Hello Koalas Festival

Saturday and Sunday September 26th – 27th, 9am – 5pm
Port Macquarie

Keep your eyes peeled for colourful koalas on the streets of Port Macquarie this weekend. The Hello Koalas Festival celebrates Australia’s iconic cuddly tree dwellers. You’re invited to search the streets and spot koala sculptures in unusual and unexpected places. There are 30 brightly decorated sculptures to find in the Hello Koalas Treasure Hunt. If you find the elusive “Chief” Westpac Rescue Helicopter Pilot, created by local artist Pauline Roods, take a selfie, post it on Facebook and Instagram and go into the draw to win a helicopter flight for three over Port Macquarie, courtesy of Affinity Aviation.

The festival builds on the success of the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail with its 70-plus koala figures and is the brainchild of Margret Meagher.

“When I moved to Port Macquarie, home of the long-established Koala Hospital, creating a sculpture trail centred on koala conservation seemed like a logical thing to do,” she says.

Koalas are a very important tourism asset. We use our Hello Koalas Trail to raise awareness of the very real threat that if we don’t look after koalas, and their habitat, they’ll become extinct. Kids relate to this message conveyed by our Hello Koalas sculptures.

Special places to visit as you search for sculptures include Sea Acres Rainforest Centre and its indoor/outdoor cafe under a canopy of trees and birdlife and the Port Macquarie Marina where you can meet local artists in residence and see a specially curated exhibition of Hello Koalas sculptures.

Also don’t miss the Hello Koalas-themed Artist and Artisan Markets beside the Mid North Coast Maritime Museum and Hastings Valley Fine Art Gallery on Sunday.

Register for the treasure hunt here.