Welcome to the Port Macquarie Coastal Geotrail. Here you will find rare and amazing rocks that tell the story of plate tectonics - how Earth’s crust is formed and how it moves. On this trail you can travel the equivalent of up to 6000 km across the Pacific Ocean of today in just 4 km, from Shelly Beach to Rocky Beach! You’ll see rocks made by volcanoes, by microscopic marine creatures, and by underwater gravity currents. Some of these rocks formed at high pressures and temperatures over 100 km below Earth’s surface, and were later brought to the surface by faulting.

To follow the Geotrail, you can travel in the same direction as the oceanic plate was moving (northwards, from Shelley Beach towards Town Beach), or you can do it in reverse. By foot, it's 4 km one way along the Geotrail. You can also drive to the stops, which have nearby car parks, or catch a bus to/from Sea Acres. Please note that dogs aren't allowed at Sea Acres Nature Reserve and four of the beaches. Fines apply.

Download the  free self-guided NSW GeoTours app onto your phone, with key sites geotagged stop-by-stop along the walk. Access the Port Macquarie Coastal Geotrail tour by downloading the NSWGeoTours app (Android and Apple).

We start the Geotrail by examining the theory of plate tectonics, the most important underlying concept in geology. A  technical resource3MB pdf(PDF, 3MB) is also available looking into what geology is and how the Geotrail was formed - a great resource for school research. Scroll past the map below for more information. 

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More Information

To make your walk safe and enjoyable:

• Take plenty of water and sun protection (sunscreen and hats)
• Do not leave valuables in the car
• Keep to the track, beware of traffic and keep away from cliff edges
• Please take your rubbish or use bins provided

How to get there

You can walk or drive between stops. The 322 bus travels to/from Sea Acres Rainforest Centre. 

The southern entry to the geotrail is at the Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, near the entry to Sea Acres National Park.

     To get there: From Port Macquarie head south for about 4 km along Pacific Drive. Sea Acres Rainforest Centre is on the left just after Shelly Beach Road.

 The northern entry to the geotrail is at the southern end of Town Beach.

     To get there: From Port Macquarie head east along William Street, turn left into Stewart Street. Car parking can be found along the beach.

You can also drive to the stops, which have nearby car parks.

This page was last updated on: 15 April 2019

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