A morning stroll through the sauna that is Kempsey — past the cattle sale yards, along crunching gravel paths, and across the single railway line that links Sydney and Brisbane. One line. Three trains a day. It’s a figure that takes a moment to absorb.
From there we swung south for lunch at Laurieton, romanticised the idea of a river bike trail, and then committed to it by swimming in the river itself — safely behind the shark net, because we do value survival — before rounding the day off with a cheerfully chaotic family barbecue in Port Macquarie. Thoroughly recommended.
Kempsey has quietly outfitted the Australian imagination for generations: it is the long-time home of the Akubra, the wide-brimmed fur-felt hat that has topped stockmen, soldiers and prime ministers alike. The hats have been made in this unassuming river town for over half a century — a reminder that the most recognisable national symbols often come from the least showy places.