The Mid North Coast Maritime is known as a world class museum, and is well worth the small admission charge 0f $10.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. There is also a Family Entry fee that admits up to 2 adults and 4 children for $22.00. Visitors are able to enjoy the various shipwreck galleries, some of which have wreckage that goes back as far as the 17th century.

What can you see at the Mid North Coast Maritime Museum? To start, there are large exhibitions for Naval Defense, which tells you more about the actual role of naval protection in Australia.

The Indian Ocean exhibition gallery shows what Australia and the Indian Ocean have in common, both past and present. There are time worn boats, a replica of a Mideastern marketplace, and other historical objects that show how the migration of people to the western coast caused the area to grow and be recognized.

The Tin Canoe to Australia II exhibition gallery gives the visitor a chance to see many old boats, and includes the Shell Oil Great Ocean Experience Theater.

The Fremantle and Swan River exhibition gallery will make visitors aware of the development of this area, and the boats that made it happen.

The Hooked on Fishing exhibition gallery highlights the history of the fishing industry in Australia, and how many different people and separate cultures it took to bring everything together as it is today.

The Cargoes exhibition gallery showcases maritime trade and the many types of cargo brought into western Australia by boat from the Indian Ocean.

The Shipwreck Galleries includes five different galleries that show the various ships that have been recovered through the years, and also some of the objects that these ships contained. These galleries are known as the Entrance Gallery, the North Gallery, the Dutch Gallery, the Batavia Gallery, and the Woodblock Floor Gallery.

The Submarine Exhibitions contain the submarine Ovens. The HMAS Ovens has the distinction of being a former Royal Australian Navy Oberon Class submarine. Visitors can take a guided tour through this huge submarine, which will give them the opportunity to discover what it must have been like to serve in the Royal Navy during the Cold War. Tickets for this attraction are separate from museum tickets, or you can arrange to purchase a ticket that covers both attractions. A new tour starts approximately every half hour, and you may purchase your tour tickets at the front desk of the Maritime Museum.

Make your Port Macquarie holiday memorable, and take advantage of chance to see the many exciting exhibits at the Mid North Coast Maritime museum!

The MV Wentworth is a ship that was once used as a port services vessel. From 1948 until 1992, the MV Wentworth was used almost on a non-stop basis, servicing Port Kembia, Sydney Harbor, and Botany Bay. When the idea arose to use the 59-year-old MV Wentworth as both a display and a part of the museum, it was discovered that the vessel needed extensive restoration to bring it back to its former glory. The cost of this work was covered with the aid of contributions by the people of Port Macquarie and other folks in nearby cities.

Visitors to Port Macquarie can take a guided river cruise tour on the Hastings aboard the MV Wentworth. It is not too often that one has the opportunity to be aboard a historical ship of this age. This is a lovely way to see the waterways of Port Macquarie for yourself. In fact, taking this heritage river tour before you enjoy the exhibits in the museum can help you to understand more about how the rich maritime history happened.

The three sites that make up the Mid North Coast Maritime Museum consist of displays that do a good job of telling the story of the history of shipping and the explorations of the Europeans in Port Macquarie, Hastings, and the Mid-North coast of the area. You will find that there is plenty to see here, and most of it should be of interest to all ages.

If you enjoy boats and boating, you can see antique relics that came from actual shipwrecks on exhibit here. The many scale models of ships are a very popular exhibit. There are also a collection of charts and maps used by the captains of the ships of long ago for navigation purposes. Maritime photos are well represented at the Mid Coast Maritime Museum, with a large collection of historical prints on exhibit for visitors to study at will.

There is a chance you may want to spend more than just a day at the Mid Coast Maritime Museum in order to best take in all it has to offer. You can choose your Port Macquarie accommodation so that it is as close to the museum as possible. This will enable you take your time, and immerse yourself in all of the visual history the museum is well known for. The museum is about 10 minutes from the centre of town, so plan accordingly.

The Mid Coast Maritime Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 AM until 3 PM. The cost of admission is $4.00 per person.