For thousands of years members of the Birpai Nation lived sustainably in the district that includes the land now designated The Chimneys.  We acknowledge their long ownership, and honour and respect them for their care of country.   European settlers usurped their land in the nineteenth century.

The Chimneys Sustainable Village takes its name from the two brick chimneys that remain from cottages occupied by workers at nearby timber mills.  From the 186Os, timber was the principal industry in the district.  The workers and their families also lived sustainably, growing and bartering produce.

The Chimneys site is 30 km south from Port Macquarie on the New South Wales mid-north coast on the banks of the beautiful Camden Haven River - an area reputed to enjoy the best year-round climate in Australia.

The Village is 10 minutes drive from several pristine surfing beaches at North Haven, Bonny Hills and Lake Cathie as well as the waterways of Queens Lake, Watson Taylors Lake and the Camden Haven Inlet. National Parks and State Forests are close by. The Camden Haven Golf Club is almost adjacent to the north.

The undulating site enjoys views which can never be interrupted, over the river and farmland to forests and mountains.

The Camden Haven region has become a focus for fine food and produce including avocadoes, macadamia nuts, berries, olives, organic vegetables, tomatoes, oysters and prawns. It is also recognised for major cultural and sporting events, in particular literary and musical. Nearby wineries and vineyards include Bago, Cassegrain, Long Point, Lake Innes and Sherwood Estate.

Local shops, cinema, schools, clubs, restaurants, sporting and medical facilities are all handy.

The site is adjacent to local bus services, walking distance from interstate coach services and 3 kms from CountryLink rail services to Sydney, Newcastle, Grafton and Brisbane.

The major regional centre of Port Macquarie provides all necessary services and amenities. Its recently upgraded airport, serviced daily by Virgin, Qantas and Brindabella Airlines, is 20 minutes by car, and Sydney is 3.5 hours by road, most of it dual highway and freeway.