Taree
Taree is a city on the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales. The nearby beach resort of Old Bar is often considered a part of the Taree urban area.
Understand
editTaree is a large service town on the Manning River, 18 km away from Old Bar on the coast. The Pacific Highway used to pass straight through the town, and cross the narrow Manning River bridge, but now a freeway section bypasses the town, which no longer has the volume of trucks and traffic passing through it.
There are attractions and tourist facilities in Taree, but it is not developed as a major tourist destination in itself. It is certainly a reasonable place to stop on the drive along the Pacific Highway.
Get in
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By car
editTaree is about 3.5 hours north of Sydney on the Pacific Highway.
By plane
editTaree Airport (TRO IATA) is just around 5.8 km north east to Taree City Centre. There are Regional Express Direct Flights to and from Sydney three times a day.
By train
editTaree Train Station is around 10 minutes walk from the city centre. The New South Wales TrainLink runs between Sydney as far north as Brisbane. Taree Station is one of the major stopping stations on the line.
See
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- 1 Big Oyster, 98 Manning River Dr. One of the Big things in Australia, just north of the town. Once a restaurant and souvenir shop, the oyster now forms the second floor of a car dealership and there are no actual oysters to be found. Breathtakingly tacky.
- 2 Manning Regional Art Gallery, 12 Macquarie St, ☏ +61 2 6592 5455. Tu-Sa 10AM–4PM.
Do
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It is a little drive from Taree, but if you head over to Old Bar Beach:
- During the January summer holiday period there's a sand modelling competition which has become a traditional and popular family fun activity.
- The path from Old Bar Beach to Wallabi Point, 2.5 km, is an ideal distance for light exercise and scenic views.
- A unique aspect of this beach is that it's alongside a heritage-listed airstrip so that flying enthusiasts can fly into the airstrip and then go to the beach.
If you'd like to sample Taree oysters at the source, there's exactly one option:
- 1 Brighton Oysters, 1455 Manning Point Rd, Mitchells Island, ☏ +61 425 356258. Join a tour to sample oysters fresh from the farm. By appointment only, BYO beverages welcome.
Buy
editEat
editTaree may be famous for oysters, but the choice of places where you can actually eat them is surprisingly limited.
- 1 Cafe Giardino, 139 Victoria St, ☏ +61 2 6557 8689. 7:45AM–8:30PM.
- 2 Kowin Restaurant, Shop 14/102 Victoria St, ☏ +61 2 6552 3482. Tu-Su 11AM–2:30PM, 4:30–9PM. Australian-Chinese cuisine.
- 3 Sailo's, 1 Macquarie St (at Taree Aquatic Club). Fri-Sat 11AM-10:30PM, Sun-Thu 11AM–9PM. Standard-issue club with pub fare, meat raffles and nice riverside views. A reliable place to sample the local oysters.
Drink
editSleep
editMost accommodation in Taree is caters to drivers stopping for the night and is quite utilitarian.
- 1 All Seasons Country Lodge, 110 Manning River Dr. Scrupulously clean motel with recently renovated bathrooms (2024) and a pool. $130.
- Cundle Motel, 7 Princes Street, Cundletown, ☏ +61 2 6553 9709, cundle@motorlodge.com.au. $75-$125.
- Taree Highway Motor Inn, 40-42 Crescent Avenue (old Pacific Highway, near Beeton Parade), ☏ +61 2 6552 5444. The Taree Highway Motor Inn is a clean and quiet 3½ star motel consisting of 17 ground floor rooms and 5 deluxe 2 room suites. Situated 1km north of Taree's town centre, the Motor Inn is close to restaurants, cinema, racecourse, sporting fields and the Manning River.
Old Bar has more beach resort style accommodation for longer stays.
- 2 Boogie Woogie Beach House (formerly Namaste), 31 David St, Old Bar, ☏ +61 6557 4224. Quirky rooms named and styled after famous musicians. The on-site Flow Bar is the hippest spot in town. Close to the beach, 5 min walk to shops. From $270 (peak season).
Go next
edit| Newcastle ← Myall Lakes National Park ← Coolongolook ← | SW A1 NE | → Port Macquarie → Kempsey |