Lighthouse Beach runs long and straight south of Port Macquarie, and this is where the town's camel string works most days, taking riders along the sand with commentary on the animals and the coastline as they go — dolphins and, in season, migrating whales are a regular sight from camel-back. There's no need to book ahead: it's a walk-up operation, first come first served, based on a stretch of beach about a kilometre south of Tacking Point Surf Club. It's a low-key, family-friendly way to spend twenty minutes or so on one of the Mid North Coast's better beaches, more about the animal and the view than any polish or production. Pair it with the Tacking Point Lighthouse walk or the surf club nearby, and it's an easy add-on to a Port Macquarie beach day rather than a destination in its own right.