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Nulla from Hello Koalas at the Slim Dusty Centre — Image credit: Macleay Valley Coast

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Nulla from the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail

Nulla the Koala is a part of the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail, a bold, ambitious and imaginative sculpture project, which celebrates one of Australia’s iconic animals, the Koala. Above all, it is designed to generate a sense of fun and surprise for everyone who comes across one of the creatively decorated koalas resting in parkland, lazing by the river, waiting outside the shops, or playing with children. Find Nulla, created by artist Elwyn Toby, the Macleay Valley Coast Visitor Centre at the Slim Dusty Centre in Kempsey.

South Kempsey NSW

2.2 km away

Kalateenee Mountain Bike Trails_Macleay Valley Coast — Image credit: Rocky Trail

Amusement and Theme Parks

Kalateenee Mountain Bike Trails

The Kalateenee Mountain Bike Trails are made up of 20-25 kilometres of mountain bike trails in Kalateenee State Forrest just outside of Kempsey. The trails are maintained to a high standard and are available for the public and visitors to use free of charge. The tracks are set in stunning bush scenery with towering Eucalyptus, Ironbark and Bushbox trees to be seen from nearly every angle. The tracks range in levels of ability with easier tracks for beginners and some more challenging tracks for advanced riders. Users should bring their own bike, helmet and equipment along with water and enjoy! It’s great to do solo or make a day out of it with the family. The trails are located behind the Kempsey Golf Club. The Macleay Valley Mountain Bike Club has a permit from NSW Forestry Corporation to manage the trails.

Kempsey NSW

2.6 km away

Kempsey Golf Club — Image credit: Kempsey Golf Club

Sports and Recreation Facilities

Kempsey Golf Club

Kempsey Golf Club is located on the Macleay Valley Way, five kilometres south of the Kempsey. Their facilities include an 18-hole golf course, a practice fairway/driving range, and a licensed clubhouse (gaming and bar facilities). Their golf course (par 72) has a natural bushland setting with a creek and dam which makes the course interesting and enjoyable for golfers of all standards. It includes tree-lined fairways with a gently undulating layout, some bunkers, and recycled water to greens, fairways, and trees. Resident kangaroos are a daily feature and occasionally other native fauna make an appearance. Hire of clubs, buggies, and carts are available.

South Kempsey NSW

2.6 km away

Double Abbott Buggy — Image credit: Macleay River Historical Society

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Kempsey Museum

Kempsey Museum features the history of the Macleay Valley from before white settlement to the present day, including a pioneer cottage furnished using historical items. Set in South Kempsey Park, next to the Visitor Information Centre. Displays include aboriginal history, boot making, timber industry, military history, natural history, dairy industry, shipping, historical vehicles, Shorty Ranger and local country music, telecommunications, textiles, silverware, ceramics and glassware, and the Angus McNeil glass negative photography collection. Bus groups are welcome.

South Kempsey NSW

2.6 km away

Akubra Kempsey

Shopping and Markets

Akubra Store

The wait is finally over! By popular demand, the iconic Kempsey store at South Street has re-opened its doors. A beloved community landmark for many years, this store has been an integral part of life in Kempsey, and they are thrilled to welcome back both loyal locals and new visitors alike. With its rich history and long-standing presence in the heart of Kempsey, this re-opening marks a new chapter for the store, but with the same great service, familiar charm, and warm, welcoming atmosphere that has made it a staple in the community for so long. Whether you’re stopping by for the first time or returning to a place filled with memories, Akubra is excited to bring you the very best in service and quality.

South Kempsey NSW

3.4 km away

South Kempsey Pump Track

Sports and Recreation Facilities

South Kempsey Pump Track

The pump track is a 'rollercoaster' path that riders of bicycles, skateboards, scooters and roller skates can complete without needing to pedal or push. For BMX enthusiasts and families with children learning to ride, the South Kempsey pump track offers an asphalt track with sweeping, banked turns designed for speed. It also includes viewing areas for family and friends to watch and enjoy.

South Kempsey NSW

4.2 km away

Finding Grace Wellness and Sustainability

Shopping and Markets

Finding Grace Wellness and Sustainability

Finding Grace Wellness and Sustainability is a one-stop shop in West Kempsey for all your health and well-being needs. Come in and check out the wide range of environmentally friendly cleaning products, household essentials, supplements, organic pantry products and so much more! If you haven’t had a chance to come in, today is the perfect day. Looking forward to seeing you there.

West Kempsey NSW

5.4 km away

Folk Road

Shopping and Markets

Folk Road

Folk Road is a fashion store for both men and women, located in the heart of the Macleay Valley, NSW. The store features a range of well-known brands, including RM Williams, Levi’s, Ringers Western and more. Offering a stylish selection of clothing, accessories and footwear, Folk Road is a go-to destination for quality fashion in the region. Whether it’s riding horses, spending days by the beach, or exploring the countryside, Folk Road brings you the latest trends alongside timeless classics that never go out of style.

West Kempsey NSW

5.5 km away

Mahalo Interiors

Shopping and Markets

Mahalo Interiors

Mahalo Interiors is an exciting home and lifestyle store offering a curated selection of beautiful and unique homewares, gifts and dancewear. The store features an array of stylish homewares, eye-catching prints and chic accessories, perfect for adding a touch of elegance to any space. Whether shopping for the home or finding the perfect gift, Mahalo Interiors has something special for every occasion.

West Kempsey NSW

5.5 km away

1965 Freedom Ride Blue Plaque Trail - Kempsey — Image credit: Heritage NSW

Historical Sites and Heritage Locations

1965 Freedom Ride Blue Plaque Trail - Kempsey

Visitors can discover the stories behind the people, places and events that have helped shape NSW - where the history happened. A Blue Plaque visit offers more than sightseeing. It creates a direct connection between place and story, turning everyday locations into places of discovery. Each plaque reveals a unique piece of history, encouraging visitors to explore local areas from a new perspective and uncover stories they may never have known. This blue plaque commemorates the 1965 Freedom Ride where a group of university students journey on a bus through country New South Wales to expose and challenge discrimination faced by Aboriginal people. The 1965 Freedom Ride Blue Plaque Trail stops at 8 significant locations along the original 1965 Freedom Ride bus route.

Kempsey NSW

5.8 km away

Big Daddy Skater Sculpture

Landmarks and Buildings

Big Daddy Skater Sculpture

While you’re at the skatepark, don’t miss the legendary Big Daddy Skater, an innovative sculpture that pays homage to custom car designer and cartoonist Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth. The sculpture was made entirely from scrap metal by talented local artist Robert Game in partnership with Mid Coast Waste - highlighting the possibilities for creatively reusing waste products.

Kempsey NSW

5.8 km away

Kempsey Skatepark Mural

Landmarks and Buildings

Kempsey Skatepark Mural

Combine a fun day skateboarding with an appreciation of street art at the Kempsey Skatepark. The large-scale mural was the brainchild of street artists SMC3 (Simon Chamberlain) and Seiz (James Moulton) who worked with local youth to design and paint the park in West Kempsey. Young people also worked with a local photographer Alicia Fox document the project through photography, video and audio capture.

Kempsey NSW

5.8 km away

Elringtons Lane Murals

Landmarks and Buildings

Elringtons Lane Murals

It’s no secret that one of the best views on the Macleay Valley Coast can be found in the middle of Kempsey. Spanning almost the entirety of the laneway, artist Daniel Hend and Busta Marrs’s enormous collaborative mural offers a panoramic view of the region, its villages, mountains and beaches. The other side of the lane features a collaborative artwork created by local elders and Aboriginal artists, inspired by Dunghutti and Thunggutti imagery. Further along the lane on the historical Elrington’s Produce building, renowned local Street artist Pat Indo’s striking mural celebrates Kempsey’s thriving agricultural industry and vibrant farming communities.

Kempsey NSW

5.9 km away

Kempsey Central, Macleay Valley Coast — Image credit: Gowings

Shopping and Markets

Kempsey Central

Kempsey Central is the place to go for food, fun, convenience and more. Easy parking with no time limits, a great location and plenty to do nearby makes Kempsey Central the place to meet. What else would you expect from the centre of Kempsey? At Kempsey Central, they’ve put their heart into creating a destination that has everything you love together in one place.

Kempsey NSW

6.0 km away

Corroboree Magic Mosaic

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Corroboree Magic Mosaic

Corroboree Magic, a community made mosaic located on the Westpac Bank building in Kempsey, NSW. Wander down the main strip in the heart of Kempsey and you’re sure to spot Corroboree Magic, a colourful community-made mosaic featuring Dunghutti imagery. The idea for the mosaic was dreamed up by Uncle Richard Campbell in collaboration with artists Guy Crosley and Elwyn Toby. Over 200 local school students then helped to assemble the masterpiece, which can be found outside the Westpac building on Smith Street.

Kempsey NSW

6.0 km away

Abstracted Outline of the Macleay River Mural

Landmarks and Buildings

Abstracted Outline of the Macleay River Mural

Ash uses contemporary design elements to create a sense of motion and energy. Amongst these elements is the inclusion of important species and ecosystems of the Kempsey Shire forming a narrative to raise awareness of their importance and vulnerability. An abstracted outline of the Macleay River creates a dynamic shape throughout the work; offering negative space and balance yet wrapping the elements together and firmly grounding the piece to the Shire and the communities through which it flows. Included in the mural are: Spider orchid Swamp sclerophyll forest on coastal floodplains Green and golden bell frog Freshwater wetlands on coastal floodplains Lesser creeping Fern White-flowered wax plant" Ash Taylor is an early career muralist from Brisbane. She is captivated and inspired by the natural environment. Her work is vibrant and energetic, mixing abstraction, carefully chosen colour palettes, gestural mark-making and illustration to create a connection between the viewer and nature. By bringing the natural environment to public, urbanized spaces Ash amplifies the beauty and detail of nature and creates a space to consider the importance and issues relating to the conservation and preservation of our natural spaces.

Kempsey NSW

6.1 km away

Christina Huynh (STYNA) Macleay River Mural

Landmarks and Buildings

Christina Huynh (STYNA) Macleay River Mural

Set along the Macleay River, with a backdrop of the iconic Kempsey bridge, Christina's artwork tells a light-hearted and playful narrative of vulnerable flora and fauna endemic to the Macleay Valley Coast. Pictured here are the White-Flowered Wax Plant, Swamp Orchid, a Green and Golden Bell Frog, Koalas, and Azure Kingfisher. There is also a hidden nod to Smithtown's Milo factory with the milo cans used as plant pots Christina's work celebrates the beauty of our rich biodiversity and beauty in the day-to-day and her hope for the overall work is to evoke feelings of connection, optimism and wonder for our natural landscapes and the fauna that inhabit them. Christina Huynh (b. 1990) is an award-winning illustrator and muralist based in Western Sydney, Australia, that paints under the name STYNA. Her art practice involves creating murals, illustrations and picture books from differing mediums of pencil, watercolour, ink and pen to acrylic and aerosol. With an enthusiasm for goldfish and all things fragile in our natural world, Christina creates stories that express her everyday thoughts, experiences and childhood memories. She finds inspiration in storytelling, human emotion, wayfaring and the heritage of people and place.

Kempsey NSW

6.1 km away

Community Healing Mural

Landmarks and Buildings

Community Healing Mural

This creation was put together from the inspiration of being in nature on country and connecting back to the land, being grounded replenishes the soul and makes you feel whole again. This also gives a sense of healing water plays a massive part in this, walking barefoot on the ground helps with your connection to country. The diamond pattern is significant to Dunghutti Nation it represents ceremony and or a place of significance. Footprints represent the path we leave for our future generations to follow. On the bottom in the white, we have the depiction of our river flowing through the valley with waterholes representing towns in between. The black detailed designs depict the land and its different habitats. The top depicts the mountains in white. The black details again represent the land and its habitats. If we can connect to all of these elements and share and acknowledge culture we can then start our healing journey. Jason is a proud Aboriginal artist from the Dunghutti/Thunggutti Nation of Kempsey. He is passionate about his culture and sharing his knowledge with the next generation. Jason has evolved into a successful artist creating stunning artworks on various mediums for a broad range of customers and corporate clients, through commissioned work and private sales. You can view more of his works through his website

Kempsey NSW

6.1 km away

Ellie Hannon Macleay River Mural

Landmarks and Buildings

Ellie Hannon Macleay River Mural

In this mural, Ellie's explores the Macleay River and its diverse native plants and trees. She presents this space through the lens of place and memory, and how we shape our experiences of places. Ellie is intrigued by the way that darkness can alter the experience of our surroundings and shift the way our inner and outer worlds meet. As the sun sets, the fading light shapes and reshapes a tree, a movement, a sound, or a shadow down a pathway. The ensuing darkness bends our perception and imagination, testing our trust in what we see with our own eyes. All that is solid dissolves with the light and becomes something new. These are the moments in which we slow down to notice the wax and wane and remember that everything in this world is cyclical and transient. Nothing remains still. Ellie Hannon is an Australian artist based in Newcastle NSW that works across exhibitions, public art, and community engagement projects. She explores the natural environment as both a subject and a point of departure that begins an investigation into how interactions and impacts on these spaces shape individual and collective identity. Characterised by her bold and harmonic colourscapes, Hannon's paintings employ gestural mark-making with playful textures and perspectives formed through patchwork backgrounds, gravitational mid-grounds, and intricate foregrounds.

Kempsey NSW

6.1 km away

From the Mountains to the Sea Mural

Landmarks and Buildings

From the Mountains to the Sea Mural

This design presents a cohesive visual story, themed 'From the Mountains to the Sea', celebrating Kempsey as the rich, biodiverse heart of the Macleay River. The design features threatened flora and fauna native to the Macleay including the red-tailed phascogale and loggerhead turtle raising awareness and educating viewers about the threatened status of these important species. Alex Sugar is a Melbourne-based realism painter well-known for his large-scale murals and studio works depicting native Australian flora and fauna. He has a particular interest in merging this distinctive style with still life and surreal components. The aim of his mural work is to translate his studio practice to large-scale projects - strengthening his connection to art and the natural environment, while aesthetically enhancing urban sites. He currently takes on commissioned studio paintings on wooden panels, and charcoal works on high-quality archival paper. He also takes requests for privately commissioned mural projects and council-commissioned mural work. His council work conceptually considers the current socio-cultural and historic roots of the site - contributing assets that are both relevant to the community and act as distinctive artworks in themselves.

Kempsey NSW

6.1 km away

Golden-Headed Cisticola Mural

Landmarks and Buildings

Golden-Headed Cisticola Mural

Ash's popular style combines the broader community appeal of nature’s local flora and fauna, in this case, a photorealistic representation of a Golden-headed Cisticola frequently spotted by birdwatchers in Kempsey, bookended by the Christmas Bell flowers purely for the complimentary colours, juxtaposed against the modern stylized three-dimensional graffiti lettering that appeals to the younger more contemporary sector of the community. Ash's work acknowledges the graffiti movement within the mural, appealing to both ends of the community spectrum aiming to start conversations that shatter demographic boundaries and offer a chance to learn about differing perspectives in our communities respectfully. From the dark silhouetted mountains in the background to the flowing waters of the sea in the lower foreground, the mural will have a subconscious appeal to locals who have these two visual components woven into their sense of belonging and connection to their surroundings. Ash Johnston is an established street artist from Coffs Harbour and has been instrumental in bringing street artists to the region to showcase their talents and brighten up streetscapes. As well as running Open Studio, a retail store and art studio, Ash is often engaged as a mentor for young people teaching them street art and essential life skills.

Kempsey NSW

6.1 km away

Indo the Artist Savages Lane Mural

Landmarks and Buildings

Indo the Artist Savages Lane Mural

This artwork celebrates what Kempsey's famous for, Akubra Hats, Country Music, and its breathtaking natural bush and flowers, the eucalyptus gum trees, wattle, and daisies. The artwork is painted in a Folk country style, representing the town's history, county music, and traditional heritage and with words of inspiration. Patrick Indo is an award-winning and prolific street artist from Crescent Head. With a distinct contemporary pop style, his works have been featured in magazines, television and festivals. Indo has collaborated with many known commercial brands as well as with community-based projects in Kempsey and surrounds mentoring young people in street art and creative industries. Several of his public artworks can be found in Kempsey including the Flood Marker pole in Clyde St Mall, the Crescent Head amenities and murals at Blackfish Cafe, and the Mediterranean Hotel. You can find more of his work at his website.

Kempsey NSW

6.1 km away

Kelly Purvis Mural

Landmarks and Buildings

Kelly Purvis Mural

The concept for this mural design is storytelling through a portrait of Indigenous youth. The vision is that it will evoke a sense of threads of love and wisdom from elders to younger generations. Kelly collaborated with Dunghutti artist Nancy Pattison on the design and concept. The young person symbolises hope and the future while in her hand she holds a praying mantis - the Dunghutti totem 'Gurrgiyn' representing culture, country and tradition. The Rainbow Serpent in the starry skies represents creation and the Dreamtime. Kelly Purvis grew up in South West Rocks and maintains a strong connection with the Macleay Valley. She has travelled extensively painting large-scale murals, exhibiting her work in galleries and acquiring some impressive accolades such as winning the Bellingen Art Prize, STILL finalist and Brett Whiteley Travelling Scholarship finalist. Kelly now resides in Coffs Harbour and is devoted to sharing her creative passion and knowledge through teaching drawing and painting.

Kempsey NSW

6.1 km away

Savages Lane Murals

Landmarks and Buildings

Savages Lane Murals

If you love street art, don’t miss the jaw-dropping murals displayed in the heart of Kempsey on Savages Lane. Part of Kempsey Shire Council’s innovative laneways project, From the Mountains to the Sea, the murals have been created by over ten exceptional artists to celebrate the natural beauty and shared history of the Macleay Valley Coast. Take time to stroll down the lane and marvel at the vibrant colours and soulful depictions of the people, places and wildlife that form part of our wonderful region.

Kempsey NSW

6.1 km away

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