Central NSW Coast

New South Wales (Sydney Region)

Central Coast

The Central Coast is the area north of Sydney up to Newcastle. It is as forrested with many bays and beaches. Most tourist see the area from the highway when heading north for Brisbane or the Hunter Valley.

The shoreline between Broken Bay and Newcastle is characterized by large coastal lakes - saltwater lagoons almost entirely enclosed, but connected to the ocean by small waterways. To travel anywhere on the Central Coast, you need to go through Gosford, perched on the north shore of Brisbane Water and just about within commuting distance of Sydney. Its proximity to the city has resulted in uncontrolled residential sprawl which has put a great strain on the once-unspoilt lakes.

Around Gosford are two excellent national parks, one giving an insight into Sydney's past in the form of Old Sydney Town, and the other, the nearby Australian Reptile Park, offering lots of native creepy crawlies and scaly things. Beyond the national parks, Pearl Beach and nearby Patonga are idyllic bay beach retreats while on the ocean, Terrigal, Avoca and The Entrance are all enjoyable holiday resorts.

For tourist information on the whole region, call Central Coast Tourism (free call 1800/806 258) or drop into their offices near Gosford CityRail at 200 Mann St (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9.30am-3pm, Sun 10am-2pm, or at Terrigal and The Entrance.

Outdoor Activities

The Central Coast offers endless aquatic antics. Central Coast Adventures (tel 4381 0326) organizes abseiling and canyoning; Central Coast Kayak Tours (tel 4381 0342) offers kayaking trips from $75; Central Coast Surf School (tel 4382 1541) gives surfing lessons (1hr 30min; $15, including gear) on weekends at local beaches. Erina Sail & Ski Hire (tel 4365 2355) offer beginners' sailboarding lessons on Terrigal Lake on summer weekends (1hr 30min; $15). There's also good diving around The Entrance with Pro Dive Central Coast, 96 The Entrance Rd (tel 4334 1559), arranging scuba-diving lessons and daily boat dives.

Getting there and around

If you're driving, and want to enjoy the coastal scenery and lakes, follow the Pacific Highway rather than the speedier Sydney-Newcastle Freeway. The train to Gosford or Woy Woy also follows a very picturesque route. Central Coast Airbus (tel 4332 8655) gets you to the area direct from Sydney airport on several bus services daily (also picking up in the city): stops include Gosford, Terrigal and The Entrance. The fit and intrepid can go by bike: from Manly head up the northern beaches, hop on the Palm Beach Ferry from Barrenjoey Road, Palm Beach Wharf (tel 9918 2747) to Patonga, then continue up through Woy Woy and Gosford to the coast.

Within the Central Coast area a well-developed bus service is run by a collection of operators: Busways Peninsula (tel 4362 1030), Busways Central Coast (tel 4392 6666), Gosford Bus Service (tel 4325 1781), Peninsula Bus Lines (tel 4324 1255 or 4362 1188) and The Entrance Red Bus Services (tel 4332 8655).

You can also take a ferry from Palm Beach to Patonga and walk from there to Pearl Beach. For taxis, call 13 1008.

For more regional information on the Central Coast, go to:

Maps

Central Coast

Sydney Region