waterways in August.
Three operators - PortJet, Cruise Adventures and Port Venture - depart daily at various times. The best value is with PortJet’s ‘Unseasonably Good Deal’ which includes a whale-watching offer of ‘two adults for the price of one’, or just $55 for two people. This is a 1.5hour cruise on a fast jet-boat and can be taken until 30 September.
Port Venture will have a new $1.5million luxury cruiser which arrives for visitors in late August. It will take up to 100 people and offer five different viewing heights, ideal for whale-watching cruises.
“Whale watching operators in Port are offering some of the shortest, cheapest and most rewarding cruises in Australia. They come in so close to our shore, which means less time travelling out to find the whales, and more time with them.” said Linda Hall, Tourism Manager at Greater Port Macquarie Tourism.
“Back at shore the new 9km Coastal Walk is a great vantage point – you can often see the whales as you meander along the boardwalks and viewing platforms that hug the coastline.” Linda added.
Whale watching cruises depart daily from Town Wharf in Port Macquarie as follows:
Port Jet - the most thrilling way to see the whales on a fast jet-boat that takes 12 passengers
Port Venture - the new QuickCat will be the largest whale watching vessel in Port Macquarie taking 100 passengers from August whale watching vessel in Port Macquarie
Cruise Adventures - longest established in Port Macquarie with 4 whale watching boats from 8.5 to 12 metres. Departures every 30 minutes on busy days
For more information and bookings contact the Greater Port Macquarie Visitor Information Centre on 1300 303 155 or go online at www.portmacquarieinfo.com.au
Facts on Whale Watching in Port Macquarie
- Humpbacks - the most common encounters are with humpback whales, the fifth largest mammal on earth and weighing up to 40 tonnes each
- Best Climate - with the best climate in Australia according to the CSIRO, the waterways off Port Macquarie are abundant with marine life, including fish and prawns, ideal food for the migrating whales
- Long Season - see whales every day from June to the end of November, beginning with their northern migration to the Whitsundays to give birth in June, and returning to the Antarctic to feed by December
MEDIA CONTACT:
Gabrielle Brewer
Lifestyle & Tourism Public Relations
M: 0419 986 528 or T: 02 9029 8333
E: gabrielle@gabriellebrewer.com