NSW Central Coast
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PDF Australia NSW Central Coast (PDF Chapter) Edition 18th Edition, Nov 2015 Pages 16 COVERAGE INCLUDES: Page Range 143–156 • Central Coast • Australian Reptile Useful Links Park Want more guides? • Brisbane Water Head to our shop National Park Trouble with your PDF? • Newcastle Trouble shoot here • Hunter Valley Need more help? Head to our FAQs Stay in touch Contact us here © Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this PDF chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above – ‘Do the right thing with our content’. ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd NSW Central Coast Includes ¨ Why Go? Central Coast .......145 After limping through the traffic of Sydney’s northern sub- Newcastle ..........146 urbs it would be forgivable to make a break for the freeway Hunter Valley ........151 as soon as it begins. Truth be told, much of the heavily pop- ulated Central Coast is a family-orientated suburbia-on-sea. But if you only have a couple of days to escape the big smoke, you will find some delightful diversions along this 100km stretch of coast. There are golden surf beaches, hid- Best Places to Eat den hamlets and languid inland lakes, the largest of which, ¨ Pearls on the Beach (p145) Lake Macquarie, covers four times the area of Sydney Har- bour. And what it lacks in culture and gourmet goodies can ¨ Edwards (p150) be found in rollicking Newcastle and the hedonistic wine ¨ Subo (p150) country of the Hunter Valley. ¨ Muse Kitchen (p155) Best Places to Stay ¨ Longhouse (p155) ¨ Thistle Hill (p154) When to Go ¨ Junction Hotel (p149) Newcastle °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 8/200 30/86 6/150 20/68 4/100 10/50 2/50 0/32 0 J FDM A M J J A S O N Jan–Mar Late May–Jul Migrat- Oct–Dec Wine and summer brings ing whales and jazz, spectacular Surfest and craft a whole month Christmas lights beer to Newcastle of wine and food and one of Austral- and music to the celebrations in the ia’s biggest emerg- Hunter Valley. Hunter. ing arts festivals. 144 666#\ 666 Singleton 5 H 5 u n ter River 55 5 #\Branxton : \#Seah: am #\ Bulga : : : : :5 #÷ Wollemi North #\ National Park Lochinvar \# Wa: llalon::g : 66666Rothbury 6#\ 66666 : 5 :5 Maitland \# Hinton : : :Grahamstown : 5 Hunter Valley #] Lake : : : : #\ Gillieston \# Broke \# 1 Pokolbin Heights : :Raymond : 5 #\ Terrace #\ Lovedale : :: Hunter Valley #2 #3 Heddon Williamtown \# : #\ Greta Hun 444 #÷ Kurri Kurri #\ :: te : : Hexham #\ Riv r 55 66NSW CE 66666666666er 666 Yengo Cessnock #\ :: : National 5 555 Park #\ :: Bellbird Baddeley Hunter Wetlands 555 55\# Fern Bay ::#6 444 Park Centre Seahampton \# #\ Millfield N Mulbring #\ Nobby's TRAL COA C Ellalong o Head Lagoon 1 4 n \# Killingworth ## #\ g 444444 Wollombi Newcastle e /·M1 666666w 6666666 #\ Little Redhead Point a Myall i C Range #÷ Ch:arlestown r e Watagans 444 e \# : S k Awaba National \# T T Redhead Point Park /·M1 Belmont C CE Lake N Macqua: rie Avondale\# TR \# 6666666Cooranbong \#6:Dora Creek : 6 \# Swansea Heads al Watagan \# #÷ Beauty Point \# Swansea Mountains Morisset CO Yengo National \# Nords Wharf Park Lake Macquarie AS State Recreation Area T HIG T \# Wyee : Hunter Range Wy 66666 /·M1 6Lake on Munmorah g : : hl R i ve : : : IG r : : #\:Toukley Tasman Sea H #æ TreeTop #\ T Wyong Adventure S : : Park Tuggerah :::4 #÷ Lake The Entrance North 66666666666: \#6: Dharug The Entrance National :: Killarney \# Park \# Vale4: Bateau Bay #\ Wisemans Ferry /·M1 Wamberal Yumbool Point Australian \# 5 Gosford Terrigal Reptile Park #z #\ \# Wamberal Point 5 Green Point 4 \# Broken Head 6666H666awkesbury 5 6Brisbane:6Kincumber 020km #\ #\ e# River 5 Water Avoca Beach 010miles Brisbane :#\ Water NP÷# WoD y Woy Marramarra 5 #÷5 National Park ÷# Pearl Beach (5km) Bouddi National Park 66NSW666 Central666 Coast Highlights6 1 Lingering over a coffee in 3 Letting someone else drive 5 Watching migrating whales one of Newcastle’s fabulous you around the Hunter Valley’s from your tent in the Bouddi cafes (p149). 150-plus wineries (p152). National Park (p145). 2 Enjoying some old rockers, 4 Diving into the icy waters 6 Cruising the Hunter old wine and (smelly) old of the art deco Newcastle Wetlands Centre (p147) by cheese at a big event in the Ocean Baths (p147). canoe, bike or Segway. Hunter Valley (p154). 145 CENTRAL COAST Forest at this high-thrills adventure park which features over 100 challenging courses You can choose to head straight up the M1 including the world’s longest roller-coaster Pacific Motorway freeway to Newcastle (via zip line. various Central Coast exits) or meander along the coast. The largest town in the area 4 Sleeping & Eating is the transport and services hub of Gos- ford. Relaxed Avoca has a lovely beach and Tiarri MOTEL $$ (%02-4384 1423; www.tiarriterrigal.com.au; 16 Ti- an old cinema, while Terrigal has a beau- naW tiful crescent-shaped beach with good surf, arri Cres, Terrigal; r/ste $145/190; ) This a bustling town centre and a variety of top boutique motel in a quiet street on the slopes spots to refuel. A series of saltwater ‘lakes’ above Terrigal has clean, modern and com- spreads north up the coast between Bateau fortable rooms; the upstairs ones open onto NSW CE Bay and Newcastle, including the deep, plac- a little bush-shaded terrace. Adults only. id waters of Lake Macquarie. Crowne Plaza Terrigal HOTEL $$ (%02-4384 9111, 1800 007 697; www.crowneplaza. N TRAL COA 1 Sights com.au; Pine Tree Lane; d from $180) The hub of Australian Reptile Park ZOO Terrigal’s tourist trade, this monolith has (%02-4340 1022; www.reptilepark.com.au; Pacific some plush rooms with great views over the Hwy, Somersby; adult/child $33/17; h9am-5pm) beach. There are a couple of restaurants, a Get up close to koalas and pythons, watch gym, a spa and a sauna, too. Rates fluctuate S T funnel-web spiders being milked (for the radically with season and availability. CESIG C production of antivenin) and a Galapagos E N N Woy Woy Fishermen’s Wharf SEAFOOD $$ H TR tortoise being fed. There are wonderful TR (%02-4341 1171; www.woywoyfishermenswharf. T S AL C AL tours for kids. al com.au; The Boulevarde, Woy Woy; mains $27; Brisbane Water National Park NATIONAL PARK htakeaway 11am-4pm Sun-Wed, to 7pm Thu-Sat, CO O % AS ( 02-4320 4200; www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/ restaurant noon-3pm Sun-Wed, to late Thu-Sat) as brisbane-water-national-park; Woy Woy Rd, Kariong; T S The Cregan family have been serving T vehicle access at Girrakool & Somersby Falls picnic their outstanding fish and chips since 1974. areas $7) Bordering the Hawkesbury River Munch in the park (like the pelicans who southwest of Gosford, this park is known for are fed daily at 3pm), or take a table at their its spring wild flowers and rambling cycling smart restaurant which dangles out over the and walking trails. The Bulgandry Aborigi- water. nal Engraving Site is situated 3km south of the Central Coast Hwy on Woy Woy Rd. A fa- Pearls on the Beach MODERN AUSTRALIAN $$$ % vourite retreat for Sydneysiders is the pretty ( 02-4342 4400; www.pearlsonthebeach.com.au; h village of Pearl Beach, on the southeastern 1 Tourmaline Ave, Pearl Beach; mains $39; noon- edge of the park. 2.30pm & 6-10pm Thu-Sun) The comfortable whitewashed cottage right on the sand Bouddi National Park NATIONAL PARK at Pearl Beach is an idyllic place to share (%02-4320 4200; www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/ simple, flavourful dishes at this highly rated bouddi-national-park; vehicle access $7) A spec- restaurant. Save room for the very tempting tacular park where short walking trails lead dessert menu. to isolated beaches and dramatic lookouts from where you can experience the annual 8 Information whale migration between June and Novem- Central Coast Visitor Centre (% 02-4343 ber. There are camp sites (per two people 4444; www.visitcentralcoast.com.au; 52 The $20 to $28) at Little Beach, Putty Beach and Avenue, Kariong; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am- Tallow Beach; book ahead. Only the Putty 3.30pm Sat & Sun) Beach site has drinkable water and flush Gosford Visitor Centre (% 02-4343 4444; toilets. 200 Mann St; h9.30am-4pm Mon-Fri, to 1.30pm Sat) TreeTop Adventure Park AMUSEMENT PARK Lake Macquarie Visitor Centre (% 02-4921 % ( 02-4025 1008; www.treetopadventurepark. 0740; www.visitlakemac.com.au; 228 Pacific com.au; 1 Red Hill Rd, Wyong Creek; adult/child from Hwy, Swansea; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 4pm $45/35; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 4.30pm Sat & Sun Sat & Sun) Sep-Apr, 9am-6pm Oct-Mar) Zip fast and furious The Entrance Visitor Centre (% 02-4333 through the canopy of the Ourimbah State 1966; Marine Pde; h9am-5pm) 146 8 Getting There & Around preserved padded cell, where the leather ¨ Gosford is a stop on the Newcastle & Central walls are stuffed with horsehair. Coast line, with frequent trains from Sydney Newcastle Art Gallery GALLERY and Newcastle (both adults $8.10, children % $4.05, 1½ hours). Trains also stop at Wond- ( 02-4974 5100; www.nag.org.au; 1 Laman St; h F abyne within Brisbane Water National Park 10am-5pm Tue-Sun) Ignore the bru- upon request (rear carriage only).