Best beaches, bays and towns - Wollongong to Port Macquarie

We’d been travelling through south-eastern New South Wales (NSW), enjoying the sun, sea, and seafood. Then we stopped in coastal Wollongong where we visited the stunning lighthouse that sits on Flagstaff Point. This giant white guardian of the point is 25 metres high and overlooks the Tasman Sea.

Wollongong Lighthouse on Flagstaff Point, Wollongong, NSW

It was built in 1936, and went on to became the first lighthouse in Australia to have automatic flashing lights. After visiting the lighthouse, we walked around the pretty Wollongong harbour, and city centre. Wollongong is the third largest city in NSW (after Sydney and Newcastle). Once a coal and steel centre, Wollongong has transformed itself into a vibrant city with some attractive historic buildings and a wonderful waterfront. We enjoyed our stop there.

Leaving Wollongong, we continued our coastal route, aiming for the seaside areas on the other side of Sydney. We’ll finish our trip in Sydney in a few weeks, but had no desire to visit it now.

Scenery on the A6 across Sydney, NSW

So, we were dreading the thought that we may have to drive through the centre of Sydney to get to its northern beaches. However, our trusty GPS managed to get us on a picturesque drive north, that headed away from the coast to the A6 highway. Then the A6 took us through some lovely scenery and, best of all, skirted Sydney city centre.

Driving a very large motorhome through the busy streets of this big city was not something to look forward to, so it was with some relief that we arrived at our next destination; The Entrance, around 100 km north of Sydney.

Lake Tuggerah, The Entrance, NSW

The Entrance is in the Central Coast region of NSW, located on a spit of land surrounded on three sides by water. We thought that the most interesting of these watery areas was Lake Tuggerah, a large but relatively shallow lake (average depth less than 2m), fringed by a diverse shoreline and used for a multitude of water sports.

After driving around the lake, we visited the small (pop 3,800) coastal town called The Entrance, looking for a camp to stay in for a few nights.

Our van and views in Bateau Bay, NSW

The Entrance has plenty of shops and eating places, but we didn’t find a non-busy campsite. So, we drove around looking for a camp that was not too crowded. We eventually found a wonderful campsite in nearby Bateau Bay, that gave us the environment we were looking for.

The camp was very well located, quiet, clean, friendly, and well laid out. We had direct access to the beach, shops, and walking opportunities, and best of all, the weather was warm and sunny – it was perfect.

The rocky beachscape site of an errant sandal, Bateau Bay, NSW

The campsite beach has interesting rock formations that enable you to walk around 400 meters across the seabed at low tide. On one walk around the rocks, Leigh managed to lose one of her Teva walking sandals that she had been carrying. Those sandals have been all over the world on various travels so we had to find it. After enlisting the help of passers-by, and combing the area for so long that the tide was coming in, we gave up.

However, while walking back to camp, Marg took one last look at the incoming tide, and there was this little Teva sandal bobbing along on the waves. Whew, disaster averted!

Fabulous seafood meal from the back of a truck in Bateau Bay, NSW

We really enjoyed our time in Bateau Bay, being entertained by the birdlife and taking walks along the beach. But a special treat was the visiting fisherman who sold his catch from the back of his truck around Bateau Bay. So we had another wonderful seafood meal, that rivalled the one we enjoyed in Narooma a few days ago.

One reason that we were in this area was to visit Marg’s cousin Andrea, and her husband David who live in Terrigal, about 11 km from our campsite. So while we were in Bateau Bay, Andrea picked us up and took us to her lovely apartment.

View of the beach at Terrigal, NSW

Terrigal has become a favourite of Sydneysiders, being only 88 km north of Sydney. It was first settled in 1826, and now-days, is known for its beautiful beaches, restaurant and café scene, and holiday vibe.

Andrea and David live in a beautiful apartment there, that they have recently renovated. They get a view of the sea and are within walking distance to the vibrant centre of Terrigal and its coastal activities. It was wonderful to be shown around the apartment, share a home cooked meal, and catch up on family stuff. We had a great time there before kindly being driven back to the Bateau Bay camp by David.

The attractive waterfront walk in Newcastle, NSW

Leaving Bateau Bay, our next stop was Newcastle on the Hunter River. It’s the second largest city in NSW and one of the oldest in Australia. We really enjoyed it there, and in particular its attractive and extensive waterfront area and walkway.

We watched an old-style ferry weave its way across the bay, saw an interesting lighthouse, spotted the colonial-era ocean baths, and enjoyed the many public art installations dotted around the city.

From left/top: Customs House and Longworth House. Bottom: Terraced houses and Station, Newcastle, NSW

But we particularly loved the historic architecture. Newcastle began as a convict settlement in 1804 to provide access to, and workers for coal extraction from the Hunter Valley. It is now the world’s largest coal port. However, that does not seem to have spoiled the look or feel of the city. It’s Victorian/colonial era architecture is lovely, with much of it spread throughout the city, adding to its vibrancy and interest.

Buildings we enjoyed the most included the old Customs House with its clock tower, the ornate Longworth House, the terrace houses, the old railway station with its candy-stripe roof, the Town Hall and clocktower, and the Christ Church Cathedral.

From left/top: Elizabeth Bay and Tarbuck Bay. Bottom: natural bush and Forster on The Lakes Way, NSW

Leaving Newcastle, we continued northwards to the small town of Bulahdelah where we turned east onto The Lakes Way. The Way took us past beautiful waterways including Lake Myall; beaches such as those on Tarbuck Bay and Elizabeth Bay; several areas of lovely natural bush including the Booti Booti National Park, to the small town of Forster on Lake Wallis.

Lake Wallis is known as the biggest producer of Sydney Rock Oysters, a delicacy that we have enjoyed on several occasions. We then carried on northwards, and after a longish but very interesting drive, we arrived at Port Macquarie, our destination for the next few days.

The colourful breakwater rocks in Port Macquarie, NSW

We found a lovely campsite that was right beside the colourful breakwater at Port Macquarie's Town Beach. The breakwater rocks have been decorated with thoughts and messages from locals and visitors, making it a fascinating read. We took many walks along this interesting breakwater into Port Macquarie city centre.

Port Macquarie is a sizeable city of around 48,000 people, located at the mouth of the Hasting River where it meets the Tasman Sea. The city has managed to retain a lovely seaside feel, with its attractive waterfront developments, many beaches, and laid-back approach.

Leigh, Brian, Marg, Pat and Angela at Port Macquarie, NSW

On our first day in Port Macquarie, we caught up with Angela, an old school friend of Marg’s daughter Tracey. Angela, with her parents Pat and Brian, met us at a local beach café where we had a lovely time reminiscing, having not been in touch for many years. After a nostalgic afternoon, we headed back to our camp.

Later on, we went for a walk along the fabulous walkway, that tracks through the bush, across several beaches, and past some of the pretty suburbs of Port Macquarie. It is such a lovely area for walks, birdwatching, and seaside activities.

From left/top: Oxley and Flynn beaches. Bottom: Shelly and Lighthouse beaches, Port Macquarie, NSW 

The next day, Pat and Brian kindly picked us up in their car and gave us a tour of Port Macquarie. We saw a few of the outlying villages, visited some of the furthermost of its 17 beaches that we would not have seen by foot, enjoyed a coffee together, and overall, had a wonderful time.

Our favourite beaches include Flynns Beach, Shelley Beach, and Lighthouse Beach with their golden sands, beautiful clean water, and interesting picnic areas. We also liked dramatic Oxley Beach, and enjoyed being entertained by the pelicans at Lake Cathie.

Marg at the Tacking Point Lighthouse, Port Macquarie, NSW

While at Lighthouse Beach we visited the gorgeous Tacking Point Lighthouse. Built in 1879, this quaint, unusual and still active lighthouse is only 8 metres high due to its elevated position on the rocks overlooking the Tasman Sea. The structure also includes the lighthouse keeper’s cottage.

After a few days and having enjoyed this area immensely, it was time to leave Port Macquarie and head to our next destination - but that’s in the next blog.

This is part of a wider blog on our travels around south-eastern Australia, that began in Melbourne, Victoria