On a recent trip to Port Macquarie, I decided to break the journey and stopover night at Forster, a lovely coastal town, approximately 4 hours north of Sydney. It had been many years since I visited, so I wanted to take a little time to explore.
Admittedly it was school holidays and my decision was last minute, but, I jumped online to find a suitable hotel. Expecting to find plenty of places to stay, I was surprised it wasn't as easy as I thought. Not that there weren't many hotels available, the problem was the minimum stay was 2 nights.
I kept searching and luckily found a great Motel called Island Palms Motor Inn. Not only was it very affordable, it was centrally located, close to beaches, shops and restaurants and within walking distance to Forster Stockland Shopping Centre.
Island Palms Motor Inn is family owned and operated and it shows. The staff were lovely, very helpful and accommodating and their service was excellent.
Motel facilities include a saltwater swimming pool with easy chairs, off-street parking, laundry, conference/function room, photocopying and printing service. If you wish to order breakfast, it is available by room service, however, there are plenty of cafes nearby, where you can also venture out to eat.
Stockland Shopping Centre
Each room has wireless internet access, cable TV, back verandah, queen sized beds, air-conditioning, fridge, toaster, kettle, hair dryer, iron and ironing board. There are several different room types, which range from family rooms to spa suites.
Standard Room includes one queen bed and is 28 square metres in size.
Twin-Share Room has a queen and double bed and is 34 square metres.
Triple-Share Room is set up with a queen and two single beds and measures 34 square metres.
Family Room includes a queen, single and double bunk beds and is 34 square metres.
Spa Suite has a queen and single bed and two person corner spa. It is 34 square metres.
Forster is a great holiday destination with beautiful lakes, a big choice of walks, whether you like trekking or just taking a stroll along the coast. It is the ideal place for water sports including kayaking, surfing, diving and fishing.
One of the most memorable activities we did was going down sand dunes at
One Mile Beach. It tests your fitness as the sand dunes are very steep. After a couple of slides down on a boogie board, I was exhausted, but 11 year old junior just kept going. Up and down … up and down. Meanwhile I got to relax for a while and enjoy the stunning view.
Other fun activities in the Foster area include:
Speed down 3 open water slides or ride quad bikes at
Big Buzz Fun Park
Go dolphin watching aboard
Amaroo Cruises
Enjoy a bird watching breakfast with
Boomerang Forest Tours
Let your kids loose at
Forster Kids Spot at 3/4 Enterprise Court, Forster
If you are after a workout, check out
Great Lakes Aquatic & Leisure Centre
Hire a kayak or take a tour with
Lazy Paddle Kayak Tours
Check out over 5000 dolls at
Little Darlings Doll Museum at Crn Failford Rd & The Lakes Way, Failford
Little boys and big boys will love the
National Motorbike Museum
Relax and work on your tan at
Tuncurry Beach.
Whether you want your holidays to be relaxing or action packed, Foster has something for you, so check it out next time you are planning a trip to the north coast.