What are the best Central Coast national parks?

The Popran, Wyrrabalong, Bouddi, Brisbane Water and Dharug National Parks can all be found along the Central Coast, New South Wales. Highlights include the Marie Byles Lookout in Bouddi National Park and the Bulgandry Aboriginal site at Brisbane Water.

The Central Coast in New South Wales has a smattering of attractions, including the beach at Terrigal and the Australian Reptile Park. But it is somewhat greedy when it comes to national parks. There are five national parks on the Central Coast, and all have different vibes and attractions. The Central Coast is between Sydney and Newcastle, and can easily be included in a road trip between the two cities. Alternatively, all five Central Coast national parks are an easy day trip from Sydney if you’ve hired a car.

Central Coast National Parks: Popran National Park and Wyrrabalong National Park

The Popran National Park is particularly good for spotting wildflowers in the spring. But this Central Coast national park also has plenty of underrated walking trails that mostly meander along the course of the Hawkesbury River. Expect sandstone cliffs and gullies and secluded, photogenic rockpools. Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventures offers horse-riding and quad biking tours just outside the Popran National Park boundaries.

The Wyrrabalong National Park splits into two coastal sections. One is just north of Terrigal, one just north of The Entrance. The southern section has a fabulous 3.5km-long coastal walk – check out the Crackneck and Wyrrabalong lookouts. The latter overlooks surfer-friendly Forresters Beach. The northern section is more about the wetlands. Red gum forests, cabbage tree palms and sooty oystercatchers are all in abundance. If there in June, July, October or November, the high coastal vantage points are excellent places for watching migrating humpback whales as they lumber past.

Central Coast National Parks: Things to do in Bouddi National Park

The Bouddi National Park is probably the most obviously attractive of the Central Coast national parks. It covers the region’s south-eastern coast. Head downhill on a walking track and you’ll more than likely find yourself at a gorgeous little beach with tremendous views out to the ocean and Sydney’s northern suburbs.

You’ll find yourself taking the most impressive photos from the Marie Byles Lookout. Here, a sign explains precisely what everything in the panorama is. On a clear day, it’s possible to see the North Head of Sydney Harbour and the CBD. But pretty much every day, it’s possible to see the Hawkesbury River Mouth. The same applies for sailing hotspot Pittwater, Palm Beach (of Home And Away fame) and the lighthouse on the Barrenjoey Headland.

The Bouddi Coastal Walk to Macmasters Beach, meanwhile, is one of the best coastal walks in Australia.

Dharug National Park attractions

The Dharug National Park is the furthest west, but is of the most historic interest. The Old Great North Road runs through it. And it’s one of the most impressive engineering feats of the colonial era. Convicts equipped with only basic tools managed to dig 12 metre-high retaining walls through the sandstone. They chipped the road out through the forested hills.

Mill Creek within the park, incidentally, is one of the best places in Australia for spotting wombats in the wild.

Brisbane Water National Park Aboriginal Carvings

The Brisbane Water National Park is an easy one to drive through. It’s not much of a detour from the Central Coast’s main urban settlements of Gosford and Woy Woy. The Woy Woy Road winds through spectacular eucalypt forest, stopping at the Staples Lookout and the Bulgandry Aboriginal site. The latter is home to a series of Aboriginal carvings. All are at least 200 years old, and some possibly 2,000 years old.

Bulgandry Man at the Bulgandry Aboriginal site in the Brisbane Waters National Park. Brisbane Waters is one of five Central Coast national parks in New South Wales. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions.

The main carving is of ‘Bulgandry Man’ a chap tooled up with all manner of weaponry. It’s presumably going to be used to kill the fish, wallabies and other potential dinners that surround him.

Pearl Beach and Patonga Beach at the southern end of the Brisbane Water National Park are chilled-out bases for a Central Coast holiday.