Kempsey

Kempsey is an historic river town that’s close to national parks and beautiful beaches. Situated on the wide Macleay River, Kempsey is midway between Sydney and the Queensland border making it a popular location to break your journey. The town has a number of historic buildings to admire - visit the Val Melville Centre to find out more about historic Kempsey. The centre was designed by acclaimed Australian architect, Glenn Murcutt, and houses the visitor information centre as well as the Macleay River Historical Society Museum and Dunghutti Ngaku Aboriginal Art Gallery.

Nearby are several easy drives to enjoy such as the detour from Kempsey to Trial Bay Gaol at South West Rocks which is highly recommended. The village of Gladstone, 15 km north-east of Kempsey, is a historic precinct with great character. Among its notable buildings is the Gladstone Hotel, which claims to have the best beer on the Macleay River. The Gladstone Court House and Police Station are heritage-listed.