Our towns and villages have a real buzz and are brimming with visitors.

With many of us having been unable to travel for some time, it's great to see people out and about enjoying themselves and experiencing our beautiful weather.

Down on the Town Green this week I bumped into visitors from many parts of NSW.

I've been fortunate to welcome them and find out what they've got planned to see and do while they're here.

Bon and David from Sydney were relaxing with a glass of wine and were off to the Koala Hospital in the afternoon.

And young Ari is here with his family from Tamworth, enjoying fish 'n' chips on the Town Green.

He was telling me how much he loved our beaches and his visit to Billabong Zoo.

While it's great to see so many visitors here, it's equally important to remember that we are still in a pandemic.

We need our entire community, whether you are a local or visitor to the region, to do the right thing.

We've done a great job as a community to be more than 150 days COVID-free.

However, we need to keep up this good work to ensure we stay healthy and safe.

This means continuing to social distance, wear a mask when requested, and ensure we regularly wash our hands well with soap and water or hand sanitizer.

When we're having fun and are in holiday mode, these simple things can slip our minds.

That's why we have created some quirky signs - Stayin' Alive at 1.5 - to remind us why social distancing is so important.

You'll see these in popular areas and spaces where people tend to gather.

It's also important to stay home if you feel unwell and, if you show any symptoms at all, make sure you go and get tested.

A busy holiday period is great for our businesses and local economy and a real sign that we are on the right path.

We hope that everyone has a great holiday in the beautiful Port Macquarie-Hastings.

We appreciate your visit and look forward to welcoming you back sometime in the near future.