Sensual feast in Port Macquarie

BREATHING in a soothing murmur that would hypnotise a snake is an important part of a relaxing weekend in Port Macquarie that includes meditation.

Escape Port Macquarie meditation

IF SOMEONE in Sydney suggested I should get up early, sit in a forest and meditate on the sound of rain, I'd sneer like a llama.

Funny how travel can open us to new experiences that turn out to be so enjoyable, we wonder why we've never tried them before.

And so I'm sitting in a tropical downpour in Sea Acres National Park, listening to the rain plink-plonk on my umbrella.

Around me is a huddle of other meditative walkers in purple plastic raincoats. No one speaks or moves.

Only Simon Adel from Port Yoga says something about breathing, in a soothing murmur that would hypnotise a snake.

I can't hear what he's saying. Maybe I've gone into trance. Drip, drip goes the rain. Twitter goes a bird. In and out goes my breathing.

I'm almost annoyed when Simon gets to his feet and floats off down the boardwalk, trailing disciples and impeccable calm. I shake the rain from my trousers and slosh along feeling unaccountably happy.

I like this silent walk.

No gabbing, no camera clicking, no guidebook reading. I even, perversely, like the rain.

After all, this is a rainforest.

Sea Acres National Park preserves rare, subtropical coastal rainforest only 4km from downtown Port Macquarie. It's notable for its high biodiversity, with 2275 plant species and 140 kinds of bird and other animals such as water dragons and diamond pythons.

A 1.3km looped boardwalk makes for very easy access and, when it's raining, keeps you above the muddy forest floor.

Trees here grow up to 30m tall. Thick water-vines and more dainty whip-vines curl around branches, and giant leaves unfurl.

The early-morning, one-hour meditative walk is just one way to enjoy the national park.

Later in the day, you can do a guided walk with a park ranger, who can identify the sounds of whipbirds and golden whistlers.

You can learn how the rainforest yields black apple, native ginger, yams and seeds for the local Aboriginal people, and how the coarse leaves of the sandpaper fig are used for smoothing boomerangs.

If you'd rather take things at your own pace, the good signage on the boardwalk also explains the nature of the rainforest and why it's significant.

Only towards the end of the boardwalk do outside sounds intrude with the occasional passing car.

When I arrive back at the visitor centre, I find another compensation for a rainy walk, apart from the benefits of meditation.

Cares of the flesh are addressed too in the Rainforest Cafe, a popular local spot for breakfast beneath the soaring trees.

Most visitor centre cafes are dreary places. Here you not only get good coffee but homemade muesli, pancakes with rhubarb, or tasty organic eggs Benedict as well.

The owner-chef Jean-Louis Tostivint hails from Brittany and, later in the day, French influences appear on the menu, with the likes of rabbit terrine and mussels served with chips.

Yes, new experiences can be surprisingly enjoyable. But I reckon they're made even better when you can get a strawberry creme brulee to round it off.

The writer visited as a guest of Greater Port Macquarie Tourism.

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PORT MACQUARIE

- Getting there

Port Macquarie is a 4 1/2-hour drive north of Sydney or 3 1/2 hours from Newcastle on the Pacific Highway. Both QantasLink and Virgin Australia have daily flights from Sydney.

-- Staying there

The recently refurbished Waters Edge Boutique Hotel is right on the Hastings River waterfront a short walk from Port Macquarie's CBD and has 4-star facilities and rooms with open balconies or terraces.

Visit watersedgeboutique hotel.com.au, ph 6583 2955.

-- Doing there

Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, visit environment.nsw.gov.au, ph 6582 3355.
Rainforest Cafe, visit rainforestcafe.com.au, ph 6582 4444.

More: portmacquarieinfo.com, ph 1300 303 155