Things to do on the Central Coast, New South Wales

The best things to do on the Central Coast, New South Wales, include surfing lessons at Avoca Beach, the Bulgandry Rock Art site and the Bouddi Coastal Walk.

For Sydneysiders, the Central Coast of New South Wales is seen as somewhere for a convenient beach getaway. A fair few of them also have holiday homes there. Visitors, however, tend to drive by, whizzing up the Pacific Motorway on the way to Newcastle, Port Stephens and the Hunter Valley.

Where is the Central Coast?

The Central Coast is theoretically the stretch between Sydney and Newcastle. Realistically, it’s the bit north of Broken Bay and the Hawkesbury River, but south of Lake Macquarie. Lake Macquarie is a separate city, sometimes banded in with the Central Coast, often regarded as part of Greater Newcastle.

Central Coast neighbourhoods

The Central Coast is a collection of towns and villages, not all of which are actually on the coast. Gosford is the major urban hub, but most visitors will prefer to stick to the coastal suburbs. Those on Broken Bay, such as Pearl Beach and Patonga, have a tucked away feel. They’re surrounded by the Central Coast’s national parks, and are as much about walking trails and headland lookouts as the beaches. Mooney Mooney isn’t quite so hidden away – you pass through on the Pacific Motorway on the Sydney to Newcastle drive. But you can do a tour of the Broken Bay Pearl Farm here.

The Broken Bay suburbs have a different vibe to those flanked by the ocean. The likes of Forresters Beach, Toowoon Bay, Wamberal and Terrigal are much beloved by surfers, and have a more classic beach town feel. Terrigal and The Entrance are the two most popular bases for a Central Coast holiday.

Things to do on the Central Coast: Surfing lessons

There are few things more iconically Australian than surfing, but you have to know what you’re doing before jumping into the waves. There are several surf schools along the Central Coast, most of which run lessons for total beginners. Generally, you’ll be at least standing on the board by the end of the first lesson.

The Central Coast Surf Academy runs surfing lessons, primarily at Avoca Beach, but also at MacMasters Beach, Copacabana Beach, Terrigal Beach, and Wamberal Beach. Prices start at $40 per lesson.

Things to do on the Central Coast: Walking

There are some fabulous walking routes around Broken Bay. The 3km walk through the Brisbane Water National Park from Pearl Beach to Patonga Beach is a good taster, for example.

Further north in the Brisbane Water National Park is the Bulgandry Rock Art Site. A short walk from the car park here brings you to some remarkably well preserved examples of Indigenous art, carved into the rocks.

Top of the list, however, should be the Bouddi Coastal Walk through the Bouddi National Park. This stretches for 8km from Putty Beach to MacMasters Beach, with several scenic lookouts on the way. There are also plenty of weird rock formations – the strangely stripy Tessellated Pavement is fabulous. Putty Beach runs on to Killcare Beach, which has a rather cool rock pool.

The Maitland Bay Track, meanwhile, branches off at Maitland Bay.

Walking doesn’t have to be restricted to the national parks, though. There are several walking trails that mix urban energy with coastal chill. The 7.6km Coast To Lake Walk starting in the Entrance is a good example. This lets you see the pelicans at The Entrance, hug the coast of Tuggerah Lake on the way through arty Long Jetty, then come back alongside the ocean from Toowoon Bay. If you want to head out on Tuggerah Lake, you can hire kayaks from Canton Beach in Toukley.

Toukley is towards the northern end of the Central Coast, although there are several likeable spots further north of the Budgewoi Peninsula too. These include the Tea Tree Lookout over Birdie Beach.

Things to do on the Central Coast: Inland

The part of the Central Coast that most people drive through is inland. But there are a few good things to do on the Central Coast away from the water. The Australian Reptile Park near Gosford, for example, is excellent. This is all about snakes, lizards and other distinctly non-cuddly Australian creatures. You can take a tour uncovering how antivenom is made, and just how many people are killed by spiders and snake bites.

Nearby is Glenworth Valley, an all-action spot where you can go kayaking, quad biking, horse-riding and abseiling. There’s also a ropes and ziplines adventure course at TreeTops Central Coast in Ourimbah.

Accommodation options on the Central Coast include the Crowne Plaza Terrigal.